The Celiac Traveller

Traveling normally presents a certain range of difficulties, but for those whose every day is spent reading food labels and questioning the safety of the kitchen the food is cooked in, it presents particular challenges. Celiac disease requires those who have it to follow a strict gluten free diet that does not contain wheat, rye, barley, and most oats. The degree of severity differs, but for most, simply having a meal cooked in the same kitchen where these foods are used is enough to cause illness.

There are certain places that are easier to travel to and certain things that can be done to make travelling with celiac easier. A lot of the same tips would also apply to other food allergies as well. While travelling with allergies poses some extra challenges, it should by no means keep you from travelling. Get out there and enjoy life!

Airlines

Of course, to travel, you need to first get where you are going. While most airlines offer special meals for those with allergies, they do not always provide them. There are some things you can do to make this more likely.

First, make sure that you have specified the correct meal for your allergy upon making your booking. It is usually an option with most major airlines, including Air France, Air Canada, British Airways, Air New Zealand, Delta, United, etc.

Second, approximately 1-2 weeks prior to your trip, phone the airline and ask to confirm the requested meal. If possible, ask for an email confirmation of this request.

Third, check your ticket upon booking in. Ask the attendant at the desk if the meal specified to be served on the flight is gluten-free and where it indicates this on your ticket. If it has somehow been missed with all of your advance preparations, it might still be possible for them to get a gluten-free meal onto the plane before it departs. If you wait until you are at the gate prior to checking, it will likely be too late.

Of course, stuff happens and it is always best to be prepared and capable of being self-sufficient if necessary. I have had the worst luck on United, Air France, and LAN airlines. Somehow, no matter what preparation steps I take it is always a surprise to them that I require a gluten-free meal. Before I learned how to be appropriately prepared, this sometimes resulted in me landing at my chosen destination ready to gnaw the arm off of anybody who got between me and food (not the best way to start a trip!).

If you bring your own snacks, it is necessary to be aware of the customs requirements of your destination country. Most countries will not allow you to bring fresh produce into the country or most meats (although I have found most customs officials are alright with commercially packaged dried meats like beef jerky). If you still have these items in your bag when you arrive DECLARE THEM! They might ask you to throw them out, but usually when you explain that you have an allergy they are willing to allow most things except for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Here is a list of items I have found work best as in-flight snacks:

• Commercially packaged meat jerky
• Gluten-free instant oatmeal - the flight attendants are usually willing to provide you with a cup of hot water if you ask nicely!
• Almonds, Cashews, most nuts except peanuts - although I have been on a flight where there was an extreme peanut allergy and they asked us to all refrain from eating anything with nuts
• Rice crackers/Rice cakes
• Popcorn

Tips for Any Destination

There are certain things that you can do to make travelling to any destination simpler, regardless of the availability of the local food there. One thing that I have found to be the biggest help is to learn the following words in the language of the country that you are travelling to:

• Wheat
• Gluten
• Allergy
• Safe?

Obviously if you are fluent in the language at your destination then things become easier, but I have managed to communicate effectively enough with these four words for most purposes. If you are a prepared traveller, there are resources that can be extremely useful. The website Celiac Travel has cards like the one shown here printed in a variety of different languages.

Like visiting any restaurant at home, you do need to exercise a certain degree of caution when visiting an unfamiliar restaurant.

Hostels

Hostels prove a different difficulty altogether. While hostels and backpacker accommodations can be a haven for those wanting to travel inexpensively and save money by making use of the kitchen facilities, they pose a unique conundrum to those with allergies. Just how well was that pot scrubbed by the last guest and what has been cooked in it? 

This can be mitigated to some degree by rewashing all dishes and preparation surfaces prior to using them and trying to limit how much your food comes into contact with these surfaces. For myself, I found it useful to take my own small pot and cutting board and to use these surfaces exclusively for food preparation. It is a bit more work and a bit of a pain in the butt, but it certainly beats the alternative of spending your vacation feeling unwell!

