POTTY TRAINING OR I WOULD RATHER GO IN THE WOODS

Rooms are small in the UK and Europe as a rule. Actually, small is an under statement as seen by this picture.

I can handle the small spaces no problem. In the UK although the bathroom and shower might be small but they both work properly most of the time. In France and Italy it's a whole other story. Not only is there a usually a faint chemical odor from the toilet: eau de sewer there is also sometimes a gurgling sound that goes on and off through out the night. I won't go into further details but basically, you're never really sure if this device is going to work as intended.

See the "gurgly noise device" behind the toilet. The tank was attached up on the wall towards the ceiling.

Once in Italy I saw a sign for a public (free) toilet or WC (that stands for water closet). As I approached the WC it really did smell awful and then I saw why. Each stall was just a hole in the ground. Oh, there were some porcelain grips   for your feet - you know, for convenience - but basically it was just a hole in the ground with no evidence of chemicals to help the odor nor the deterioration process. Apparently this type of toilet is fairly common. The Europeans used them without skipping a beat, pinching their nose or making a face.

I vomited.

I was in Rome at the ruins (Roman Forum) and finally found the women's toilet. There was a sign that read:
   "We built these toilets in 2007 for your convenience. Please keep them clean for the future."
As I stood there waiting I realized that it was quiet. Too quiet for a women's toilet. That's when I realized that these were not mechanical toilets. Just a hole in the ground. Built in 2007? Really?

In the 3 weeks I was in Italy and 8 cities, I saw these type of toilets 5 times. It's 2011 y'all! A hole in the ground? Apparently they are more common in southern Italy; especially south of Rome.

You can always go to a cafe and order a coffee and use their toilet. If you are lucky you can find a toilet that costs .50 or 1.50 euros.  Pay the money.

Some places are so old that they don't even have public toilets like churches in Italy. The colloseum has exactly 3 toilet stalls for the thousands of women that visit there everyday. No kidding.

Here are some good bathroom pictures, mostly from the UK.