As overpriced grocery stores go this one happens to be in Geiranger, one of the most stunningly beautiful places on Earth. It's a small store nestled in the fjords, surrounded by wilderness, waterfalls, mountains and a raging river in summertime. I just called by to pick up a few treats as our cruise ship, the stunning Norwegian Prima, has most everything we need, so it was cheese & onion crisps (invented by an Irish man in the mid 1950's) and dark chocolate coated peanuts just to keep my figure. The two items were close to £6. The shops in Norway, this one included, encourage cashless payments. This to me is worrying as going toward a cashless society will give opportunist politicians, the banks and the feral social media giants even more intrusive power over our private lives. We will sacrifice our privacy and that loss of freedom will be the least of our worries. The grocery store owners probably can't believe their good fortune here with over full cruise ships routinely arriving as they serve a population of a mere 250 local souls and the peripatetic inhabitants in a nearby RV campsite which was crammed with RV's on the day we stopped by. With cruise ships arriving their foot fall has likely hockey sticked. It's our first time in Norway. I was surprised to find it common that one has to pay to use a public convenience and in one of the most liberal countries in Europe which prides itself on equality, so much so they have rules to ensure that no one has a lavish gravestone in death regardless of who you were in life. To me being required to pay to pee - a natural function - or change a baby's nappy is not acceptable. Would you charge a fee to a mother breastfeeding her child when they are out and about? Geiranger has electronic devices at the locked entrances to their public conveniences to give you the convenience of imparting with £1.50 to avail of the convenience. If you've not the means to pay electronically it is sure an inconvenience and you'll need a stoic bladder. And I'm conscious that the Norwegian currency has devalued 20% from a year ago so last year it would be closer to £2. I think it's uncivilised to charge people to go to the toilet just as it's uncivilised not to provide free drinking water in public places as each is a core basic human need. We were in Amsterdam just two weeks ago and even Mc Donald's had a turnstile at their toilets requiring 50 cents to enter. We turned on our heels and left. read more

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