I learned yesterday (from PBS) that Henry the 15 only took 5 baths in his whole life. The typical life span was much shorter than it is today, but 5 total? I feel like I am neglecting my hygiene if I go a day without a shower and I know this is ridiculous and so American of me but I still feel grimy. I wonder how grimy Henry the 15th felt? Can you imagine how gross the working class must have been if the King took 5 baths in his life and looked down upon the poor dirty dusty folks? Did he get sponge baths or just wear a lot of cologne? It's amazing that anyone had babies! It also makes me wonder if people thought they were stinky or if we have been brainwashed into thinking that Mountain Fresh (what does that mean anyway?) is the best way to smell?
I remember when we first moved to Germany some friends who lived in the town instead of on the military base told us that their landlord was furious with how much water they were using. The couple started taking really quick showers together to cut down on water use but the landlord was still unhappy. They started showering every other day - still together- and the landlord was somewhat appeased. How infrequently did most Germans shower for that to still be unreasonable? I also remember leaving work at the Embassy in Brussels and hopping on a bus to go home. The stench of body odor gagged me and I hopped back off and walked to the metro that wouldn't be nearly as crowded. I wonder if they are used to a body's natural scents or if they notice when someone smells rather... strong. I'm not saying Europeans are gross, I'm saying we have as totally different mind set than the rest of the world. That's it for now. Thanks PBS for getting my gears rolling.
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