Everywhere I've been had a separate bidet, usually situated next to the toilet. Back in the early 70s, the first time I was in Europe, we didn't know what the bidets were or their function. In one of the hotels we stayed there were only a sink and a bidet in the room. The toilet and bathtub were in a WC down the hall. We decided to stay there several days so I decided to wash our laundry. In the bidet. Well, it worked but a maid got a real laugh about it.
I've never seen a toilet with a bidet, I've only seen the separate fixture called a bidet, like in your bottom photo.
This post was edited by Thriftymaid at November 10, 2019 8:13 AM MST
LMAO - When I was in Rome, we stayed at a hotel that had a commode and a bidet. We knew what the bidet was for, but after a couple of days, we rinsed out our undies in the bidet, too. Very useful - on many levels.
Making do with what we have.....common sense rules! :)
Plus it was more convenient that trying to go to a coin laundry.
When the maid came in and saw our laundry hanging on the rope I took for that task, and asked how we washed, I pointed to the bidet and she laughed hysterically. Then at another hotel I asked the maid what the bidet was used for and she sort of pointed to herself and said washee washee and ran out the door. So then we knew.
My grandpa used to have a bidet in his bathroom... and a toilet.... and a shower.... No bath. I thought the no bath part was wierd and the bidet for that matter.
Your first picture looks rather unpleasant. I'm not so sure about the second picture, either. The third is the only type I have seen.
As far as things you might want to put in your survival kits for earthquakes and such, I've heard toilet paper might be a necessity people forget. Hoard it!! You may be surprised how much toilet paper we all go through in a day. I know this because I was surprised, myself, when we had to stop flushing toilet paper down our toilet. I have since found eating less helps in more ways than one. ;)
France may or may not offer both a bidet and toilet paper for us Western folk. I'm not sure. I've haven't been in France long enough to need to use a bidet or toilet paper.
I would think a very large majority would offer a bidet as we do toilet paper in most our public bathrooms.
This post was edited by Merlin at November 10, 2019 6:50 AM MST
I appreciate your subtle approach on my weird thought. (Big thanks! ;)) I thought it was odd, as a wee child, because I was only allowed to take baths and not showers. My Grammie had a bath in her bathroom. It was called a bathroom and I couldn't imagine a man of his age wanting to have water beating down on him. In my little brain, it seemed sitting and bathing would be more satisfying and pleasant. I didn't take into consideration getting in and out of a bath might be a problem. I also didn't think it might be more cleansing not to sit in dirty water. :) :)
This post was edited by Merlin at November 10, 2019 8:16 AM MST
That's a fun morning mental visual! :) Did you try and sink your boats or were you in friendly waters while sailing in your bathtub? When I was old enough to take baths by myself, I used to snorkel. There was nothing to find but the bottom of the tub but still I liked to pretend I was a fish. To this day, ocean or chlorinated pool, I swim with my eyes OPEN. Fish are my idols. ;) :)
This post was edited by Merlin at November 10, 2019 9:22 AM MST
I don't ever take baths on my own ,due the the fact that the cast iron ones are far to heavey for me to lift and steal if I'm on my own when wanting to take one Stu... :(
Building codes differ in localities...even cities have specific codes. When I bought my house here in Florida and began the renovation, the president of the HOA "reminded" me that one of my full bathrooms had to have a bathtub. Well, I had no intention of not having tub/shower combinations in the two full baths, because they are much easier to keep clean than a walk-in shower. Anyway, I checked the building code and found that to not be true. He has lived here a long time and the change happened since he did his renovation. Anyway, there are almost always reasons that make sense. Also, high population cities and small sq. ft. residences are more likely to not require a bathtub, as well as high-rise buildings. Oh, and children generally need a bathtub up to a certain age.
This post was edited by Thriftymaid at November 11, 2019 12:05 AM MST
No. This answer must be qualified because it's forty years since I lived and travelled widely in France.
Back then, the toilets in public places like small rural villages and caravan parks were just pit toilets with a concrete bed that had a hole in it and a wooden lid. Squatting over it was a learned skill, and rather good for the development of thigh muscles. You had to carry your own water and washer or toilet paper. (The paper went into the pit. If you carried your own kit you needed extra water to rinse out your washer and a plastic bag to take it with you.) At that time, Fodor's tourist guide said, "If you love haute cuisine but are particular about your lavatory, you will have no choice but to eat in France and go the toilet in England." Most ordinary homes in France have bidets, as do hotels. The higher the standard, the fancier the bidets become. The basement budget kind have only cold water and you have to use your hand to direct the flow where it's needed. Or there's a bowl with a drain and plug which you fill, and then use a chain to pull the plug after you've finished washing and rinsing. The top kind have hot and cold running water which can be mixed to create the right temperature coming out of one tap. It has a swivelling a spray-control nozzle which lets you direct the flow, or sometimes a flexible hose.
These days in Australia, some very fancy ones are appearing in public facilities and old people's homes. No doubt they would have been invented in France. They have computerised settings controlled by a remote. They can give you a massage your prefered temperature, pressure and direction, and they give you a temperature-controlled blow-dry afterwards. Some have automated music, but no choice in what music. The sound was so unwelcome to me that I preferred to wait till I got home.
There is no doubt that the fresh feeling of a proper wash is infinitely preferable to the less perfect method of toilet paper. I don't blame the French for thinking that English-speakers are filthy.
Thriftymaid 