Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino is the city's biggest airport, gateway to tens of millions of passengers annually. I left from Terminal 3 at FCO for an early evening flight back to the New York area.
At the end of the luxury mall — Rolex, Diesel, Montblanc — I found a clearly marked location for the men's and women's restrooms. OK, some gender stereotypes as far as the identifiers go. But they got the job done.
The facilities for the wheelchair-bound were to the right ...
... and the facilities for families were to the left.
Walking farther to my right, I quickly realized that I wasn't in my father's airport restroom.
A sort of mellow, green mossy plant thrived beneath a curtain of glass.
The restroom was completely vacant, save for yours truly. The striated walls of brown and tan marble contrasted nicely with the white urinals. I didn't think I was in an airport — I thought I was in a high-end sushi restaurant.
I'll be honest: even though airport restrooms are frequently cleaned, the scene can sometimes be repulsive. Trash cans are typically overflowing. There's you-know-what splattered everywhere. You race to do your business and escape. But not here, in this grotto of Italian tranquility and tidiness.
I did what I had to do and them discovered the best part of the whole place. You know how men's room wash basins are usually a flooded mess?
Well, not in Rome. Ingenious design has consolidated water, soap, and the hand drier in a recessed, cantilevered section above the basin. Three stages, no slosh. And no paper towels needed. I washed my hands three times, so thrilled was I by the arrangement.
Oh, and it gets better. The same setup, just lower and with easier access, was in place for the children.
The delightful graphics continue. Even a kid could figure it out!
So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen: the finest airport restroom I've experienced in my over three decades of travel! Bravo, FCO!
