I caught something during my four years of University.
It wasn't mumps (thankfully), or some other air-borne illness – I caught the 'travel bug.'
So a week after graduation (June 12), I hopped on a plane
for a monthlong trip to Europe through Great Britain and Ireland, and then
Berlin, Prague, and Vienna.
A few days before my trip I remembered something: it was my first time traveling as a wheat-free
woman.
The company I traveled with, Contiki, helped with some
arrangements for provided meals, but I was nervous. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad.
I found the UK in general was fairly
gluten-free friendly. Sainsbury’s, the main supermarket, had tons of
gluten-free snacks. When there was one nearby, I stocked up like crazy, especially for long trips on the tour bus. In terms of restaurants, the ones I visited either had gluten-free menus or were willing to adjust menu items for me. I fell in
love with a restaurant chain called Bella Italia – they had the BEST
gluten-free pizza. I dined there twice (in York and Glasgow), and ate my pizzas at a speed that would have put the Cookie Monster to shame.
My delicious "funghi" pasta at Carluccio's in London Heathrow Airport |
Gluten-free (and vegan!) crackers in Berlin. |
The last half of my trip in Berlin, Prague and Vienna also brought unexpected gluten-free surprises. I found some gluten-free crackers at a health food store in Berlin – although a few grains short of tasting like sand, they served as decent 'on the road' snacks.
Chocolate cake at Schönbrunn Palace. |
On my last night in Vienna, my group and I went to dinner at Schönbrunn Palace where I had an awesome gluten-free chocolate cake. Generally, during my travels I had fruit salad for dessert if we went out for meals (not a bad trade-off), but having a pastry was a nice change!
If you’re travelling gluten-free, here are a few tips:
- Bring as many snacks as you can in your luggage. This will tide you over until you can figure out where to eat once you've reached your destination.
- Do some research to find gluten-free restaurants or supermarkets where you're going. I wish I did more of this –- it would've been a huge help!
- Be as flexible as you can. You may end up eating the same type of meal over and over -- for me, it was a chicken breast and veggies. But hey, at least you’ll be able to eat!
Above all else, don’t panic.
Travelling gluten-free can be tricky, but it’s not impossible.