http://www.italymag.co.uk/newsletter...t-10-2012.html

Hey. I thought that was very interesting.
And I think they are very practical.

Thank you, Steve_James.

It may be the incurably facetious Brit in me, but honestly:

<i>In particular, the Chilly brand of Detergente Intimo is a popular choice in Italy.</i>

I suppose it would need to be, in Italy......

Yes bidets are more prevalent in Italy than France these days.
But I have yet to see one in Europe of the center spray type that are readily available from plumbing supply places in the US. I have included them in all the houses I built over many years.

In rooms sharing Wcs down the hall bidets can double as pissoirs as well - not supposed to but...

RJD the (UK) maternity hospital where I gave birth to two of my sons more than 30 years ago had them.
A house we rented in France a couple of years ago also had one.

Wonderful things.

Everyone knows that at the end of a long sightseeing day, the first thing you do when back at your hotel is fill the bidet with ice, plop a bottle of champagne in it, then put your tootsies in to soak.

StCirq,

I've always soaked the tooties, but Champagne chilling had not occured to me! I'll keep that in mind....

The old, old, joke has the American lady asking the French bellboy as he is showing her around her hotel room, "Is that for washing the baby in?"

He replied, "No, Madame, that is for washing the baby out."

My first encounter with one of those "squirt upward" torture devices was on a train in Egypt many years ago. I was using the facilities on the quite modern French-built train and as I sat there I noticed a button on the wall. Out of curiosity I pushed it and got a shockingly cold jet of water in the sphincter that shot me to my feet with blasphemy on my lips.

Funny now -----

Nukesafe, that's fabulous! You didn't include the trousers around your ankles, but I did have a chuckle at the mental picture!

I must admit I've only ever used them for soaking my aching feet.

Thank you nukesafe! I enjoyed that tremendously!

I did not, Iregeo!

Makes a good travel story when swapping travel tales over a bottle of wine, though.

Then there is the trick of washing out your undies in the bidet.

The article says they are especially good for the elderly and infirm. I don't know if getting up from the 15" seat is doable for a lot of elderly.