NeoPatrick, vous avez raison, mon ami.
BTW, why don't we have bidets in the USA, I mean have them <i>everywhere</i>, like in most of Europe? My dh's theory is that Americans are too Puritanical to admit that they might avail themselves of such an amenity. (To put it delicately. ;;) )

How about outdoor bidets for the summer months?

ooooh, seaurchin! You are ever so much more uninhibited than I...;;-)

LucieV, excuse my ignorance but could you explain what you mean about being too puritanical to use the bidet.

We wipe ourselves when we're done. How is that any different from using the bidet to &quot;clean up&quot; after doing our business?

P/S&gt; I've seen a bidet in European hotels but never used one. Maybe someone should explain to me how one uses the bidet. ;-) Seriously!!!

my darling mingts, as much as I'd like to respond to your inquiry, I can only say this: reading between the lines is a valuable skill if one desires maximum benefit from participation in forums such as these. Else we all risk the best threads being bombed to smithereens.
:-$

With a bidet you use running water to clean yourself -- certainly more thorough than using dry toilet paper. Would you feel satisfied wiping your hands with a dry paper towel instead of running water? Obviously water does a better job.

janisj...'cheeky'.....'bidet'.....hmmmn, I got it..... ;)

Hmm, when I first went to Paris in Feb 1990, I was a little disappointed that there were no outdoor cafes because of the weather. It seems that the mushroom heaters, ubiquitous now, are a fairly recent development.

Christina: The cafes we visited served very little food. I don't think that I would be wanting to sit out in the cold (or under an intense heater) to eat a croissant. What other food offerings have you discovered in a cafe?

No food in Paris cafes?! Which ones did you visit?

We have a few favorite cafes where we usually lunch. They all have their specialties. One has a German sausage plate with hot mustard, salad, grilled potatoes...and a Coca Cola! All for 8 euros.

I just suppose your definition of cafe differs, cafe do serve sanches or croque monsieur or salads but not real meals, else they are 'cafe-restaurant' (what USAmericans seem to call 'bistro').
And you won't find those 'ubiquitous' heaters in non touristy places, when it's cold, locals stay inside

What norween says about no heaters in non touristy places is completely true. Since a lot of you are always looking for 'authentic' experiences but not being sure where to find them, you can be sure that if you see no butane heaters in a neighborhood, the places are catering to locals.

in my observation, many large cafes (i'm not going to argue about what is a cafe) use heaters whether touristy or not. i do agree that small places deep in residential neighbourhoods do not usually have significant outdoor space (if any) and usually do not use heaters. however many large cafes in non-touristy squares do heat the outdoors.

i totally disagree that tourists are the only reason for heating the outdoors.

well i love a crisp Parisnwinter morning drinking a cafe au lait under the heater.......

To the eternal bid&eacute;t question: Not all (or even most) of Europe uses those. There is a less space consuming solution, and has been for decades: a tiny shower (movable) that comes out of the wall next to the toilet seat. You don´t even stand up and walk to the bid&eacute;t. Just take the showerhead, and water goes into the toilet. Mere paper is a bit - uh...