This is how Holly and I are figuring out to make things work here. It has become
an exercise in ingenuity and Oh My Gawd-ism!
Trying to figure out the showers has been a challenge, they were all different and required one to stand there naked with the glasses on trying to figure what to push, pull or turn. Holly actually managed to have a Jacuzzi bath in the first hotel and I couldn't figure out how to let the water out! Each toilet has a different flushing mechanism which is kind of fascinating but not difficult to figure out.
Then there are the blinds. They are metal and are operated electronically. We discovered this at the above hotel by pushing on a switch next to the light switch by mistake and hearing a noise which prompted us to immediately stop it in case it was some kind of an alarm or something. Then we figured it out when the room became a bit darker! Duh! These blinds are also used for security. Our great host in Echternacherbruck (across on the German side of the Sauer River from Echternach) had these blinds on all her windows and the doors in the suite we stayed in. So to get out, you had to unlock the door with a key and then raise the blind with a switch. She already had had 3 breakins.
We took one electrical converter gizmo with us. But we constantly needed to charge one or other of our electronic items - 2 cell phones, 2 laptops, 1 camera, 1 curling iron. Then we have to find the plugs. Josee gave us another converter which has helped considerably. So now that we are here at our wonderful host Claude's apartment, the routine is to plug the phones into the converter in the kitchen and the laptops into a plug in the dining room. Dizzy and bored yet?
Paying to go to the toilet was fun as well. Holly had to do that at the train station in Luxembourg when she arrived a bit early and she "needed to go" and the lady couldn't speak English and they were trying to figure out "how much". We also used a "pay to go" place in a mall in Brugge but we had Lony with us who could translate as we put our coin in and went through a turnstile.
And now we come to cooking here at Claude's - an adventure in appliances. The fridge is pretty well standard - Thanks Be! The sink and faucet were easy. I have yet to figure out the DeLonghi Magnifica coffeemaker. I can see where the beans go but can't figure out how to put the water in so have been using instant coffee. The microwave took a few tries to get the dials and on and off thingees working together. I have left the best to last - the Induction Stovetop. I finally had to look online for instructions! I kid you not! And here's the video that told us what to do - http://youtu.be/5Z1wZANhHG8. This woman was 'way too chipper but we suffered through it and managed to get supper and not do any damage. It is kind of neat!
We now have dry clean clothes after trying different settings on the washer and dryer. You must understand that the settings are all in German so there I was last evening with my iPhone in one hand with Google translate on the little screen and typing in the settings from the machinery. Whatever we did worked because as I said we have dry clean clothes. I did note that one of the websites that asked the same question came from an American student at a German university who couldn't figure it out either. I felt a bit better. My German is rudimentary at best.
Tonight we learn about the oven because we're cooking for guests and I'm making chicken with trimmings.
We went to France when my son was 3 yrs old and still in diapers. he was basically toilet-trained in a few days because he wanted to use each of the different toilets - he was fascinated! Then when we came back to Canada, he regressed back to diapers. We asked him why and he said "Mommy, I will only use the toilets in other countries." Novelty is his thing apparently! Two months later, he eschewed diapers for good - hooray!!
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