I noticed on our Holland America cruise across the Atlantic that they used weird square toilets, as opposed to the oblong bowls used in America. I assumed this was some sort of nautical thing to save space or something. But apparently the square toilet has taken over Europe, at least in newer installations. Like the overwrought sink, it looks cool but is less functional.
Of course, toilet shapes and types vary the world round (pardon the pun). The traditional Japanese toilet is a hole in the floor you squat over, with water running into it. When visiting Japan, you look for the door with "Western" on it, or learn to squat.
Of course, times change in Japan, and Toto (not the band or the dog) makes an excellent toilet that will not only wash, but blow-dry your parts, while you sit on a heated seat. Instructions are printed in pink for girls and light blue for boys. And yes, Toto has made inroads into the traditional American Standard and Crane market in America.
One oddity I saw in an upscale restaurant in Nazare (Portugal) was a "self-washing" toilet seat. This was a refreshing change (no pun intended) after visiting places with no toilet seats or others with no toilet paper or both. The instructions for the self-washing seat chided users not to attempt to raise the seat, as it was firmly attached to the bowl with a swivel mount. When you flushed the toilet, the seat spun around and a jet of water gently poured over the seat, until it made a full circle.
Unlike the square toilet, this one had a perfectly round seat (otherwise it wouldn't work). I am not sure whether a light jet of cold water really "sanitizes" the seat, and whether it really dried it properly. But they get bonus points for effort.
It is interesting, however, the little things you see when you travel. Like the Royale with Cheese, I guess. We were traversing some mountains in Spain and looking for a place to have a picnic lunch. Suddenly, a Mooriish castle appeared, and we drove up to it. No one was there and it was no big deal to Spaniards - after all, their country is dotted with such relics, this one from the 14th Century. In America, such a relic would be the site of a major museum and tourist attraction. Here, it is "Ho hum, yet another abandoned castle - big deal!"
We are working our way up the Mediterranean coast to Barcelona, as our van trip winds down to its last week. It has been interesting and challenging - the human factor being the hardest part. Triads are far harder to deal with than dyads. With two people, there is no tie-breaking vote. But with three, well, it can come down to two against one.
We haven't had many major problems - drinking seems to help, up to a point, where it makes it worse. I guess we all realize that everyone has their time in the hot seat and it isn't a personal thing. Both Juan and I had to have words with Mark, as he was taking on all the chores and then bemoaning that no one appreciated all the work he did. Come down from the cross, we need the wood! He finally agreed to let go and let things play our and let Juan and I do more of the work.
I have had some episodes with Parkinsons, as it can make you paranoid, particularly if everyone, in fact, it out to get you. But I take my meds and try to realize that the mood swings are just an artifact, not a real thing. Juan gets a little tipsy if "over-served" and gets even louder than a Cuban can get - and that's loud. But I get them all in bed and before long, I fall asleep to the see-saw of their snoring.
Google is giving me fits uploading photos, so I don't have much to share there.
Quite frankly, we are enjoying the latter half of the trip much more. It is warmer (we all caught bad colds freezing our ass off in Portugal) and we are spending more time on the beach at small beach towns than looking a museums and tourist spots in big, crowded cities.
As for blogging, maybe my days are over. I find less interest in cranking up the computer, perhaps because of the hassle involved.
Next week we board the Carnival Valor and spend 15 days at sea and visiting ports in Spain the Azores. This time around, we will eschew guided tours and just take a taxi to our favorite beach spots.
Then, on to New Orleans - if they let us back into the country, that is.
