More Notes from Norway...

1) Folks here are nice, but like most European countries I have run into too many people who haven't showered in the past week. Tip to the Norwegians: you aren't *that* nice!

2) The subway runs on the honor system. You buy your ticket at a vending machine, get on your train, and get off at your destination without any human or electronic interference... no turnstiles, nothing. However, they do board the trains a couple random times a week and you have to pay a very hefty fine (I thought I overheard an amount in the thousands of kroners, which is price high considering $1 = 6.5 kroner). Not that the Norwegians would skip the fare anyways... as an American expatriate I met here put it, "The Norwegians are a very square people."

3) They are also very polite... no questions on why we elected the village idiot nor jokes about our Iraq fiasco. However, the toastmaster at a banquet I ws at for my conference was telling some very funny but racey jokes, and I did have some Danes ask if they would fly in the states... unfortunately, no, they would not have.

4) Speaking of the toastmaster, he had perfect Oxford English. You serious would not be able to tell he wasn't a limey bastard. He even had the propoer volume inflections and mannerisms. Most other Norwegians do have an accent, but it is British English mixed in with a Norwegian accent... pretty amusing to listen to!

5) A convenience type store called Deli de Luca is the Starbucks of Norway. They don't serve coffee, but damn... they are *everywhere*! In one case on both sides of the street on opposite ends of the block, and in another at opposite corners of the same block of buildings. And they do serve good gelato (although I admit I probably don't know what a bad gelato is...)