A Superb Hotel And Memorable Gluten-Free Meal In Bratislava
I hadn’t booked the hotel in Bratislava, but I had sussed that one of the best in the city was the Hotel Arcadia. So after a few minutes at the station, I took a taxi to the hotel.
My choice was vindicated, as it was one of the best hotels, I’ve stayed in since C’s death. I know she would have liked it, as the beds were comfortable, the bath was large and easily filled with the very hot water she liked and the dressing gowns and towels were luxurious.
The evening meal was absolutely memorable and I can’t tell you what I had, as I can’t get an on-line copy of the menu. The main course was lamb and it was some of the best I’ve ever tasted.
They even had a gastronomic tasting menu of umpteen courses, where except for the cheese and sweet courses, I could eat everything.
I shall certainly make sure next time I’m in the area, I will spend a night at the hotel.
Inside And Around Le Meridien, Budapest
I stayed in Budapest at Le Merieden. Not the cheapest hotel, but I got a reasonable deal and I could trust the food for breakfast. These pictures show the hotel in its very central location, on the major interchange of the Budapest Metro.
They even offered to bake some gluten-free bread, as I left. That sounds late, but I suspect they hadn’t realised I was coeliac before.
They did find me an excellent restaurant though called Rezkakas. I did take a Hungarian celiac travel card.
I’d certainly stay in the hotel again.
Jamie’s Italian At North Terminal, Gatwick Airport
I was surprised to see a branch of Jamie’s Italian at Gatwick and that it had the full gluten-free menu as well.
Wild Rabbit Tagliolini
I had a wild rabbit tagliolini.
The only problem was the texture on the table, that made it difficult for me to write. But food, wine and especially the service were all very good.
It was also good to see a decent gluten free offering in an airport.
I do like to see rabbits working!
London Is My Gymnasium
The weather is better today, so I did a trip round the various construction and other sites that I keep a watch on.
The pictures are in order and show how I went to the Excel to see the CrossRail progress, then over the cable-car to Greenwich. I then took the Jubilee line to Stratford and the DLR to Pudding Mill Lane station, again to look at CrossRail. I also had a coffee and some delicious gluten-free cake at the ViewTube, before coming back to Highbury and Islington station, where I did a bit of shopping.
I tend to use these trips as long walks with the occasional climb up and down stairs to get fit. I found that on the cruise stair-climbing with a rail on the left, was good for that side of my body.
Britain Is Running Out Of Wheat
As a coeliac, I had to laugh when i saw this headline on a newspaper on my way to Derby today. But it’s true according to this report on the BBC.
Let them eat rice, maize and millet I say! It’ll be good for them to get off the dreaded gluten!
How To Cut Strokes
I like to think, I’m more or less following what is said in this story. Here’s an extract.
Increasing potassium in our diets as well as cutting down on salt will reduce blood pressure levels and the risk of stroke, research in the British Medical Journal suggests.
One study review found that eating an extra two to three servings of fruit or vegetables per day – which are high in potassium – was beneficial.
Funnily enough though, I’ve never really liked salt on my food. Perhaps, it was because my late mother-in-law used it so liberally, but I think the preference goes back further than that.
In some ways though, the older I get, the more I believe that a gluten-free diet is good for you. I suppose Novak Djokovitch would agree!
The Awareness Of Coeliac Disease
According to the Restaurant Manager, there were twenty-four people on a gluten-free diet out of a total of 1,800 passengers.
But what surprised me was the number of passengers, who on seeing my bread or asking, why I declined a roll and hearing the answer, said that they knew of a coeliac or had one in the family.
Without doubt, the awareness of coeliac disease is increasing and this can only be a good thing!
Lisbon’s Metro
Lisbon’s Metro is modern, fairly extensive and impressive.
I used it several times and especially after I found there was a station by the Cruise Terminal.
One thing to note is that there is a very large El Cortes Ingles built on top of the São Sebastião Metro station, which is on the line that goes to the Cruise Terminal. The shop had a massive food department, so I suspect, it had a selection of gluten-free food.
