Finally made it to Milan -- finally found a place more expensive than Tokyo and Hawaii too.
It costs US$50 A day to access from the Mariott here so i wont be adding as many messages as I thought I would!

the flights from hawaii to here were pretty good.
American did have all the gluten-free meals and they were not bad. grilled salmon on rice with beans.
salads and fruit plates. British Air didnt have the gluten-free meal from London to MIlan which was ok as i didnt want to eat again after being in the air so long from LA to London.

The AA flight attendents seemed genuinely interested in learning more about celiac and why people order gluten-free meals on the plane. Especially when I asked them not to offer my wife the bread basket over me.
Of course they had no idea that even crumbs could cause us problems. Always when they served something ( 3 meals on the long flight) they asked if I could have something in addition to the gluten-free meal.
all in all they were very nice about it.

just 5 am in Milan now so it will be a few hours before i go looking for the first gluten-free meal here.

Ken

Ken there is a national chain of Internet cafe's that offers a pay as you go card (trying to remember the name but mostly in the north)...
They also have skype phones etc.
You just pay once and then you can use the card in any of their cafe's...

Thanks for the tip.. will have to look for this place. Will be here for a month so it sounds like it might be hte thing to do.
already walked across half of milano this morning.
take care

Ken -

I'm sure if you scout around you will find some internet cafés that have reasonable prices.

Gluten-free is so well understood here! Senza glutine ("glu tin ay"). If you stick around Milan you must go to the Be Bop Cafe in Via Col di Lana (no. 5) they have an excellent and extensive gluten-free menu and GREAT pizza! In an emergency, even McDonalds has marked all the gluten-free meals. Unfortunately the regular pizza and pasta is out, but if you were to buy a bag of gluten-free pasta (in large grocery stores or in some pharmacies) I'm sure you could ask a restuarant to cook it for you and then add one of their delicious toppings. Make sure you ask at the ice cream shops too that the flavors are gluten-free. I usually ask them to use a separate and clean scoop for mine ("palletta pulita"). GROM ice cream stores are supposed to be approved by the Italian Celiac Association (there is one near Piazza Duomo) but I don't know how it works as they dig in narrow bins to get the ice cream out--- screams of CC to me.

And don't forget the correct pronunciation of the magic word... celiaco "che lee' a co"

Have a great visit!

Amelia

grazie Amelia
we may look for Cafe Be bop tonight.
Did find a grea tplace for lunch off of via washington that although they didnt have a gluten-free menu they are very aware of chelleeaco!
first full day here in more than 30 years. We will be in milano for 2 weeks, parma for almost 2 weeks
then umbria citti della pieve
I'm not too worried since at home in hawaii i live off of fruit and cheese. Went a little wild at the fruit market already this morning.
Dont think i could bring myself to go to mcdonalds anywhere except at 530 am in japan since they open 30 minutes before the coffee shops.
thanks again

day 2

Last night we found da Gaspare Ristorante on via Ravizza 19
Again no gluten-free menu but they are very aware of CC issues and took care to check everything I ordered to make sure there was no trouble. They would not even carry my wifes pasta at the same time as my grilled mixed seafood . The service was great and waiter a lot of fun. This is a neighborhood place and they don't get a lot of tourists but the wait staff seemed to speak a little of everything except Japanese which they may try now after having to deal with me all evening. It was great food and fun and worth the walk from the Mariott in Milan to get there. Oh, great wine list too!
ken

Hi Ken

Next time Please stuff me in your suitcase! Can you send a Italian care pkg to the states for me?!!!!

I know you are having fun!

mamaw

it has been a lot of fun so far. I have to remember that I have to do some work too <G>

take care

Hi Ken, just want to add

JEALOUS!!!!

Your really gonna be jealous when you hear about all the goodies that Amelia dropped off for me today.

Amelia Molte grazie
e molto gentile da parte sua
look forward to getting togther next week.

I put pictures of the goodies on my site which you have to get from my profile.
ciao!