My Favourite Destinations

While I have managed to eat adequately most places that I have visited, there are certain destinations that I have found to be easier to navigate than others.

Disney Parks

While more of a destination within a destination, Disney in general does a fantastic job of caring for its guests. A sick guest isn't likely to spend much time in the parks, eating the food and buying souvenirs! When booking, it is possible to put a note on your file indicating that you have an allergy. This will then flag an alert whenever you check in to restaurants.

There were many times that I went to a restaurant with my family, only to have the head chef come out and go over the menu with me so that I knew what was safe to eat. They are aware of the dangers of cross-contamination and, when we ate at buffets, offered to bring me a plate of fresh food directly from the kitchen once I had decided what to eat.

I was thoroughly impressed and astonished one day while ordering breakfast when the server saw me looking longingly at the Mickey Mouse waffles that my husband already had on his plate. She stepped aside for a moment, talked to the chef, and I was then told that my breakfast would be out shortly. The chef pulled out a special waffle maker that is reserved for use with gluten allergies and brought me my very own waffles!

Thailand

When eating in Thailand, I rarely had any issues, even eating from street carts. The Thai people truly love their food and will go out of their way to make sure that nothing in them will make you sick. Many of the dishes are rice based and many of the sauces are fish-oil based instead of soya based. Thai food is also incredibly tasty! I had the pleasure of doing a cooking class in Thailand and even there they emphasized food safety and avoiding cross-contamination in all of their cooking, which was nice to see.

New Zealand

While eating out has been slightly more difficult than some other destinations, every town I have visited has had at least one gluten free cafe or restaurant. Grocery stores and supermarkets are exceptionally easy with everything clearly labelled. So much of New Zealand food culture is based on fresh, whole ingredients and scrumptious meals that I have had no difficulties eating here. As a bonus for those with other allergies, they tend to make all gluten free products egg, nut, and lactose free as well!

Peru

Although I had some difficulties at first with the language barrier, once I managed to figure out how to pronounce what I needed, everywhere was very accommodating. Primarily a corn and rice based diet, I was able to enjoy most dishes with little to no modifications. I hiked the Inca Trail with G adventures when we were in Peru and the cooks on the trail always had plenty of snacks and food available that was safe to eat. They even managed corn pancakes one morning that we were on the trail!

There and Back Again - Visiting Hobbiton

 Andrew and I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Hobbiton movie set recently; thanks to a very generous Christmas gift we were able to go for the evening tour, which included not just a tour through Hobbiton, but dinner at the Green Dragon Inn and then a starlit tour back amongst the hobbit holes. 

The tour started by the town of Matamata and the path that Andrew and I took was not very well marked. We had absolutely no idea if we were going the right way or not, but thankfully we managed to find the right place. We checked in, then waited for the tour bus to take us to the actual movie set on the Alexander Farm, which is still a working farm. 

Andrew chopping wood for the hobbits

The drive itself was quite picturesque, through rolling hills with tonnes of sheep and not many signs of civilization. We got off at the parking lot where there was a sign welcoming us to Hobbiton. I was so excited I was literally bouncing as we walked through a tunnel of trees and out into our first views of Hobbiton. The entry way is the same small narrowing that Gandalf first drives through when he enters Hobbiton in the movies, and is the same small path that Bilbo runs out of when he goes on his adventure.

It was fun being there and not only immersing ourselves in the fantasy world of Lord of the Rings, but also learning about some of the film-making techniques that they used. The sheer attention to detail and lengths that they went to while making those films is simply astounding. 

Inside a hobbit hole

For example, the tree above Bilbo's house is actually an artificial oak tree. After they finished wiring all of the artificial leaves to it, they decided it didn't quite look like the right shade of green...so they hired someone to go up and paint all of the leaves! They also wanted the paths through the Shire to look naturally worn, so they hired a few people to go hang out washing and take it down from the hobbit lines a few times a day and to meander to each other's 'houses' so that the paths through Hobbiton look like the worn paths in a normal village. 

