Italy

I feel so sorry for the Italians living in the North/North West of the country. Their lives have been marred by land/mudslides over the years, burying people along the way.

I remember visiting a churchyard in Torbole where many lost their lives during the 1960's mudslides. Lots of children lost their lives too. The memory of the wall of pictures of the children stayed with me for ages and still will.
I also remember entering a long tunnel into Torbole from the airport and admit to being scared when I saw wire-netting on the slopes one side of the road.

I felt quite unsettled in that area with the Dolomites also rising above in the distance. It was perishing cold until we ventured into Venice where it was in the 80's.

Now the people are suffering adversity again, poor souls.

Back in the 80's on holiday in France with my nieces, we stopped off at a bar for some drinks. The girls had put their clothes on over their swimming costumes (1 piece). The youngest one wanted to go to the loo. As she was wearing dungarees and it was a foot print loo, you can imagine the palaver in the cramped cubicle.
On a more serious note, using a footprint is supposed to be better for movements!!

Luca I also don't understand why people don't rinse their dishes to remove the soap (and washing-up water). My mum and all my Italian relatives always did it, me too. Have had many a tiff asking himself to please do it! He just can't see the point.

re squat toilets - the only place I've been to where they're very common is India.
Their numbers of death from the virus are creeping up fast.
And they have a huge population, slightly less than China.
Only guessing, but I expect it's much more difficult to obtain accurate figures for infections and deaths from these 2 huge countries (maybe USA too) than from smaller countries in the west and middle east.

I didn't say that Italy didn't have modern toilets too. Or that they were primitive. I only looked it up because of this report and a few others I had read

www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/85315

www.medscape.com/viewarticle/926390

wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/6/20-0301_article

Yes I have no doubt there are lots of people in individual houses as well as high rise apartments. However it is the high rise apartments that have been shown on TV.

Having read on here about all the Chinese workers in Northern Italy I have learned something too.

I still say close your toilet lids when flushing. I get really annoyed by people who have been to my house who don't bother. consequently I don't keep my toothbrush in the bathroom1! This is why are we being told all the rules over sharing bathrooms when someone has the virus.

www.businessinsider.com/flushing-toilet-seat-up-sprays-water-germs-2016-3?r=US&IR=T