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Back From Croatia And Italy!

love2travel

By love2travel
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted

Our trip went extremely well. Prior to leaving I was deeply concerned about flights, etc. and the havoc travel causes on my chronic pain (and fibromyalgia). However, a few miracles happened - on the longest flight there (Toronto to Frankfurt) four seats in a row became available so I grabbed them and was able to lie down for the entire nine hours! It is a total of 29 hours from our door here to our Croatia house so it can be excruciating. Guess what? Same thing happened on the return flight! Talk about amazing. It made ALL the difference in the world. I also found an even better massage therapist in Croatia who I saw several times.

There are so many highlights but of course I will include those relating to celiac disease. Not an issue. At all. Zero worries. We ate dinners out nearly daily (other times cooked at home). Although I have tried tons of exotic foods before I had not tried donkey. Until then. It was...um...interesting. I have tried the following before but thought I would mention them as we were able to enjoy then again (all fresh and very local):

- octopus

- squid

- cuttlefish ink risotto

- scampi (like langoustines)

- white truffles

- fresh fish including sea bass, turbot, etc.

- Istrian beef

- we picked fresh kiwis, mandarin oranges, lemons, persimmons, pomegranates and ate tons of fresh nuts and dried local figs

Most of the food is grilled and every place we went to was aware of celiac disease and how to prepare food. I was also able to enjoy fresh local cheeses without any problems at all!

In Venice we ate at a gluten-free restaurant where I enjoyed pizza.

The furthest we ventured from our house was only 50 km because in Croatia there is SO much to see everywhere, around every turn. All close to our house - castles, prehistoric ruins, Roman amphitheatre, tons of Roman ruins, tiny medieval hilltop villages with stone walls and cobblestone streets, the sea, mountains, compelling festivals, stunning scenery...it goes on and on and on. The weather was stupendous. It was absolutely gorgeous. Our next trip is already booked for May. :D

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GFreeMO Proficient
GFreeMO
Posted

Sounds amazing!! So glad that you had a great time AND that you were able to eat!

Good to see you back here. ;)

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

Sounds amazing!! So glad that you had a great time AND that you were able to eat!

Good to see you back here. ;)

Thanks! It was absolutely brilliant. I could easily fill at least 309 pages with descriptions but will not bore everyone with the details.

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Marilyn R Community Regular
Marilyn R
Posted

I'm glad you had a great trip! :) I was just wondering about you last night so it's really cool that you posted tonight.

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

I'm glad you had a great trip! :) I was just wondering about you last night so it's really cool that you posted tonight.

How lovely this is, "talking" to my friends again! This is one great thing that has resulted from my celiac diagnosis. :P

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mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

We've missed your food too!!!

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Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

It is a total of 29 hours from our door here to our Croatia house so it can be excruciating. :D

Where is your house?

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

Where is your house?

We life in northern Alberta so it is a 3-hour drive to the airport, then a 4-hour flight to Toronto, Toronto to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Venice and a 3-hour-drive from Venice to our Croatia house. WHEW! Of course that time includes layovers (not long).

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Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

We life in northern Alberta so it is a 3-hour drive to the airport, then a 4-hour flight to Toronto, Toronto to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Venice and a 3-hour-drive from Venice to our Croatia house. WHEW! Of course that time includes layovers (not long).

I meant the Croatia house.

And where do you hide your key? :ph34r: :ph34r: :P

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mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

Doesn't take long to add up to 29 hours. That happens to be the amount of travel time door to door for me too :o and I'm just going across the pond (and a bit).

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jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Was wondering how you did--I'm so glad things worked out and you had such a wonderful trip. :)

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

I meant the Croatia house.

And where do you hide your key? :ph34r: :ph34r: :P

Duh - can I use fibro and/or celiac fog as my excuse for this one? :lol:

Our house is in rural Istria near the sea. Croatian neighbours have one key and we have the other here with us AT ALL TIMES! Hee hee...

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Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

Duh - can I use fibro and/or celiac fog as my excuse for this one? :lol:

Our house is in rural Istria near the sea. Croatian neighbours have one key and we have the other here with us AT ALL TIMES! Hee hee...

Fair enough. I'll book a flight with a stopover in Alberta. :D

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

Fair enough. I'll book a flight with a stopover in Alberta. :D

Good luck with that! :lol:

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Booghead Contributor
Booghead
Posted

Sounds lovely. How wonderful that they new about Celiacs. Sounds like they knew more about Celiacs then most places I've been here in America. How fun, Croatia is lovely this time of year, compared to here where it is currently snowing and blowing. shivering as i type :P

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Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

Good luck with that! :lol:

:lol: :lol:

I've only been to Dubrovnik and Plivice. Both places were beautiful (in different ways) and the people are wonderful. :)

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

Sounds lovely. How wonderful that they new about Celiacs. Sounds like they knew more about Celiacs then most places I've been here in America. How fun, Croatia is lovely this time of year, compared to here where it is currently snowing and blowing. shivering as i type :P

They are more aware than here in Canada, too. However, it is not just that - the availability of fresh local ingredients nearly year-round really makes a dramatic difference! So many konobas (a type of local restaurant) grow their own herbs, make their own wines, do their own fishing and/or hunting and/or raising livestock, have chickens/eggs, forage for mushrooms, grow their own veg and fruit and nuts...

When we left Croatia it was about 70 degrees F; when we drove to our house here it was -25. A slight difference! It is still nice there. Just one of the many reasons we own a house there and will move there some day...

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

:lol: :lol:

I've only been to Dubrovnik and Plivice. Both places were beautiful (in different ways) and the people are wonderful. :)

I love Dubrovnik and Plitvice Lakes and am glad you experienced them! I'm a sucker for Istria as it is known for its food and salt-of-the-earth people and about 873,902,741 other reasons.

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

We've missed your food too!!!

Thanks! That is very sweet. I will be sure to do some posting!

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

Was wondering how you did--I'm so glad things worked out and you had such a wonderful trip. :)

Man - it is sure wonderful to hear that you were thinking of me. Thanks lots! I absolutely refuse to allow my pain and celiac prevent me from doing what I am passionate about. This trip has proved once again that people CAN continue to travel and enjoy life in spite of illnesses. It was a great lesson to learn.

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jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Man - it is sure wonderful to hear that you were thinking of me.

I just remembered how much you love it there and all about your beautiful home.

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love2travel Mentor
love2travel
  • Author
Posted

I just remembered how much you love it there and all about your beautiful home.

There are no adequate words to describe my passion for the place. It is surreal and sublime and simply incredible. Not just the house - the whole region. It just feels like that is where I belong and where my heart is. I am literally at a loss for words...

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Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

I just remembered how much you love it there and all about your beautiful home.

That she won't share with total strangers. :angry:

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Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

There are no adequate words to describe my passion for the place. It is surreal and sublime and simply incredible. Not just the house - the whole region. I am literally at a loss for words...

That's really really nice. I'm glad you have a place that suits you so completely.

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jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

There are no adequate words to describe my passion for the place. It is surreal and sublime and simply incredible. Not just the house - the whole region. I am literally at a loss for words...

:D Hope you spend as much time there as you can.

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