Don't judge me. It was warm and it had a free bathroom. Actually, the issues of bathrooms is one of the most surprising and distressing facts for students. Over seven trips to Europe, I've learned that one of the keys to it being a good trip is to monitor the time since the last bathroom break and plan to be near a clean and convenient bathroom every four hours or so (and you thought travel agents had specialized knowledge). That, and announcing a clear lunch time each day. It's little things like the fact that you have to pay to use a restroom in most European cities (and often tip the attendant) that throw visitors the most--often more than trying to live in place whose language you don't speak or dealing with money you don't recognize. The idea that every one should have access to a free bathroom isn't one that anyone has ever thought much about--but usually firmly believes. It's not that we can't rationally accept it--after I explain the economics of bathrooms and how they are actually paying for free bathrooms in restaurants and airports at home, they acknowledge that this system means only those needing to use the bathroom need to pay for it. Rather--it's that we carry deepseated assumptions about how society should be organized--and those we hold most firmly are often those we've never thought about until we live in a place which doesn't recognize them. This newly acquired self-awareness, in my mind, is worth the cost of the trip in itself.
