After leaving Amboise, a little village in the French countryside and NOT paying 43 euro to see the Da Vinci garden we stumbled upon Le Mans. The town with the car race, which I know nothing about. We cruised through without stopping and as we were getting back on the highway we saw a sign to Champagne. Naturally we had to go there. We’re in France and Champagne is 7 kilometres away, of course we go.
We get there, I’m in desperate need to pee and lucky for me the tourist information place is right next to the loo. I walk in, turn and walk straight out, it was a no…
Just a hole in the ground with two foot areas so you can squat. My mind said no but my bladder said you better, so I pulled my big girl panties up and went back on in, where I had to obviously pull them down. Now I’ve squatted and peed my way around Australia on the side of the road, I’ve done it all over my farm since I was a kid. It’s not a problem… But squatting over a porcelain hole is not the same, seriously not the same, aiming for a hole is really hard and the porcelain, unlike absorbent grass on the side of the road , just splashes it all back up.
Are you picturing it? Pants around knees, squatting and back splashing on yourself. Stop laughing! I was desperate…
With the deed done I promptly put my feet and flip flops in the sink for a thorough rinsing. The bladder was happy but the feet were not. The princess and miss gremlin opted for the next stop. Which by the way was about 40 minutes later. I was glad I chose not to wait.
Evidently for future reference. There are no champagne vineyards in Champagne, they are in the entire other direction. We tried but Verve Clicot was 304 kilometres and Moët Chandon 296…in the wrong direction.
And so we headed to St Malo instead…. there be pirates there but that’s another story.
Comments 14
I think I’ve peed in that exact same bathroom in Italy. It really is a splash-fest. =(
Author
yup and there’s nothing you can do to stop it!
Ahhh memories of when I visited Italy and France for the first time. It’s all in the technique: aim and force. Great exercise for the thighs and internal muscles involved.
Author
I have never seen them before! I thought they were only in China…You learn something new everyday.
Seriously? SERIOUSLY?? Are you supposed to stand on those little ridgey things? I’ve never been so glad to be in America.
Ewwww…well..this makes me feel a LITTLE better about how little I’ve traveled,
Annnnnnnnnnnnnd that’s why you get ‘The Smell of the Continent’
Good GRIEF, France! ICK.
Yikes, I am thankful for modern toilets in the US. 🙂
As much as I LOVE Europe- I really hate it. Am I right?
I remember walking into one of those in Italy. I stared at it for a few minutes, trying to figure out how this was supposed to work and finally walked out. I held it because I really didn’t know what to do. I had never seen anything like it. It was a little hole in the middle of the floor w/ no door – just swat & pee in the middle of the bathroom – don’t mind the other women milling about.
This is a common toilet in India. Thankfully we have regular (known as western) toilets in our house, and they can be found in nice hotels and malls. But anywhere else you get the squat toilet. You really just have to keep your legs far enough apart so as to not spray. 🙂 Try getting your little kid to use it and keep their pants dry at the same time. Lots of fun.
Author
I knew I had an issue with travelling to India!
I was 7 months pregnant, in Paris and came up on this ‘toilet’. HELLTOTHENO! My sister went. Paid 1 Euro too. I made fun of her for the rest of the trip. Great post!
Author
well, when you gotta go….