German naturists can get a head start on their naked get-away by flying in the buff. A specialist travel agency, OssiUrlaub.de, has stepped up to help facilitate this growing niche. Reuters.com reports that, "The 55 passengers will have to remain clothed until they board, and dress before disembarking, said Hess. The crew will remain clothed throughout the flight for safety reasons."

The airline has stressed that this is not an invitation for would-be mile higher, but for families and friends who believe in a nudist life style. However, whether or not person by person seat belt checks are in the airline's future, is still open for debater.

Naked Models Keep Clothes on - Strike for Higher Wages

It's the age old problem: what is it worth for somebody to take all their clothes off? In Rome, they are wrestling with this problem as nude models for art students are on strike. Both male and female models have been walking the picket line for higher wages. Although there are 1500 models in Rome only 50 have full time contracts.

"It is not easy because you are naked, so you have to be very comfortable with your body and have a nice relationship with everybody," she says as the students look on, "but not too open and not too close. You are trying to give inspiration to the students. If we lose these artistic roots that are very important to Italy then we lose a big part of our identity." Italian Renaissance art is filled with naked men and women: Think of Michelangelo's David or Botticelli's Venus. But back then artists mostly used prostitutes and lovers as models and muses, often with the complicity of priests who wanted the walls of their churches painted by famous names.

Nudist Flights - Naked Travel in Germany with OssiUrlaub.de

If you've ever dreamed of flying naked, you better head to Germany! A travel agency there is offering the first nudist holiday flights for vacationers who like to take the bare minimum when traveling.

OssiUrlaub.de will start booking a trial naked voyage this week which will leave from Erfurt in eastern Germany in July and fly to Usedom, a popular resort town in the Baltic Sea.

The 55 passengers will have to stay dressed until they get on board (so much for easy security) and will have to button up again before disembarking. On the flight however, turbulence will cause body parts to jiggle, and there will be nothing to protect your skin if you dump coffee all over yourself. As for the crumbs from your pretzels, have fun cleaning those up! The crew, I should add, will be dressed, for what they say are safety reasons.

For the sake of all passengers, I just really hope they give you new seat covers each time.

OssiUrlaub isn't the first to offer naked flights, but is the first in Germany.

Naturism, or "free body culture" (FKK) as it is known in Germany, was banned by the Nazis but blossomed again after the Second World War, particularly in eastern Germany. "There are FKK hotels where you can go into the restaurants and shops naked, for example," Hess said. "For FKK fans -- not that I'm one of them -- it's nothing unusual." "I don't want people to get the wrong idea. It's not that we're starting a swinger club in mid-air or something like that," he added. "We're a perfectly normal holiday company."

Mexico Participates in Worlds Largest Naked Photo Shoot (GALLERY)

Spencer Tunick has been busy down in Mexico City photographing 18,000 people who came out for the largest naked photo shoot the world has ever seen. Mexico prides itself on viewing the body as a beautiful object and participants were more than happy to strip down and participate. The website has a great video of the process of assembling and taking the various photos used in the shoot, amazing really.

The US artist's stunt in Mexico City dwarfed his previous record, when 7,000 people stripped off to be photographed in Barcelona. I think all eyes are looking south from the United States to Mexico City to see how a country can be free and treat the naked body as art. Not as pornography or as a crime, but with happiness and caring.