Another time in Italy on a school trip
We were on a group expedition around the back streets of Rome, when I realised that lunch had disagreed with me.

Not just needing-a-poo, mind, this was a serious rear-evacuation emergency; a war was ensuing in my gut and the battle was heading south at unholy speed.

I tried to survive for a while, but our meanderings were taking us no closer to the hotel. With the clock ticking I begged the teacher to pause the trip and let me use the lavatory.

We found a small restaurant, and almost with tears of relief in my eyes, I was ushered into the only toilet, where I was confronted with... yes a stinking Italian hole-in-the-floor toilet with two footprints in the concrete.

By this time I was almost delirious, so I squatted down and spent a good 10 minutes over the horrid little hole. Once the shakes and sweats had subsided, I looked around to discover that not only was there no sink, but not even any toilet paper. Pulling my trousers back on with a grimace (oh yes), I decided the only option was to escape the restaurant as discretely as possible, and rejoin my party, and never ever think of it again.

I opened the door to make good my escape, only to find a queue at the door of both teachers and half a dozen other students. I could have died...
(ooechs, Sun 4 Sep 2005, 16:56, Reply)