The
Uffizi Museum in Florence is possibly one of the most beautiful museums in the world. It has a view of the River Arno, marble floors, fresco-encrusted ceilings... and the most incredible bathrooms ever.
Imagine you've been standing in line for three hours. It's easily 85F outside and you've been consuming bottled water and gelato to stay cool. When you finally get into the museum, do you really want to see art right away? No. You want - need - to use the loo.
But first, you take glass stairs down to the basement. You see the arched, stone foundations of the Uffizi as you walk. You walk on glass floors, viewing the bowels (yes, a cheap pun) of the Uffizi underneath.
Before you even reach the restroom, you've already soaked up part of the history of the building. You've been affected by beauty you didn't know existed in building foundations.
Then you get to the loo - and what a loo it is!
The floors are made of smooth marble. The walls are stone. Each stall is completely enclosed, each has a frosted glass door leading to a spacious, communal sink area.
By the time you're finished using the facilities, you've experienced a hidden gem of Florence. It's almost not necessary to see the art. In fact, it's just about the right time to have another bowl of gelato.
And you leave, regretting only the fact that you didn't take any loo photos for your friends back home.
Photo from the Uffizi Museum site.
