THE FRENCH FOR LOO
Another thing about Gare du Nord is/are the facilities.
Signs on the main concourse stated Toilettes-with the sign pointing to the steps to RER and other underground diversions. We followed them. Down steps. Toilettes right. Go right. Keep on folowing signs. No Toilettes. Signs point forward. Go forward, legs tired and beginning to cross.
Reach Billets. No more signs. No Toilettes. Despair. Billets French not up to Huttonian's. Fails to understand question. Gesticulateswildly and unhelfully.
Suddenly a small sign in an obscure corner, but with a message : McCLEANS. Yes, or more appropriately in this case Oui Oui. Its the Loo
One entrance via turnstile for messieurs the other for dames. And then two turnstiles at 50c and One Euro for les Messieurs. I saw the cheap option too late and paid my euro. I was in the cabinet area-sit down jobs. The Pissoirs at 50c were walled off from the cabinets and all cubicles were 'occupes' by long term residents. So out of the cabinet area, search for 50c and another turnstile for the standing relief urinals.
Its only in France that you can be really pissed off at great expense.Even more expensive than Kelso.
And why McCleans. What does the Academie Francaise make of this US import.
I asked a fellow traveller about this. A very Gallic shrug:
'C'est Le Globalisation'-
to coin another French word