Visiting Bilbo Baggins

It was also quite fun seeing the hobbit holes of all different sizes so that the actors placed in front of them looked suitable smaller or larger depending on whether they were hobbit or wizard. I certainly felt distinctly hobbit sized in front of a few of them!

Andrew with the beer barrel

A beautiful hobbit home

Trying stilts for the first time!

The tour led us through the Dell and then up into Hobbiton proper, where we climbed the hill to Bilbo's house. I was very excited to see that little hobbit door, complete with the iconic "No admittance" sign. It's one thing to visit a theme park where scenes have been re-created, or to see props from films (which are both neat experiences, don't get me wrong); it is quite another to stand where those actors stood and to actually feel like I could have been in the shire with a hobbit just around the corner and to see where they actually filmed such wonderful films.

Playing on the see-saw at the Party Tree

The tour then proceeded to the iconic field under the party tree, where Bilbo celebrated his birthday. It was also here that they imparted some little-known anecdotes about the film. Like the fact that they filmed Bilbo's birthday speech in one take and that Ian Holm did such a terrific job holding everyone rapt and nailing the performance that it wasn't until they were back in the studio editing the clips that they noticed that the cake behind Bilbo was quite noticeably in flames. Apparently it was made of styrofoam, which isn't a good combination with over one hundred candles! Instead of re-shooting the scene they did some clever clipping, zooming, and editing so that it isn't visible unless you know exactly what to be looking for. 

A sumptuous feast!

Of course, we also got to have some fun at the party tree. I just had to get on the see-saw and a little girl was kind enough to join me. They also had stilts, which all of the adults were a bit hesitant to pick up at first, but upon some encouragement that it was alright and that we weren't going to hurt sensitive props, most of us had a go at it. They take a lot more balance than I had thought! Andrew and I both managed to walk a few steps with them though.

Me feeling slight hobbit-sized by the bar

From the party tree and the house of Samwise Gamgee we proceeded across the bridge to Sandyman's Mill and the Green Dragon Inn. The location is just so beautiful and picturesque. A local company has brewed ciders, beers, and ginger beer specifically for Hobbiton, which we got to enjoy from the Green Dragon while watching the sunset over Hobbiton. It was a really wonderful way to spend the evening.

Me helping out the hobbits

After the sun set we were called inside to an amazing feast. In all the years that they have done the dinner and evening tour, they have never had a group be able to finish everything on the table. I believe them!! The meal was absolutely wonderful. They were really great about handling allergies as well. After they served the main feast, the head cook brought out a plate specifically for me that had been prepared for my specific allergy. Another lady at the table was allergic to lactose as well as gluten and her plate looked quite good as well! They then proceeded to tell me what else on the table would be safe for me to eat as well if I was still hungry after I finished my plate.

Me by Sandyman's Mill

Andrew and I by one of the hobbit holes at night

They then left time for us to chat and explore the inn before they served dessert. I had asked another guest to take a picture of me beside the bar and the guide came past. He told me I wasn't standing in the right spot for a good picture and that I should move further left...and then further still until I was standing behind the bar. He said that was the perfect place for a good picture and then offered to take the picture for me. Dessert could have easily have been an entire meal unto itself! Homemade cinnamon and honey yogurt, Pavlova with fresh picked fruit from the Shire gardens, and a brownie were my top picks.

After we relaxed for a bit after dinner and dessert, our guides handed out lanterns for our walk back through Hobbiton. It was beautiful wandering through the village, illuminated by our lanterns and the porchlights of hobbits who have not returned home yet. It was very peaceful wandering around, listening to the frogs croak in the pond, and enjoying an after-dinner walk.

They wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to get at least one good picture of themselves in front of a hobbit hole after dark so they brought out movie lighting and had everything set up to get a good picture on almost any camera or phone.

