Apparently the French do not like shower doors or shower curtains.
This has always baffled me. In my experience, the French prefer a bathtub. This bathtub always has a detachable shower head, so you can rinse yourself. While studying in Lyon during college, I lived with a French family. Their bathroom only had a bathtub and shower head (which was not attached to the wall, but would sit on the side of the tub). I never quite mastered the art of bathing there. You couldn’t put the showerhead down while the water was running, because it would spray everywhere. So finally I learned to run some water for the bath. Get wet. Turn off water. Soap up. Turn on water and rinse off. Washing the hair was practically impossible because you could only use one hand.
Last year I stayed in a hotel in the 8th arrondissment in Paris. This hotel had a bathtub with a shower head that was actually attached to the wall! Amazing. But, there was no shower curtain. Instead, there was a small piece of glass (12” wide) that was attached to the wall with the shower head. Apparently this was supposed to block the water spray from getting on the floor? Inevitably, everyday I would step out of the shower with fear of killing myself from slipping on the soaked tile.
In my current rental apartment there is, yet again, no shower curtain or door. It seems to work okay in this case though because it’s a very big tub, so when you shower, as long as you angle the spray towards the wall, things stay relatively dry…
Is this an aesthetic thing? Does anyone know? Actually can be kind of efficient for cleaning because your floor gets cleaned every morning after your shower…
6 comments:
Hi Amanda,
My husband, who is a designer, tells me that the French plan the bathroom to be a wet room---it is all tile or surfaces that can get wet. Or, the showers are not fixed showers like in the states and are intended to be used when sitting in the bath. It is definately an adjustment to make. Definately, get your self a bath mat. Don't want you to fall down.
I have made the same observations in this department, but do not have a clue why it is such.
In our flat in France, we actually did have a shower, but it was like a tiny square platform the size of a storm drain. There was a curtain, but the landlords were English.
I quickly tired of that situation and began carrying my own shower curtain with folding rod.
Yea - what is up with that little sheet of glass. It was in a bathroom that I stayed at in Yorkshire England. I tried to hug the wall under the shower head not to spray the water everywhere. Never did find the proper technique. Let us know how you progress. It will be valuable information.
I had the same issue in an apartment in Sevilla, Spain. Small sit-in bathtub, no shower curtain, and a hand held spray. I had to find another apartment!
Hmmm... this seems to be a European problem, not just French! I think I'll start an informal poll on my travels around Europe... Will let you know how it develops!
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