Gluten Free Auckland, NZ

May
20
By Laura

Beautiful Auckland

Who are you and where are you?
My name is Alice and I live in Auckland, New Zealand!

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
My relationship with gluten is like.. having an ex boyfriend that you think you could still be friends with, but know that it’s not going to happen! I was diagnosed with coeliac  disease 6 years ago (back when nobody in NZ really knew what it was and just thought I was weird) and have been on a life mission to make it cool ever since.

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
Gluten Free travellers should visit Auckland because not only is it an awesome place to explore, relax on the beach and party in, it has a great food culture and plenty of fabulous eateries to try. The people here are very friendly, and restaurant staff want to do everything they can do accommodate you. Most places will be happy to alter or invent a meal that will meet your dietary requirements, if it’s not already on the menu. NZ has high food standards, and food labels must write in bold if they contain gluten. You can read more about gluten-free labelling laws in New Zealand here.

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Gluten Free Adelaide

May
14
By Laura

Gluten Free Panzarotti

Who are you and where are you?
Tina from Adelaide, Australia. I’m Australian but my parents are Italian immigrants. I’ve only been Coeliac for two years and I’m just starting to explore the world of Coeliac travel. I keep a travel blog in which I sometimes incorporate Coeliac themes.

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
My relationship with gluten can be summed up in my aunt’s words. An 80 year old Southern Italian women looked me straight in the eye and said ‘No pizza. No bread. No pasta. What the f…k are you going to eat for the rest of your life?’. She thought my life was over. Little did she know…. 🙂 I do spend an disproportionate amount of time looking for the holy grail, aka good gf bread. I think I found it too….

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
Adelaide, in fact Australia, is so Coeliac friendly. Even in the smallest town, backstreet café, seaside hamlet, people seem to be super aware of Coeliac disease and what it means to eat gluten free without compromising variety, taste, flavour and health.

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Gluten Free Gibraltar

May
03
By Laura

Beautiful Gibraltar

Who are you and where are you?
Monica from Gibraltar

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
I am on a gluten free diet in order to control an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis where my immune system attacks my thyroid.

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
Because it is small piece of Britain in the Mediterranean. How unique can we get?

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Gluten Free Sudbury, Ontario

Apr
22
By Laura

Downtown Sudbury

Who are you and where are you?
My name is Taryn and I live in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada!

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
I too love to travel and coincidentally I took a celiac blood test a week before leaving for a trip to Paris in 2008. A few days after I returned, I got a call from my doctor telling me to come in to the office. It was then her told me I had Celiac Disease: after I ate all the yummiest gluten-filled foods in Paris! A month later I was moving to Toronto to go to school. At the time there was just one restaurant in Sudbury offering a gluten free pasta but upon my return to live in Sudbury in 2010, I noticed that Sudburians and the many eateries were finally becoming familiar with “Gluten Free”.

Within the past year I’ve committed to the Paleo diet, which is naturally gluten free because there are no grains at all in the diet. There are also no dairy or legumes or refined sugars. I feel great as I discovered that even after eliminating gluten, I still had some symptoms – and I believe grains like corn and rice are the culprits.

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Gluten Free Madrid, Spain

Apr
17
By Laura

Gluten free cupcakes!


Who are you and where are you?
My name is Lauren Attwood and I am a coeliac. I hail from the United Kingdom but I’ve always thought I have a bit of every culture inside me, which is surprising due to my pasty complexion. Since childhood I have been fascinated with linguistics and am striving to venture into the publishing industry. For the moment, my Spanish and Media degree has me residing in Madrid, which is a wondrous city full of architectural as well as culinary marvels.

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
I was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2008 alongside my mother. My lucky sister escaped that side of the gene pool. My mother and I, however, are die hard glutenphobes. We have adapted to the lifestyle pretty easily and as far as Madrid goes, it is helping leaps and bounds!

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
Spain has the stigma of being a poor country in economic downfall, with cuts, problems and protesters left, right and centre. Although the latter may be true, Madrid provides excellent options for its coeliac population, and that includes me! Upon my arrival last September, I have discovered a lot of amazing places. By far the best has to be an entirely gluten free bakery called Celicioso located just off Gran Via Metro. Because everything is gluten free, you can take your pick from whatever takes your fancy over the counter: cookies, cheesecakes and lots of cupcakes!

