When you're on the road in Italy, whether on motorcycle, bicycle or on foot, going to the bathroom can be difficult. There are few public restrooms, and I don't think proprietors take kindly to non-customers using their facilities.
So we found ourselves buying an espresso, cappucino, water or snack so we could use the bathroom. Maybe others have had different experiences with this? The travel tip is this: if you buy an espresso and croissant, and eat it standing at the counter/bar, it's one price. If you sit down at a table and order, it's more expensive, and at times was up to double the price of standing at the bar. In less touristy areas they're more laid back about it, and may invite you to sit and enjoy your drink even though you ordered it at the counter, but generally, paying "counter" prices then sitting at a table is a no-no.
It was our experience that Italians are not fond of toilet seats. So, pardon the frankness, but you find yourself squatting a lot. In a few restrooms, the lights were hooked to a motion sensor. So I'm squatting and all of a sudden it's pitch black! Where's the light? Where's the toilet paper? Did the power go out? What do I do? More than once I found myself in the compromising position of squatting while waiving my arms to trip the motion sensor!
If you're on your bicycle or motorcycle, always have a small roll of toilet paper in your bag, because there are times you're going to have to find a tree and go by the side of the road.
And the bidet. In most European hotels, there's that bidet. No matter how small the room or bathroom, it's there. Generally they're used to clean, well, your privates, but I've heard of people using them to soak there feet and things like that. I guess it's considered more of a wash basin than anything else. Personally, as with most Americans is my guess, I've never used one.
No comments:
Post a Comment