Meanwhile, over in Italy it's Songkran all year round. Italian local drenches drunk British tourists with waterA fed-up Italian resident has revealed how she resorts to throwing buckets of water over noisy British tourists after they disturb her neighbourhood in the early hours. Simonetta Marcellini, 74, says rowdy visitors in Rome’s Trastevere district have pushed residents to the limit, with late-night drinking, shouting and alleged public urination becoming recurring complaints. ‘I pour water on them’ Marcellini said she keeps buckets beside her window for nights when tourists refuse to quieten down. “At first I’m polite,” she told The i Paper. But if visitors argue or insult her, she said: “I pour water on them.” The former radiographer, who was born in the neighbourhood, said she has watched Trastevere change dramatically as tourism has expanded. ‘Life has gotten much worse’ Marcellini said tourists have become increasingly disruptive since the Covid pandemic, claiming complaints from residents were previously underestimated and that tighter controls could have prevented the situation worsening. She also complained that local businesses have changed, with restaurants replaced by bars and sandwich shops. Her frustration boiled over after she said she saw tourists urinating against her building. Rome attracted 22.9 million visitors last year, according to the figures cited by the report — more than seven times the city’s resident population. Holidaymakers face a growing list of rules The confrontation comes as British tourists are reminded that Italy has strict local regulations, with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warning that some towns and cities can issue fines of up to €500 for breaches. Rules vary between locations and can cover behaviour around churches, monuments and public buildings, while bathing in or entering many fountains in Rome is prohibited. Italy’s tourist hotspots tighten the boundaries On Capri, visitors are banned from bringing various disposable plastic items including bags, cups, cutlery, trays and straws. The FCDO also warns travellers against buying goods from unlicensed street traders and removing sand, shells or pebbles from coastal areas, with fines possible for some offences. For residents like Marcellini, however, the immediate battle is happening after dark — as packed tourist streets collide with the people who still have to live there. 'Extremely drunk' British tourists drenched in buckets of water by 'fed up' Italian local
