Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Back From Croatia And Italy!

love2travel

By love2travel
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


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. ;)

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

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.

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.

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

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

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

We've missed your food too!!!

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?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

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).

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

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).

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

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

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

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...

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

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

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

Good luck with that! :lol:

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

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. :)

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

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...

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

: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.

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

We've missed your food too!!!

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

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

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.

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.

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted
  • Author

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...

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:

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.

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.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,752
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Sue Gaertig
    Newest Member
    Sue Gaertig
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      If a Celiac person is successful in following a gluten-free diet, they can go into remission.   They may not have a reaction to gluten without a precipitating event like an injury or infection or even emotional or mental stress.   Following a strict gluten-free diet at home, then indulging in gluten containing products abroad without a reaction can be explained by this remission.  
    • Scott Adams
      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Approximately 10x more people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity than have celiac disease, but there isn’t yet a test for NCGS. If your symptoms go away on a gluten-free diet it would likely signal NCGS.  
    • Beverage
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Beverage · Posted

      I order tea from https://www.republicoftea.com/ All gluten free. Sign up for the newsletter and they send discounts regularly. 
    • Gigi2025
      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      By Gigi2025 · Posted

      Hi Theresa,  A few of my friends have your same story. You may be right about barley, etc.  18 years ago at a football game while clapping, suddenly my 4th finger was in agony.  It looked like a vein had burst. It was blue for a couple hours, then disappeared.  Finally realized it happened every time when drinking beer.  It's occurred several times over the years when opening a jar, lifting something that was a bit heavy, holding on to tight to something.  Immediate icing stops the pain and discoloration.  Now avoiding wheat in the US, it rarely happens.  Thanks for the reminder.  Will have Entero Labs run another test. Unfortunately they've relocated to Switzerland/Greece.
    • Russ H
      Blood results

      By Russ H · Posted

      The EMA test is an old and less sensitive test for anti-tTG2 antibodies. It relies on a technician using a microscope to check for fluorescence of a labelled substrate (typically monkey oesophagus or human umbilicus), giving a simple positive/negative result. It is similar to running a standard anti-tTG2 test but with a high cut-off, making it more specific but less sensitive. Transient rises in tTG2 can be caused by e.g. viral infections and inflammation. Very high levels of anti-tTG2 (>x10 standard range) are almost certainly coeliac disease but moderately raised levels can have several causes apart from coeliac disease. Other food allergies can cause villi blunting but that is much rarer than coeliac disease or other non-coeliac causes. Not All That Flattens Villi Is Celiac Disease: A Review of Enteropathies
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.