Travellatte: The oh so Infamous Bidet...

Since arriving in Spain back in August, I have encountered more bidets than I can count. The bidet is a classic for Europeans. Not so much for Americans. If you don't know what a bidet is used for, google it. I'm not particularly in the mood to write about it before eating my lunch. I've always found the bidet to be a bit daunting. And even with the private access to a bidet in both my old house here in Priego and my new apartment, I have yet to ever touch one.

I also question just how often the bidet is used for the reason it was created. This can be attributed to the fact that I've seen many "creative" uses for the bidet other than its actual intentions. I've decided to share with some of these alternative bidet uses below:

1. The Water Fountain:
I teach a variety of private lessons after my school day finishes. The children of one family in particular use their bidet as a drinking water fountain. Whenever they get thirsty, they find it much easier to use the bidet instead of getting themselves a glass of water. As stated above, I have not found that level of comfort with my bidet yet.

Why drink out of this when you can drink out of a bidet??

2. The Laundry Basket:
I've have been to many homes where the bidet was used as a laundry basket for dirty clothes. I guess it's just easier to toss your dirty clothes there?? I've been tempted by this, but again, I don't like the thought of having my clothes sitting on display in a bidet until laundry day Sunday. (At least that rhyme sounded cool.)

3. A Washing Machine:
Don't feel like throwing in a load of laundry-- duh duh duh the bidet is here to help! Simply wash your clothes (especially your delicates), in the perfect sized sink After being used as a hamper all week, what can be more convenient then skipping the hassle of carrying your clothes to the actual washing machine, right?

4. A Home for a Turtle:
One bidet I come across weekly with my private lessons is the home to the family's pet turtle. I kid you not. Luckily turtles are my favorite animal, so I'm not complaining when I get to the share the bathroom with this little guy. (If you're wondering, the turtle's name is Juan.)

How can anyone not love turtles??

5. The "cool" way to play with toys:
I've been lucky enough to see bidets filled with all sorts of things. The most common is toys. We're talking Barbies, Spiderman, Ninja Turtles, boats, etc. I guess this is the cheaper alternative to the Barbie Dream house.

Last but not least...

6. A Cooler:
I'm sure most of us have heard about people filling hotel bathubs up with cold water and ice to chill their beverages. While the bathtub seems like a wonderful alternative to not having a cooler, its probably inconveniet to stick your hand into a giant tub of freezing cold water just to grab a drink. A friend was nice enough to inform me that the bidet is the much "cooler" way to go. (Get my pun??) Because it is not as deep as a bathtub, it is easier to access and gentler to the hands. Heck, you don't even have to touch the water. The drinks in the bidet are perfectly submerged so that the tops are sticking out while the bottoms are sitting in the perfect amount of cold water. I was even able to do a quick google research to see if this was a real thing...