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Gluten Free Helsinki, Finland

Apr
12
By Laura

Helsinki Cathedral

Who are you and where are you?
I am Henn. My city is beautiful Helsinki, which has been home for 24 years. I now live in Ireland but Helsinki has and always will have a special place in my heart. I  still visit Helsinki a few times a year.

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
About 8 years ago I was diagnosed with gluten inolerance. Changing my diet to totally gluten free  was the best thing that happened, for the first time in years I felt good and healthy. I wasnt sick every second week and tired the whole time. The change was really hard but the better I felt the more I accepted it. At times I still miss gluten like crazy but I  know I would get sick straight away. In the beginning I used to hate going to parties, because there was never anything for me. But funnily enough I dont care anymore. I just eat before we go.

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
Helsinki is great for gluten free travellers. Most menus tells you what dishes are gluten free. Most sauces and soups are made gluten free. When you tell the staff you need it gluten free they make sure its prepered in a gluten free area. Even 15 years ago when I studied to become a chef we learnt how to prepare food for different allergies.

Most restaurants have a area where they prepare gluten free food. Even places like McDonalds can serve all their burgers gluten free. In the summer, most ice cream shops have gluten free waffles. Shops in Helsinki have a great selection of gluten free food. What I find lovely is that people really understand the condition.

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Am I Crazy To Let My Celiac Daughter Travel Alone?

Apr
10
By Laura

A mile high gluten free meal!

I wonder if anyone can give Amy some advice. Her 11 year old daughter is getting ready for her first trip away from home, by herself. To add to the stress of this, her daughter also has celiac disease. What would you do if you were in Amy’s position?

Amy’s story –

This summer, 11 year-old Laura will be attending sleep away camp for the first time.  Several reasons make this trip a unique one.  First, Laura was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2010.  Second, the camp (which is an ordinary camp, not a gluten-free camp) is a month-long.  And third, its location is in Reggio Emilia, Italy, near Bologna.

Laura is traveling with CISV, an international peace organization that focuses on developing globally-minded leaders and building cross-cultural friendships through camps and programs for children and young adults.  She is one of four American delegates to a camp that will bring together representatives from 15 countries for the month of July.  The students stay mostly at the camp, with two weekends spent with Italian host families, and two excursions to see the area in which they are staying.

In addition to the anxiety of going away so far from home, Laura’s parents are trying to prepare for her dietary needs.  Her celiac disease is well maintained under the strict gluten-free diet which is currently tightly controlled by her mom and dad.  As for anyone with celiac, controlling the diet at home is much easier than when out and traveling. It’s hard and unfortunately, gluten happens.

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Gluten Free Brisbane, Australia

Apr
08
By Laura

Breakfast at Little Larder

Who are you and where are you?
Glutenfreelissy from Brisbane, Australia

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
Gluten makes my belly angry.

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
Brisbane is a great city set in sub tropical surroundings. We have amazing weather (which I liken to Florida), tropical fruits and an exploding cafe scene offering everything from raw, organic gluten free cafes to gluten free options being available practically everywhere you go.

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Gluten Free Leicester, UK

Apr
02
By Laura

Gluten free at Bella Italia

Who are you and where are you?
My name is Rachel and I live in Leicester in the United Kingdom 🙂

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
I was just diagnosed with coeliac disease in April 2012 so I’m still going through the grieving period. At the beginning I  hated being the way I was, due to the massive changes I knew I had to make in order for myself to feel better. It has only been over the past two months where I have really appreciated how well people cope with it and that life isn’t so different being gluten free. I now enjoy eating gluten free but I still get horrible pains as I am still healing. I hope these pains go away very soon and I can fully enjoy being coeliac.

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
In the centre of Leicester there are many restaurants which make there own gluten free pasta and pizza such as Bella Italia and Zizzi. The staff are knowledgeable and I haven’t had any reactions as yet.

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Gluten Free Around San Diego

Apr
01
By Laura

Beautiful San Diego

Who are you and where are you?
I’m Erin, from America’s Finest City – aka, San Diego, CA

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007, and have been proudly gluten free ever since!

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
Well, for one – it’s just gorgeous. But there are so much delicious things to eat here all around town!

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