It was truly a magical experience wandering through this fantasy world. Their customer service and attention to their customers was also exceptional and I thoroughly enjoyed my evening.

Jellyfish Stings

Washed-up blue bottle
Photo by Pappito at en.wikipedia/

Well, there are certainly some travel experiences that aren't precisely pleasant, but than can be useful nonetheless. Coming from Alberta, I can tell you how to avoid a bear or a cougar, how to see a moose beside the road, and all manner of useful things, but I have never had the misfortune of learning how to deal with jellyfish stings. Today I had that experience while surfing at Ngaranui beach near Raglan.

I was paddling out when I felt a string on my leg. At first I thought it was just the leash for the surf board, so I grabbed it to move it away from my leg. Then it started stinging across my hand and all around my leg, which had gotten wrapped in the tentacle. Since I already had the tentacle in my hand I tossed the jelly fish away from me, then swam into shore. I rinsed it off my leg in the ocean, but had a harder time getting it off my hand. I went to the lady who runs the surf shop on the beach, but she was very unsympathetic and not at all helpful. I went to the shower to try to get the stinger off and a lady there sent me to the lifeguards, who were exceptionally professional and helpful.

As a side note, I am very glad that we did not book our lessons with Raglan surfing school, the main surf rental and lessons on the beach. They were unsympathetic, unhelpful, and not very professional. Their boards are also of much poorer quality than the ones we have been using with Steve at Surf Safe.

Right, back to jellyfish!

There are three main types of stinging jellyfish near New Zealand, but thankfully they aren't deadly, only somewhat painful. It is important to know what types of jellyfish might be at the beach you are at since the treatment is somewhat different. I was stung by a blue bottle, also known as a Portuguese Man-of-war. For these, you don't want to use vinegar or pee on them, contrary to popular opinion!

The best treatment is:

• Wash the affected area with either fresh or saltwater
• Remove the tentacles or stings attached to the skin as quickly as possible - avoid touching them with your bare hands
• Place the affected area in warm water (45C or higher) for as long as possible - 20 minutes or more if available
• Do not apply vinegar, methylated spirits, or alcohol as these will only make the sting more painful

The NZ Ministry of Health and St John's have more information as well. 

Quiet farm house near Waitetuna

Walk time?

Beautiful Driveway

For the month of January Andrew and I have the unique experience of house sitting for a family on the west coast of New Zealand, near Raglan. Our responsibilities include walking the dog to the mailbox twice a day, feeding the chickens and pigs, and watering the garden. In exchange, we get to live in an amazing location for a month!

Walking the dog

We are using the opportunity to learn how to surf, which is an awesome sport as I mentioned before in this post. Andrew has managed to find a job in Raglan as well, meaning that we have a chance to stay in this incredible area for longer.

Playing on the trapeze

The family we are house sitting for is also a circus family with some really fun equipment in their house. I am seriously jealous of their living room, which has silks, a trapeze, a Spanish web/corde lisse, and a pole, not to mention an assortment of juggling equipment. Oh, and a hammock. Their only warning was to try not to hurt ourselves.

Beautiful sunset

Their house is entirely self-sufficient. They get all of their water from a nearby spring, as well as collecting all of the rainwater in a huge tank when it rains. Their power comes solely from the sun, with a couple of massive solar panels on the roof. They also have large fruit and vegetable gardens. I have been really enjoying the access to all the fresh produce, not to mention the fresh eggs every morning from their chickens!

Fresh fruit from the garden

Cooking has been a bit of a challenge. While I have used a gas stove before, I have never had to use matches to light one! I think it took me four or five matches to get the thing lit the first couple of times. I've figured out the trick now though. The oven, on the other hand...not so much. A gas heated oven is somewhat new to me, although I have managed to cook most of our meals without burning them too badly.

