We walked to this area of town from a cruise ship. It was cold and raining. We were prepared for the weather. Along the way, we saw several shops offering coffee. From the outside, this one appealed to us because of the vibe we saw through the window.
Inside, the lighting appeared to be warm and inviting. Guests were sitting all around. Some chatting, some reading, one keeping an eye on her child in a stroller.
We stepped to the counter and observed the beautiful pastry display. A young lady behind the counter smiled at us and said what presumed to be a greeting. Not wanting to appear to be an ugly American, I responded good morning and asked if she spoke English. "Of course!, she said with another smile.
We asked about the pastries and she made a suggestion, which we accepted. I asked that it be cut in half and asked if we'd like it heated. She also took our order for two lattes and accepted our contactless payment.
My partner went to find a pair of seats together while I waited for our drinks. The barista had a rhythm going and was constantly on the move. I observed for a minute and brought out my iPhone for a few photos. It was in plain sight and I must have taken pictures for at least two minutes.
When our drinks were done, I showed him a picture of himself. He looked at it, smiled, thanked me and then politely asked me to delete it. I asked if I had done something wrong and he said that he believed that it was illegal for me to take a photo in a business in Norway.
None of the travel books nor the articles regarding Norway made reference to this possibility. I couldn't believe that he was so focused on his work that he didn't see me standing directly in front and slightly below him for two minutes, with my camera held up without saying a word. And I believe that had I not shown him the picture, nothing would have been said.
Here's how I'm respecting his request. I deleted the best picture of him, the one that I had shown him. I'm using a different frame instead. I've blocked out his facial features as well. I am interested what other helpers think about this.
The lattes were excellent as was the pastry. read more