Toilet seats, that is! To all appearances, Italian men have not only won the toilet seat war,  they went on to punish the losers by removing the seats all together.

Of course the part about the war is sheer conjecture. But the fact remains that a significant majority of public restrooms in Italy come sans seat.

While the Italians excel at many things – bufala mozzarella, pasta, linen, leather, football (you know, soccer, the real sport) – providing clean and comfortable public toilets is not one of them.

And it’s not just me. Google it! The toilets in Italy have reached googling fame.

Italy could benefit from a German (or Austrian or Swiss) lesson in keeping clean, comfortable facilities. Really. Even when using the occasional “pay toilet,” the presence of a seat was still not a guarantee. The pay toilets were cleaner than the average public toilet, though, so that was worth the 50 cent Euro. In general, I’m less annoyed than I first was at having to pay for a toilet. I’ve learned it usually means a better experience, Italy being an obvious exception to that “rule.”

On the fast boat to Capri and Positano, for example, the only difference between the men’s and ladies bathroom was toilet paper. Seriously. The ladies room had it and the men’s did not. Yes, I know because I attempted to use the men’s room – the line was too long for the women’s, just like at home. But when I saw there was no paper in the men’s room, I went back in line for the ladies, sigh. Men need toilet paper too, don’t they? 😉

The bathroom at the airport in Napoli was especially disgusting. Smelly, no seats. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Thankfully my hotel room included the toilet seat, hurray!

So, ladies, next time you rightfully complain about your man not putting the seat back down, take a second to be grateful the seat is still there at all.