This is the fourteenth post on this trip, a few random observations contrasting America (or this part of it) with Norway (or perhaps Europe more generally).

Egon keeps asking for espressos and sparkling water across the South but without success. At one point when I think we must be five hundred miles from the nearest espresso, we are in a gas station and I see a plastic dispenser that says ‘Gourmet Cappuccino’ across the top. I look more closely and it has three buttons labeled “Hot Chocolate,” “French Vanilla Supreme,” and “FAT FREE French Vanilla.” I’m not tempted to press any of them.

A long way from a good espresso

Egon asking for sparkling water in diners in the South is reminding me of how I ran all over Tromsø trying to buy ice. In the US, every gas station sells ice. In Norway, they just give you a strange look.

Another thing we haven’t seen in a long time is a bar without a TV in it. The infestation of US bars with TVs is really weird, like a kind of blight that has infected all the drinking establishments and most of the restaurants. Almost every bar has several large TVs turned on either to sports or random channels, usually with the sound turned down unless the sport game that is on is an important one for that town. Even bars that have hip or quirky decor and would have a cool atmosphere if it were not for the TVs are ruined, for us, by the great bright flat screens showing random images. Often there is some sort of action movie on, or a news show, or simply a sit-com and commercials. Sometimes the closed captioning for the deaf is turned on so you can see what they are saying, but usually not, and nobody seems to be watching them (except for the sports). This was even true in New York – when we saw Tav Falco play at the Rodeo Bar, he had to ask the staff to turn off the TV during his concert because it was distracting.

All bars in the US have TVs turned on