I am really enjoying the very relaxed way of life. There is no television as that would take too much power from their limited supply, which means my days have been spent crocheting, painting, and writing. When we aren't surfing at least! It is very quiet here and I really enjoy waking up every morning to the sound of birds chirping, with no other sounds except the wind in the trees. It is very peaceful, although I can understand that this type of life wouldn't be for everyone. I would recommend everyone with the ability to take their time with travel to try the WWOOFing experience as it has allowed me to truly immerse myself in the location and to experience what living here is really like for the locals.

Learning to Surf in Raglan

Andrew and I have been enjoying the incredible experience of learning to surf in Raglan, NZ through Surf Safe. While the other surf schools have 20+ students, Steve, our coach, has had small, personal classes that have allowed us to get more out of the experience and learn a lot more quickly. Plus, his boards are in better condition and easier to learn on!

We signed up for a five day surf course. We had done a single day course in California a few years back and loved it, but it really didn't do much to teach us the actual sport of surfing. The first three days of our five day course have included learning the mechanics of surfing, how to read the ocean, tide charts, and rip currents, and how to actually progress in the sport. He has also let us experiment with different sizes of boards to find the size/shape that works best for us at the moment. Right now I am using a 10 foot long soft top foam board, while Andrew has progressed to a 9 foot fiberglass board. I'm still working on my balance!

Steve has also been very accommodating with time, frequently extending lessons if the surfing is good. We still have two days of lessons left and he suggested that, since we have the time, we should wait for good surfing days with good waves and decent weather. I'm certainly alright with that!

I managed to get standing on our first day of lessons, which I think is quite the accomplishment! Surfing is a very physical sport though and my shoulders were definitely sore from all the paddling after our paddling lessons.

If you are thinking about learning to surf, I would consider focusing on pushing strength, balance exercises, and doing a lot of swimming. Once you have had one lesson, practicing your preferred pop-up technique on land can help you nail your balance and landing on the board. I hadn't realized there were so many different techniques for going from laying on a surfboard to standing! Steve showed us four, then suggested that if are still struggling that we look on Youtube for other ideas and find one that works best for us before our next lesson.

For a basic surfing exercise routine that doesn't require a gym, I would recommend:

• 2 x 20 burpees
• 2 x 20 squats
• 2 x 20 lunges
• 2 x 30s hold superman
• 2 x 30s hold plank

I would also strongly recommend doing lessons with a registered surf coach as it has really helped Andrew and I progress faster and more safely than if we had tried to teach ourselves.

Happy 2016!

Fresh Made Pavlova 

Catan!

 Happy New Year's from New Zealand!

Andrew and I had a great time celebrating New Year's with our friends near Te Puke. We are staying at a friend's mother's house for the holiday season as she was kind enough to invite us. It has been great feeling like part of the family and has really helped us to not feel homesick over the holidays.

I am still having a hard time adapting to the fact that the holidays take place in the middle of summer. We enjoyed a nice picnic in the park last night after seeing a movie, which is something that you just can't do at home for New Year's unless you want to picnic in a foot of snow wearing multiple layers.

Midnight at New Year's

We had a very enjoyable New Year's Eve and New Year's day. I'm not sure if it was just the family that we are staying with, but New Year's was a very relaxed affair, with not everyone staying up until midnight! We splashed in the pool, enjoyed a game of Catan with our friends, had some fresh baked Pavlova, and sipped on some lovely blooming tea.

Blooming Tea

I hadn't heard of pavlova before coming to New Zealand, but it is a fairly popular dessert here. It is a very special meringue-type treat that has to be cooked and cooled just right for the pie-sized dessert to rise and fall perfectly for the ideal crispy and chewy texture. It is then usually topped with whatever fresh fruit is in season and some whipped cream.

It was a bit strange to be a full year ahead of our family and friends, as it was odd to get messages of 'Happy New Year!' at 8pm New Year's day for us (midnight at home).

Hot weather!

We hope that 2016 is happy, healthy, and adventurous for all our family and friends back home!