Now That's What I Call Music Vol II

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

Here we are, 1.5 days from our triumphant entry into Tromso.  I have said enough about the whole price of beer thing.....but there is worse.  All tasty fermented beverages other than beer can only be purchased from state-operated off licences.  This means no competition and the inevitable high prices that this encourages.  There is more!.  These 'Vinmonopolet' only exist in large towns and we are a long way from a large town.  From where I am currently sitting a chap would have to drive 60km north or south should he fancy a bottle of wine.......which I do.  

Now for the real kick in the balls. When I reach a large town (Tromso) it will be Sunday and the bastards don't open on a Sunday.  

Let me repeat this.....it is early on a Saturday afternoon and there is no practical way of buying a bottle of wine until Monday morning!  It is the Norwegians who should be on the streets throwing paving slabs at the rozzers.

Naked Man

If you are a Norwegian man of a certain age (old), and have a garden to tend, there is a dress code.  Basically the requirement is just sandals and a pair of shorts...preferably 3 sizes too small.  I suppose we should be thankful that elderly Norwegians are mostly slim but it is still a look that needs controlling through strong legislation.

Jesus In A Camper Van

At least one of my regular readers owns a camper van and I am sure they should not be included as the target of my next rant but......Jeez camper vans are a f@#£ing nuisance.  The more scenic a place has the potential to be, the less scenic it actually is because of all the sodding camper vans.  In Norway there are a couple of extra issues:

1/  they seem to favour the extra large versions which take up more road, and are an even bigger eyesore, than usual.

2/ they come equipped with some sort of defensive force field which allows them to be hurled at narrow gaps with complete disregard for the physics involved in safely passing a Fiat Ducato van.  Most of my day is spent stationary, perched on the very edge of the road, waiting for my door mirror to be ripped off by a grinning twat in an articulated lorry sized camper van.

Money

I suppose this is more of an observation on life in 2024 than anything to do with Norway but....cash is pretty much redundant.  I remember the excitement of getting foreign currency from the post office before a summer holiday and the whole business of learning to recognise the different coins and notes.  When paying for anything the safe option was to use a note big enough to cover the cost, resulting in a growing collection of small coins that would cause your trousers to fall down by the end of 2 weeks.

I have survived very happily for over a week in Norway with no local currency at all.  I loaded a payment card before the start and have just tapped my way through the trip.