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Yesterday we said goodbye to Berlin. Klaus, anja's dad arrived in the morning with a rented VW people mover - so all bags packed and all 8 of us fit comfortably in. In around 10 minutes we were out of Berlin and on the Autobahn surrounded by forests. Both Audrey and I noticed some parts of the drive looked a lot like the drive between Lithgow and Bathurst.
We had a comfort stop at a petrol station and it's nice that even something as simple as that is full of new experiences. I rushed through my pockets for change as I didnt want to go though the same embarrassing experience as two days ago in the Berlin shopping centre. When I went to use the toilet there I followed the sign that said "Herr" to find a woman standing in there. I walked out thinking "oh no, I have gone into the "ladies" I went to go the other way but the sign that way said "damen" and I know that means women. So I went back to the men's, and the lady was not there at the sinks anymore. I stepped through the door to the urinals, men were in there using the facilities ... And there she was, standing in the holy of holys. She looked me in the eye and with a smile said "hallo".
"ummm ... Hallo" I muttered back.
I then went into a cubicle. No way was I standing out their with that smiling Frau. When I came back out she was at the sinks cleaning the floor. Oh .. Ok , a cleaner. I went to wash my hands - the faucet had this small lever on the side of it, but when I pushed it nothing happened. I tried again- nothing. Then the smiling Frau came right up to me and spoke to me in German. "nein sprechen sie deutch" I said. "Automatic" she said, pointing at the tap. "Danke, Danke".
I was about to escape but then noticed men leaving, and as they did they dropped 50c or 1 euro onto a plate. And our Frau would say Danke each time.
Smiling.
Her eyes turned towards me so I started rummaging through my pockets. I made those apologetic, awkward but well meaning noises of a man who intends to do the right thing but only has a 20 euro note in his pocket. I was trying to convey with my eyes that i want to ensure this woman is given what she is owed for the hours of standing around in the men's toilet, wiping up after them and pointing out how to use all the lavatory equipment. The Frau had stopped smiling. I notice that only for a second - then focus on the floor in front of my feet. I walk out with a feeble "Danke". She says nothing. I find Audrey outside and ask her for 50c then sneak back in. She is not near the sink but has gone back to the holy of holys. I drop the 50c on the plate with a clink and I hear her calling out Danke, knowing that her glare has been effective again.
So I do not want to go through that again. I have a euro as I move to the toilet - and I find it is automated. I put euro in, then get 50c back and a docket. I can use the docket as 50c in the store. I then go in and after flushing there is this strange noise coming from the cistern. A mechanical arm moves out and clamps onto the toilet seat. Then the toilet seat spins around and is cleaned by a pad on the arm.
Then I go to wash my hands. I am not fooled by the automatic faucet this time, but there are no paper towels. I accidentally bump the dispenser and a motor starts up and out comes the paper.
Isn't it great when life is full of little surprises?
So we arrived in Klaus and Erna's home. What a great place. A basement with living areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen. Main floor with the same. Then upstairs with the same. Basically 3 flats within the one house. Romas, Lauren and I were upstairs. Very comfortable and I had the best sleep last night.
So this is the end of my posts about German toilets (unless I find an interesting one in Frankfurt tonight.)
- comments
david bob...what is the holy of holys ?