Two of the most important letters in all of Europe when you're traveling are W and C. When you put these otherwise common letters together, they stand for water closet.
Bathroom. Toilet. Restroom.
It isn't always easy finding a public bathroom in Europe. A lot of places won't let you use theirs unless you're eating/drinking there. So you're always on the lookout for those two elusive letters on a corner sign, pointing you in the right direction to a public one.
You learn a few critical phrases, too:
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland: 'Wo ist die toilette?'
In Italy: 'Dov'e il bagno?'
In Hungary: 'Hol van a mosdo?'
In Denmark: 'Hvor er toilette?'
In Czech Republic: 'Kde je prosim zachod?' (I could never figure out how to say this exactly, but I realized that hand gestures work everywhere. I'd show you, but . . . )
The other thing that happens when it comes to WCs is that you often have to pay to use them. Some have extremely elaborate systems just to get in -- coin operated turnstiles -- plexiglass doors that open automatically when you drop in your 0,50 euro (about 50 cents) -- specific 'in' and 'out' doors where you have to push a little button first to get the door to open.
It's a learning curve for sure. I'm not sure this is the area of life where you want one of those, but I found out how quickly you learn when it's really important.
I admit at first I was a little ticked that they ask you to fork over money in order to use a bathroom. It just seems so inhumane to charge you for that particular activity, but I come from an American point of view.
It isn't wrong; it's just different.
However, I was definitely offended when even the McDonald's in Prague made me pay 50 cents to use theirs. I mean, McDonalds just seems about as American as you can get.
You wise up in a hurry, though. Always have some change in your pocket for when the urgency reaches its peak. That's so important.
What does 50 cents for a good WC get you in Europe? An attendant who might hand you some paper to use and who comes in and cleans up after you. Of course, this might be a woman cleaning the men's area, so you have to be prepared to be washing your hands at the sink and have a lady walk behind you. It's just unsettling the first 12 times. You get used to it. But many of the bathrooms are super-sparkly, so that's a plus.
I won't tell you how much we spent between the two of us on this part of our trip, but it was pretty close to the annual GDP of Liechtenstein. As the shores of America loom ahead for us this next week, we look forward to 'resting' for free.
And be blessed.
Bathroom. Toilet. Restroom.
It isn't always easy finding a public bathroom in Europe. A lot of places won't let you use theirs unless you're eating/drinking there. So you're always on the lookout for those two elusive letters on a corner sign, pointing you in the right direction to a public one.You learn a few critical phrases, too:
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland: 'Wo ist die toilette?'
In Italy: 'Dov'e il bagno?'
In Hungary: 'Hol van a mosdo?'
In Denmark: 'Hvor er toilette?'
In Czech Republic: 'Kde je prosim zachod?' (I could never figure out how to say this exactly, but I realized that hand gestures work everywhere. I'd show you, but . . . )
It's a learning curve for sure. I'm not sure this is the area of life where you want one of those, but I found out how quickly you learn when it's really important.
I admit at first I was a little ticked that they ask you to fork over money in order to use a bathroom. It just seems so inhumane to charge you for that particular activity, but I come from an American point of view.
It isn't wrong; it's just different.
However, I was definitely offended when even the McDonald's in Prague made me pay 50 cents to use theirs. I mean, McDonalds just seems about as American as you can get.
You wise up in a hurry, though. Always have some change in your pocket for when the urgency reaches its peak. That's so important.
What does 50 cents for a good WC get you in Europe? An attendant who might hand you some paper to use and who comes in and cleans up after you. Of course, this might be a woman cleaning the men's area, so you have to be prepared to be washing your hands at the sink and have a lady walk behind you. It's just unsettling the first 12 times. You get used to it. But many of the bathrooms are super-sparkly, so that's a plus.
I won't tell you how much we spent between the two of us on this part of our trip, but it was pretty close to the annual GDP of Liechtenstein. As the shores of America loom ahead for us this next week, we look forward to 'resting' for free.
And be blessed.
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