Arriving in Punta Križa
I arrived at Punta Križa in 1970. The village was old, but inhabited by many elderly people, always ready to lend a hand. The campsite was a small plot of land with a German as manager. That year, there were fewer than 50 guests on August 15th. The person who told me about the place had been chased away with stones by some guests.
We were welcomed with open arms. I discovered nudism then and was thrilled. I spoke German and managed to integrate. The guests were all German except for a couple of Belgians.
A small path of a few minutes led to Lučica... a small bay with dry stone walls right down to the water. I don't remember any long swims... partly because I was a bit allergic to seawater. Then I got used to it over time.
The German who was managing the place was Pieper, and he tried to poison me with toothache medicine. I slept for two days until I went to the dentist in Mali Lošinj, who removed my root canal and saved my vacation.
I have some rare photos of Lučica, because cameras were prohibited for fear of nude photos.
The beginning of a lifelong bond
I returned to Punta in 1971. Shops? Loaves of bread in the morning and a few tomatoes. The shop, a shelf of boards, was run by Mario, who was frowned upon in the village because he worked "with the naked."
We didn't come for a few years. I was ill for a long time. I returned in 1976. Pieper had disappeared. Apparently he had been in prison and then banished from the village.
The campsite was run by Jadranka. The campsite occupied the same area, but a road had been opened from the sheep track to Lučica. It ran along the bay, like today, and ended at the ruins of a house (now a restaurant). In front of the ruin, there was a large boulder in the middle of the water. A paradise.
And there the true bond began, and every year we spent our holidays there.
We changed caravans three times over the years... to get to the one we have now. We were always a beacon for all the new people who arrived and needed advice. The campground managers changed, but Valnea remained a beacon for everyone, helping beyond the impossible.
Simple days and lasting friendships
A small supermarket was built... with a few, but essential items. From then on, we came twice a summer, a week in June and more in August.
In June, I brought my nieces, who seemed to have been born "nudists." Not everyone liked nudists, and in the summers, discussions ensued... about "morality." I'd say I felt better "naked" than dressed.
I remember the evenings speaking from French to German... with friends who, over time, became brothers and sisters.
A camp surrounded by nature
The campground's strong points were the animals and plants. For decades, it was inhabited by deer with enormous antlers, wild boars, small burrows... an infinite number of birds and insects. Now, for our safety, it's fenced off, and we only see the occasional deer.
What haven't I told you about Punta? A lot... but memories chase each other in our heads, and everyone chases their own. Everyone will create their own.
I haven't told you about when there was little water here and it didn't always arrive. Now, with European funding, so much water arrives that it satisfies thousands of visitors.
Stories, adventures and memories
The most shocking adventure? It happened to a friend. A dinghy carrying his wife and a friend, caught in the fog at Oruda, made a mistake and instead of returning to Punta, headed for Pag. Here he encountered dolphins, but, under the influence of his friend, mistook them for sharks.
Terrified, he arrived in Pag and met a man who hosted them and who the next day took him back to Punta. After two days, he packed his bags and left, never to return.
If you go to sea, go with respect!
Many friends have accompanied us, but now many are leaving us. The memory is beautiful, poignant, but it's not enough. It would take a magic wand to return to our youth, to that time that seemed carefree, even when we had so many.