Okay Ken let's not rub it in!!!!!Will Amelia ship to the US?
You get to live in Hawaai & be in Italy too NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!
I love BiAglut pasta but they are not shipping because of the labeling laws! I hear there is another fav. in Italy. BioAlemta, maybe?
And I hear they have a cracker that actually taste like a saltine--- have you tried those?

I didn't go to look at the pics! so just tell us what you received so at least we can droll & cry at the same time!!!!!
enjoy

mamaw

right -- the bioalllllimentia company ( I cant spell either) has great stuff.
I think i posted their info someplace on the gluten-free forum and on my page.

Nice folks too.
take care

So far so good in Milano, with one exception it was my own fault that I walked into a pizza place when my wife could no longer hold back the urge to try a slice. I came to my senses quickly and turned around and walked out after seeing behind the counter with flour spread from one end to the other.

That brief exposure caused a fair amount of discomfort the rest of the evening.
Fortunately, I was not hungry having sampled a number of peaches, plums, melon and what seemed like a few hundred figs. It’s never been a problem for me to live off of fruit.
The problem here is the cheese and prosciutto I washed it down with. Ok, wine too.

Its just after 430 this morning and I’ve been unable to sleep, Not because of an upset stomach or itching from DH but because I kept thinking about writing here. At 16 euros a day it will be 2 days before I post it though. I’ve come to think of this forum as extended family members who have helped me learn to cope with celiac. As always, thank you very very much!

Back to the food! Our friends from Japan came to meet us for a week and last night we headed back to de gaspare. While their first course was pasta and breads,
I had a bowl of tiny fresh tomatoes on top of fresh mozzarella or maybe it was the other way around. In any case they staff who was surprised to see us again was very careful to keep my food segregated from the others. The main course was some huge cousin of a sea bass taken off the tons of ice where it was on display with a number of other sea creatures of unknown origin. Boiled and served with tomatoes and potatoes in a dish everyone seemed to relish.

There as been an incredible vortex created at some of the lunch, breakfast and assorted cafes we’ve stopped in which normally throw breads around like paper airplanes. As soon as I mentioned celiac – chell e ako, they either disappear and in one case told my wife she would have to get a piece from the next table.

I guess we have something to strive for in countries like the where our disease is not as well known as in Italy. What a relief to walk into a place and not have to go though a 30 minute explanation on food allergies and cross contamination issues. I’ve not had to pull out my Italian food cards yet.

It’s now going on 530 this morning. At 7 we’re headed to Lake Como for the day.

More later
Ken

Ok it’s later!
Can’t always find a place to access from.
The Milano train station store on the platform level has a great
Selection of gluten-free items to snack on.
Put pictures of 2 on the website.


Went for dinner at one of the many outdoor cafes around Doumo.
It was fun to watch the 2 waitresses argue about what I could eat.
The one saying I could have most risotto and other things that did not have bread and pasta. The other saying I should not have anything and it was too dangerous because bread is in the same kitchen. I’m glad they didn't come to blows over serving me something that was gluten-free. It was a surprise that they were both so interested in making sure
They made sure there was no bread anywhere near me or when my food was prepared and I felt safe. I did have a risotto and Yumm…. Sure glad I did.

Need to give my blisters a rest today before heading to Venice tomorrw.

ken

Hi Ken
It sounds like you are having a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.If only I liked to fly!
I revisited the bio aliments site once again .... do you know if they would ship to the US? I would love to have a bag or two of the acini de pepe for a fruit salad I make! Haven't had it for years. This is the only company I know of that makes it gluten-free.....
I do have to ask , do you have any relatives that were from Pennsylvania? My husband's Aunt was married to a Love & they traveled all over the world. I know they had two adopted children....
Enjoy your trip

blessings

mamaw

Yum!! The nice thing about not eating bread is that you have more room for all the really good stuff they put on the bread.


I think I'm having tomatoes and mozzarella for lunch :droolface:

No relatives from PA but I used to stay in Sonnestown 35+ years ago. Great area near Eagles mere

Try writing to Antonio Rotunno at Bio Alimenta and see if he has a US or Canada distribution yet. I know they were wroking on it. They do make some fantastic pasta.

take care

SO true! Just the differentces between mozzarellas here is mind boggling!