Having traveled to busy cities like Paris and Rome, I wanted to take a less crowded, more scenic trip – so I went to Norway. The gluten free eating was tasty and readily available, and the views spectacular – scenery on steroids. I went to the two largest cities of Bergen and Oslo as well as visiting fjord towns of Flam, Loen, Nordfjord, and Geiranger. The hotels I stayed in were, Scandic Ornen in Bergen; Alexandra in Nordfjord; Fretheim in Flam, and Bristol in Oslo.
Let’s begin with the food as that usually is the biggest concern while traveling. I had no problem eating gluten free – without doing research! Most of the hotels offer a breakfast buffet with everything but the kitchen sink! Fresh vegetables, fruits, yogurts, several iterations of eggs, bacon, cheese, puddings, cereals, sausage, pastry, breads, and more. The first three hotels I mentioned had a separate counter with several gluten free breads, wrapped separately, gf oats and cereals, a designated toaster, and gf pastry/muffins. All items in the regular buffet were marked with a sign in Norwegian and English including the ingredients in both languages. The last hotel provided me with gf bread upon request. The two middle hotels had a supper buffet that offerered everything you could think of including whale, reindeer, and Norwegian salmon. Again, mostly everything was marked with a sign in Norwegian and English including ingredients. GF bread and muffins were brought upon request. Bakeries (with delis) in both cities and small towns and even on the ferries had gf bread (with protocol for making sandwiches) and gf pastries. Restaurants understand gluten free, have menu selections marked, and try to make regular selections gf (i.e. making a fish sauce, soup, or potato side gf.) Grocery stores offer a good selection of gf items and have designated gf shelves. Norway has a particular brown cheese made from the whey of goat’s and cow’s milk that’s tasty, but doesn’t have a cheese taste. From this they make ice cream, chocolate candy, and pastry. Restaurants are small and you may need to make a reservation past 6 p.m. I did not try the reindeer hot dogs, but most of my group did and enjoyed them. Generally, you will have no problem eating gluten free in Norway without breaking a sweat.
I booked through AAA and with Collette Travel. Our guide, Kopi was entertaining, knowledgeable, and helpful. Our bus driver, Tomas, was professional and very adept at navigating narrow roads, especially up the side of a mountain (Yikes!) The fjords were indescribably beautiful. Temperatures ranged from the mid 50’s t high 60’s. Bergen gets a lot of rain, so we had morning rain for the first two days, then beautiful sunshine for the rest of the time. Southern Norway has 20 hours of light during May and June. Darkness, which is like dusk, lasts from 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. It is too light for the Northern Lights which are not visible until October. Museums abound in Bergen and Oslo. Historic sights (that reach back into Viking times) are plentiful. Even though they are part of the European Union, Norway’s currency is the Kronen (which is about one tenth of the U.S. dollar.) Credit cards are readily accepted everywhere even for very small items. My American dollars (and even Euros) were eagerly appreciated for tips.
Most of the locals in the cities and towns speak English beautifully. The people are very friendly. On my first day, I got lost in Bergen, (foolishly not taking my phone or a map.) Three different sets of Norwegians helped me get back to the hotel and one offered to drive me since it was raining. There are numerous ways to get up to the tops of the mountains for breathtaking views – the funicular, the skylift, and the train. The roads are in tiptop shape although narrow. Shops, museums, parks, etc. are not crowded and enjoyable. The one exception are the small shops in the fjords. Cruise ships (4,000 – 6,000 people on board) can navigate the fjords because they are deep. Passengers from the ships can clog up the small towns during the day. Mountain waterfalls are prolific and stunning. Glaciers, snow-topped mountains, waterfalls, deep fjords, and spectacular forests define the landscapes, but, beware of the Trolls! 80% of the country has electric cars. Hydroelectric power is the main source of energy. There is no air conditioning, so you are advised to open the windows. Bottled water is expensive, but the Norwegian water is safe and good tasting, perfect for drinking and filling your bottles. Norway is very safe for walking during day or night excepting for the occasional pickpocket (who are only there for the tourist season.) So, Tusen Takk (Norwegian for Thank You) to Norway for a pleasurable scenic gluten free time.
