Tiny washer

I remembered from when I lived in France during college that there are often no dryers in French, or European, apartments. I was hoping that might have changed in the intervening years, but our experience on this trip is that it hasn't. I also wondered if the washing machines were still tiny. In most of our lodgings the washing machines have been located under the counters in the kitchen and were of average size.

The apartment we lived in here in Menton is certainly not typical. The building used to be a maternity ward and sits between a building used for nursing school and one that offers political science classes. But the building we're in is privately owned and the family lives upstairs. The washer is located in the upstairs hallway so we can share it. Seeing it took me back twenty years! It is no wider than two lengths of my hand, just like the one I used in college. Needless to say, we've needed to do a few more loads than usual.

While we do have access to a dryer, it squeaks so loudly I worry it might spark and catch on fire! I only chance it for thirty minutes at a time. Also interestingly, of the few dryers we've been able to use, they all vent to the room they're in so they have inner tanks that fill up with water and need periodic emptying.