Portugal - 1; USA - 0

We just returned from a little excursion to Continente (a large grocery store chain here in Portugal.)  Yes, we need to keep eating, even here!  It is getting a bit easier to 

navigate the aisles, but I still can't read and find all that I am looking for.  

A couple of things to note about grocery shopping here:  

There is an entire aisle, both sides, for yogurt.  There is every kind, flavor, color and texture imaginable.  

Another entire aisle for milk.  Not milk in the cold case, but milk in boxes and at room temperature!  It is super pasteurized and doesn't need refrigeration until opened.

Bread, salt and wine are very inexpensive, as they are the staples everyone needs.  

On the other hand, makeup and other cosmetics are outrageously expensive!

But what I wanted to share with you in this post is the way the shopping carts are handled.

All of us who shop in the US, notice that the shopping carts are everywhere but in the store when you need them.  They are in the parking lots, in neighborhoods, on the streets, everywhere!  Once they make it back to the store they belong to, they are dirty, bent, broken, the wheels make that awful "clackity clackity" sound and bump instead of rolling smoothly.  

There is nothing more annoying that taking a cart, taking a few steps and having to go back and get another one because it was in such bad shape!?!  

Here, what a difference!  How is that you ask?  

Well, in the global war of shopping carts, I have to give the victory Portugal.  Let me explain...

Here in Portugal, shopping carts are always located right next to the door as you enter the store, neatly in rows and in good condition.  You never see one out in the parking lot, let alone away from the store.  How can this be?  

The answer is very simple.  There is an easy to use mechanism located on the cart handle, where you insert a single euro coin that releases a chain that is attaches the carts together.  Upon insertion of the coin, the chain releases and the cart is free to go.  When you are done with the cart you return it, latch it into the row of carts with the chain which releases your euro coin.  So for no cost to you, you have a clean well maintained and next to the door cart ready to go.  

Carts neat in a row, all chained together

When returning cart, insert chain ...

Out comes the coin... and the cart is locked into the row.

Also it is not unusual for the grocery store to be located one story up from the parking garage, so how do you get your cart up and down?  Here specifically the escalators are made to catch and lock the wheels and take them up and down without having to even hold on to them.  

Very convenient!  

No hands needed!  

Portugal Wins!!!