World Traveller Back... And He's Got A Bone To Pick

[coming2atvnearu]

hehe, that sounds dirty.

Anyways, I'm back in the saddle again. I was in Europe, or as they say l'Europe, for two weeks. Very cool. Only a little bit of flooding, but hey, a little water never hurt anyone (except for that whole Noah thing, but I've heard from a fairly reliable source that policy has been frowned upon in recent years).

Here's my thing.

Bathrooms.

Specifically toilet paper.

We're not even talking single ply. We're talking half ply. And occasionally, not even paper. I'm not sure who had the bright idea of using wax paper but let me tell you, absorbing becomes an issue.

Now I realize that there are several big news stories going around about those world-wide with various problems in their lives. Famine in Africa, war in the Middle East, excessive Shania Twain in grocery store intercoms, but I think Unicef or the red cross has really missed the boat on this one. We need to start shipping REAL toilet paper to you poor deprived Europeans, or as they call them, l'Europeans.

Now maybe I just have a really sensitive tochas. Maybe things aren't this bad. Maybe I'm exaggerating and pulling this out my... well, you get the picture, but is there a distinct lack of sheetage going on accross the Atlantic? Somebody fill me in here guys!

[Igg]

Excuse me, but my house is fully equipped with quilted double-ply.

You just don't know where to go.

Public toilets vary from what appears to be 16 million times recycled brown paper and the dreaded waxed paper. Oh have I been there. >.<

[tomatie]

I just don't go to public toilets

[Wind]

I bring some kleenex if I'm travelling... better than nothing anyway.

[Pixa]

I bring some kleenex if I'm travelling... better than nothing anyway.

Wet wipes our your heros.

Seriously, I could never use a public toilet in England unless I really needed to. The paper, the smell, it's just so ewww...

The paper is like sand paper too...
Ouch.

[coming2atvnearu]

Yeah, the wax paper was just outside the Tower of London. Its like we went from one area specializing in cruel and unusual punishment to another. I could have finished off the day by listening to my old Savage Garden CD and I would have been on a roll.

Then you hit Germany and they have the old "For a good time call..." messages with the phone number. At least I think that's what it said, only in German. Definitely German-ish. Anyways, the phone number is, like, 23 digits long so it takes up half the stall door. If I'm looking for a good time, I'm not going to be in the frame of mind to memorize the first dozen-or-so digits of pi so I can get it.

I think I learned more culture while sitting by myself in a stall than wandering the streets of Europe. Does that make me a bad person?

[tomatie]

...Did you visit the Netherlands? Just wondering

[coming2atvnearu]

...Did you visit the Netherlands? Just wondering

No, but my mom got pooped on by a pigeon so I think that makes up for it.

[ahoteinrun]

In Italy and Greece... in public restrooms I specifically remember them being holds in the ground... and if you were lucky they were tiled.
Really avoided using them once we figured that out.

Britain was never that bad for us, frankly I don't remember horrible toilet paper in Britain... or Wales or Ireland for that matter. *shrugs*

Welcome back to Civilization I suppose.

[Wind]

In Italy and Greece... in public restrooms I specifically remember them being holds in the ground... and if you were lucky they were tiled.
Really avoided using them once we figured that out.

But not everywhere... Where in Italy did you go? Around here toilets are kinda normal (if a bit dirty)

[ahoteinrun]

In Italy and Greece... in public restrooms I specifically remember them being holds in the ground... and if you were lucky they were tiled.
Really avoided using them once we figured that out.

But not everywhere... Where in Italy did you go? Around here toilets are kinda normal (if a bit dirty)

Well no not everywhere (should that be obvious?... hmm.)
I was in Milan, Venice, Verona, Firenze, Rome and then we headed up through to Naples, Pompeii and then back down to Rome.
I distinctly remember the holes in the ground in Firenze and Rome. Mainly Firenze.
I'm not saying that it's true about everywhere in Italy seeing as I remember rather lovely toilets in our hotel in Firenze (I think actually the nicest and most modern washroom i've ever been in) but I do know it exists.
To me it's really no difference then an outhouse... it happens. Holes in grounds exist all over the world. Whatever. *shrug*

[Igg]

Yeah, the wax paper was just outside the Tower of London. Its like we went from one area specializing in cruel and unusual punishment to another. I could have finished off the day by listening to my old Savage Garden CD and I would have been on a roll.

*smirk*

Then you hit Germany and they have the old "For a good time call..." messages with the phone number. At least I think that's what it said, only in German. Definitely German-ish. Anyways, the phone number is, like, 23 digits long so it takes up half the stall door. If I'm looking for a good time, I'm not going to be in the frame of mind to memorize the first dozen-or-so digits of pi so I can get it.

I think I learned more culture while sitting by myself in a stall than wandering the streets of Europe. Does that make me a bad person?

Dude, if you've got a mobile, you can key it in while you relieve yourself. You didn't go to Soho then? O_O

Toilets in hotels and restaurants in Italy are usually really, really good. Toilets on their boats are just holes in the floor. When the sea gets choppy...>.<

[ahoteinrun]

Then you hit Germany and they have the old "For a good time call..." messages with the phone number. At least I think that's what it said, only in German. Definitely German-ish. Anyways, the phone number is, like, 23 digits long so it takes up half the stall door. If I'm looking for a good time, I'm not going to be in the frame of mind to memorize the first dozen-or-so digits of pi so I can get it.

I think I learned more culture while sitting by myself in a stall than wandering the streets of Europe. Does that make me a bad person?

Dude, if you've got a mobile, you can key it in while you relieve yourself. You didn't go to Soho then? O_O

Toilets in hotels and restaurants in Italy are usually really, really good. Toilets on their boats are just holes in the floor. When the sea gets choppy...>.<

Then how did my trip end up with the cruddy toilets? Hrm... Maybe it was just the area we were in. *shrug*

[Igg]

Maybe they've bucked up in the last couple of years?

Though I first went to Italy 6 years ago and didn't run into any toilet problems...hmmm.

Just luck of the draw?

[ahoteinrun]

Maybe they've bucked up in the last couple of years?

Though I first went to Italy 6 years ago and didn't run into any toilet problems...hmmm.

Just luck of the draw?

Most likely was luck of the draw.
I was in Italy in 2002. So... three years ago?
Mmm. I despertly want to go back to Firenze.

And one thing i'll never understand. Why do Westerners call it Florence, and not Firenze? It just seems weird to me...