Originally published on October 29, 2016
1. Someone has been drinking (at least) a glass of wine everyday starting from the flight going to Rome. Someone is very happy.
2. Public toilets are hard to come by here in Italy.
And if ever you pass by one in major train stations and attractions, you need to pay 1 to 1.5 Eur (80 PhP) for you to be able to go in.
a. So in my mind I wanted to drink lots of water before a restroom break, so that the 80 PhP would be ‘worth it’.
b. Thankfully most cafes have their own toilettes. But for you to use them, you need to be a customer. So throughout the trip Mae and I have been having coffees and croissants just to be able to use the toilettes.
So when the waiters ask for our orders, in our mind it goes something like, “Un caffe toilette por favor” (One coffee and toilette please).
c. While waiting for St. Marks Basilica (a major tourist attraction in Venice) we needed to use the restroom. So we entered a nearby cafe and ordered a cup of coffee and a slice of almond cake. Since it was a tourist spot, we were expecting it to be an expensive toilette break. Maybe somewhere around 10 Euros.
So we ate the cake, and Mae drank the coffee and took our turn in the restroom and asked for the bill.
The bill was 25 Euros! (1,300+ PhP!!!). Susmaryosep1, mamma mia!
3. Going into Venice, I wanted to see venetian blinds2. Unfortunately none of the houses had them.
I am sad.
4. Turns out the Grand Canal looks dirty and smells. A much tamer version of Pasig river.
Turns out a canal is still a canal, no matter how grand it is.
5. It has been 8 days since we left, and everyday we have been walking for at least 5 to 15 km per day in the same shoes. (We only brought 1 pair to save on space and weight).
Someone’s feet still smells, even after taking a bath and repeatedly washing and scrubbing it with soap for several minutes. It seems that someone’s feet has absorbed and stocked up on sweat scents. Someone is scared on what it would smell like after 7 more days of walking.
This someone is not the same someone who has been drinking wine everyday.
Footnotes:
1 – Susmaryosep – is the Filipino way of saying “Jesus Mary and Joseph”
2 – Venetian blinds – a type of window blind consisting of horizontal slats which can be pivoted to control the amount of light that passes through it.