‘Passing Through’ the Toilets of Bretagne

Anyone who has visited France will know that visiting a public or commercial convenience can be a challenging experience which should not be attempted by the faint hearted. Right from the start you have to accept that there is a cultural difference which I believe stems from the (le droit de l’homme)  the   ‘The Rights of Man’ which in some way explains the desire for French men to relieve themselves wherever and whenever they feel the need. This display of manhood can be seen in the singular but more often than not it is exercised as a group activity, clearly part of a bonding process!

 

This historical disregard for privacy during ‘toilette’ activity goes some way towards the explanation for the lack of separation in the majority of public toilets, between women and men’s facilities. It can be quite a shock for the English tourist to discover that not only are the facilities shared, but women have to pass the men’s urinal to reach the toilet cubicles. On many occasions I have had to check the absence of men before my wife will enter and then whistle a patriotic theme if one arrives whilst she is in residence; I find the ‘La Marseillaise’ is most appropriate.

I have not yet decided whether it is good manners to acknowledge women entering the toilette with a jolly ‘ Bonjour’ or continue to look at the wall and wish you were anywhere but there at that moment. In truth it is strange that even today new public toilet facilities are being built in France as joint sex facilities and even new shopping complexes can be found without separate facilities.

Returning from the UK last year we had to visit toilet facilities along the auto route and I was pleased to note that separate sex sections were available. With some trepidation I joined a queue waiting to enter the men’s toilet. Almost immediately four men were seen to leave hurriedly in an excited manner brushing what appeared to be water from their thighs. The queue moved forward and it was possible to hear a sound like a sudden gas release followed shortly by four more men exiting also with damp thighs! On entry, it was soon apparent that as you stood in front of the urinal an automatic detector decided it was cleaning time, shooting a jet of water down the urinal with sufficient force to spray anyone within reach.

 

A late night trip along another auto route required us to stop at a rural ‘Air’ were my mother in law who was in her 70’s decide to visit the facilities. The toilets were unusually well maintained and clean. After approximately 15 mins she had not reappeared so we sent in a search party who discovered her waiting patiently in one of the cubicles for rescue. A few minutes after entry the lights, which were apparently on a timer, had gone out leaving her in the dark and rather than attempt an unlit exit she had decided to stay put. Apparently she would have shouted for assistance but did not know the French for help!

 

Restaurant toilets vary in quality and cleanliness and often say a lot about the hygiene behind the scenes. However in some cases restaurants retain their original ‘toilette’ facilities as an historical feature which can be admired and one would hope, appreciated by the tourists.

 

One such restaurant can be found in Morlaix, and it was with some misgivings that we visited it with my parents last year. After a very traditional Breton lunch my mother decide a trip to the toilet was necessary and after receiving directions she proceeded towards the rear of the restaurant. A short time later she reappeared looking quite pale and agitated as she returned to the table, ”You would not believe the toilet, it is just a ceramic plate on the floor with two foot slots and a whole in the middle” With straight faces we expressed surprise and concern. “There were no hand holds and I am not into Yoga!”

 

In the UK privacy in respect of toilet arrangements has always been something that culturally we accept as the norm. This is not always the case in older French homes and you will often find a toilet located in the corner of the bedroom without any form of screening. As a child I can remember how I hated using my great Grandfathers toilet that was at the rear of a row of terraced houses and faced onto a communal access path. The door was open at the base and top for ventilation and I used to hate it when a neighbour would walk by and call out “Nice weather today Fred”.

 

This subject can lead to an interesting debate about the English reserve and difference between cultures. For my part I have to admit that my preference would be for all public toilets to be single sex, privacy and safety being the main consideration.

 

Comments

[lavenderbongo]

Very funny - dont think I will ever use the loos again in France. Come and try the "drop toilets" in New Zealand.

[Anne]

Sorry to say that this description is a bit over the top. Not quite accurate. There may be some loo places like this but to say this is a generality is a fallacy.

[Michelle Brunt]

"Sorry to say" I believe that this description is entirely accurate from my experience of rural Brittany. I just wish that French Toilets had a Madam PeePee (a woman whos job it is to spray air freshener and clean the loo after each person) that Belgium toilets have, then they would be likely to smell a lot nicer!