Our BetterMost Community > Chez Tremblay
An American Girl in Paris
delalluvia:
On the "Bitch, Bitch, Bitch" thread Natalie asked me about the problems I have with my lactose-intolerance. I'm also suspected of having a gluten-intolerance (protein found in grain products).
Now, send me to the land of cheese and bread and you find a tourista rapidly in need of a bathroom on the streets of a foreign city.
I tried to watch everything I ate to avoid this problem, but I was not very successful.
London had public restrooms in every Underground station we were in. It was easy to find a bathroom when needed.
Paris does not have this convenience.
The Parisiennes have a strange attitude toward the needs of the tourists to find a bathroom. You go in anywhere and ask if they have a toilet and they will say, "Non." When you know dang well that they very likely do, if only for their own employees!
The guy at the Internet cafe we went to was amused at my request,
"You ave no idea how many tourists come in here looking for ze bathroom. Is it zumtheeng we put in di food?"
Hardee har har.
Considering the cafe was down the street from Notre Dame - which has public restrooms with restrictive hours - open 10am-noon, closed noon to 1 pm, then open again 1-4pm - when there are 500 tourists at the place at any hour of the day, I found his attitude to be just this side of bizarre.
Luckily, the only time I was in agony, about to have a terrible accident, we found these:
These were like the best things since sliced baguettes. Not only are they relatively clean being self-cleaning, they are free and all the ones I used actually had toilet paper!!! They look like porto-potties, but they are much better, attached to the sewer system so you don't have that lovely smell of plastic and everyone-who-has-come- before-you's personal effluvia asphyxiating you while you are trying to do your business. It was also a great place to chit-chat with your fellow tourists while standing in line to use one.
Because when you go to places like this:
or this
The number of available bathrooms - especially for women - is a joke.
These European tourist destinations are not for the less than mobile or people with weak bladders. At Versailles, there were two bathrooms for the great unwashed at the Chateau. Four - FOUR - stalls for women to a side. I can't imagine how long the lines were during the summer season. We were there during the off-season and the crowds were still unbearable.
As an aside - I noticed this at many touristy places - France doesn't seem to have Fire Marshall regulations. Doesn't matter if there is standing room only, if you have to fight elbow to elbow to see an exhibit or get trampled by herds of tour groups, if you have a ticket, you get in.
We wandered further down the Gardens at Versailles, about half-way down, we took a left turn and found a maze, a cafe and a bathroom. I suggested we use the bathroom first as we might get lost in the maze and really get in trouble. The wait for women was 20 minutes. There were only TWO stalls for women there.
The gardens were magnificent. I'd seen the movie "Marie Antoinette" before we left and I was more amazed, awed and thrilled by the gardens than the Chateau which itself was exquisite. It took us 45 minutes to walk to the far corner of the gardens to see an exhibit. We got there and noticed there are no facilities whatsoever.
My sister was flabbergasted.
Her: I can't believe there isn't anything here! What if people had small children with them? You know little kids have to go the bathroom every 10 minutes.
Me: Do you see anyone here with small kids?
Believe it or not, there were no families with small children. Only adults or teenagers. There were no young families with children, or babies in carriages, no old people in wheelchairs or walkers or little scooters. You are able to walk and keep yourself to yourself or you obviously don't go to Versailles.
Note: Weather was blustery and sprinkling when we mounted the Eiffel Tower. It held off long enough for us to explore and take pictures to our heart's content, then as we wafted back to earth it started to pour rain!! We did not have our umbrellas. Blasted with strong winds and cold rainwater, my sister spotted a quartet of plexiglass phonebooths and we outraced some homeless guys to dodge inside one. There we stayed, hoping this was just a cloudburst, surrounded by others who'd had the same idea. We all huddled around, including the soldiers with automatic rifles who walk a beat around the Tower!
Sorry, I didn't get a picture.
The weather was also blustery at Versailles. It was raining as we left Paris to travel to Versailles, but held off the entire time we were there. I was so happy. The gardens were definitely one of the highlights of my trip.
injest:
Del, you rock, girl!
Loving your stories. So down to earth but funny and interesting! you have a real knack!
XX
Penthesilea:
Loved the newest installment of your story. You had me laugh heartily. About the bathrooms, I mean :laugh:.
Thanks for the pics. I never would have pictured you with dark long hair. I don't know how I've pictured you, but I guess with short hair.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on October 24, 2007, 01:20:14 am ---Thanks for the pics. I never would have pictured you with dark long hair. I don't know how I've pictured you, but I guess with short hair.
--- End quote ---
That's funny! I was just thinking that's exactly how I would have pictured Del. Well, a little different face, maybe (I imagine her as having a nose), but otherwise just like that.
injest:
she looked real happy though!!
;D ;D
come on Del!! We are waiting for our bedtime story!!
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