Sitzduschen

How to explain this to someone who has never experienced it? There are lots of bathrooms in Germany and Austria that are outfited for baths and for seated showers. Yes, for seated showers. Here is a picture of one such set-up (unfortunately not our bathroom). To the right, it would appear as if this particular bathroom also has a regular, stand up like a grown-up, shower.

I have become accustomed to this. The places I have lived and visited in Austria had bathtubs like this and I have been in homes in Germany with this arrangement as did my first German WG. When in Rome. . . right? I sit myself down - one small step for integration.

Not D. The German claims that all this is new and exciting for him, that this is in no way the norm in Germany (It's not like they are constantly yelling at you to sit down for other things or anything). When he moved into his apartment, he proceded to bore holes in the wall above the bath and hang a shower head. He also installed a shower curtain with a telescoping rod. (Hint 1 - if there wasn't a curtain before, the bath might not be intended for standing showers.)

One of the aspects of the bathtub for seated showers is that the tiling ends somewhere before the height of what I will call the "standing shower splatter zone". (Hint 2 - If the wall is gettng wet above the tiling, the bath might not be intended for standing showers.) There was not only not enough tiling on the wall, but also, no caulking between the wall and the tiling at the top. The seam was only closed by the tiling adhesive.

So all hints to the contrary, D proceeded to use the shower as a standing shower for 5 years before I came on the scene. He also doesn't wear his glasses in the shower (smart lad), so he never really noticed the water problem at the tiling/wall interface. When it got really out of hand, I finally said something to him about it and he investigated, with glasses on. We have now cleared the seam of whatever material was wet or crumbly and put in a line of caulk. We are disgustingly proud of ourselves, even though it is far from perfect, and we are sanding and repainting the back wall. We are Bob Villa. (Wow, he is getting old.)