They are the tourism essential which never gets featured. Is it possible to make a visit to the men’s toilets cool?
Of all the things I did not expect to see on a visit to Istria on July 20, 2016, a female fascination with that bastion of avoidability – the male toilets – was high on the list.
Let’s face it – the male urinal is a tourism necessity which rarely makes the news, at least for the right reasons. They are to be found in ever corner of every part of the country, and at best they usually enable a function for their male users, at worst, an experience that can be more than somewhat unpleasant.
And so it was rather a surprise to stumble upon something quite unusual as I went in search of the facilities yesterday. A man opening the door to the Gents, with his girlfriend waiting in the background. Having ascertained that no males were inside, he proudly thrust open the door and watched the speechless look on his girlfriend’s face. Out came the phone, and the urinal view was recorded for posterity, and presumably a Facebook share with her girlie friends.
Not having been in yet, I was somewhat curious as to the reason for her interest in an institution which rarely attracts female interest, for understandable reasons.
I entered alone, and soon found the reason for their fascination – a unique and rather unusually humorous approach to helping the company’s male guests do the business.
I don’t often engage with complete strangers when busy at the urinal, but I found myself exchanging a smirk with the middle-aged man in swimming trunks at the berth to my right.
And as I washed my hands and prepared to leave, the door opened and another male cautiously popped his head around the door to see if the coast was clear, and as I left, another girlfriend was poised in the background, camera in hand.
A little humour, some VERY clean toilets, and a nice example of how a little bit of thought and innovation can turn an almost taboo subject into a pleasant experience and conversation topic.
We won’t reveal the location just yet, but we are wondering – are these the coolest toilets in all Croatia? If you have examples to better this, please send pics and a little info to [email protected]