Chocolates On Oriana
I’m always wary of the chocolates, that hotels and indeed cruise ships, put on your bed at night.
Chocolates On Oriana
This one was from Whittakers Chocolates and the excellent Restaurant Manager certified they were gluten-free. I had no trouble with them, although there was another sort, I didn’t sample.
My caution stems from a night a few years ago, in a five star hotel in Spain, where the chocolate had a biscuit inside. Luckily my late wife, C, was acting as food taster and after eating her chocolate, quickly ate mine as well.
Gluten Free Food On The Oriana
I had been a bit worried about getting gluten-free food on the cruise. But to be fair, the food was generally good to excellent and I certainly didn’t have any problems.
I should say that although, I’m a properly diagnosed coeliac, I think that if I was to eat a couple of slices of regular bread, it wouldn’t do me that much harm. Not that I’m going to try. But I’m definitely not supersensitive!
According to the restaurant manager of the 1,800 or so on the ship, twenty-four were on a gluten-free diet. This number probably gave us all a bit of safety, as if it was typical for a cruise, they would be getting quite a bit of practice in dealing with those needing a gluten-free diet. And as they say, practice makes perfect.
Initially, at dinner, they wanted me to choose my meal the day before. I wasn’t having any of that, as I like to stick to a balanced diet and how would I know, what I would eat at breakfast and lunch, so that I could properly choose the dinner.
I had seen the menu and noted that there were three starters, two soups and six or more main courses. So I felt that there must be something I could eat, perhaps by removing one element if required. The only day I was in trouble, was when most of the main courses had a small problem or I didn’t like them and I was left with just Norfolk turkey. As an Ipswich Town supporter, you don’t eat oversized budgies from our Northern neighbours.
So I swallowed my prejudices and had a very nice turkey and vegetables without the stuffing.
One thing that surprised me about the food at dinner was the variety. As an example, I was surprised to see tuna steak on the menu.
Tuna Steak For Dinner
And very nice it was too!
I should also note these points about the dinner.
1. The staff were very knowledgeable and one told me, that they used flour in the cream soups, so he said stick to the clear ones, of which there was usually one.
2. Many of the main courses were meat and vegetables and you could generally have them plain.
3. I didn’t really look at the vegetarian options, as they weren’t for me.
4. I had gluten free bread every night and it was served separately.
5. I didn’t have puddings, except for ice cream, which was delicious and someone thought it was made on the ship. In one instance the ice cream came with a biscuit and the waiter took it back immediately he put it down and then got me another. And it was another and not just the original with the biscuit removed! We’ve all had that in restaurants, haven’t we?
The real problem about dinner was the company on the first night, who were a couple who didn’t speak to me or each other for that matter! After that experience, I was moved.
Breakfast wasn’t a problem at all, with many things I could eat. There was gluten free toast, which was quite nice and as it was very similar in taste to that in the Hope Street Hotel, I suspect they made it themselves from some sort of standard mix or recipe.
A Typical Breakfast
Towards the end of the cruise, I’d settled down to a breakfast like the one shown, which I ate in the buffet restaurant, with good views of the sea. The toast hadn’t arrived, if you’re wondering, why I have marmalade and no toast.
The bacon wasn’t the usual mass catering rubbish, with a lot of fat, but lean and tasty. I sometimes had an egg, but I find that too many are not good for me, so I usually limit myself to three a week. The beans incidentally were Heinz, as I heard someone ask!
If I have a small problem in the buffet restaurant, it’s that the labelling could be better. For instance, the beans could have been labelled Heinz, which many and not just those on a gluten-free diet would find comforting. With better labelling, staff wouldn’t probably have to answer the same questions over and over again.
I usually had salad for lunch, if I actually needed to eat and they were very acceptable. Again, in some instances the labelling could have been better, as sometimes they mixed up a few vegetables and ham to create special salads.
If there was a problem, it was in the lack of gluten free cakes and biscuits. There were some, but they weren’t to my taste, as they had coconut in them and that’s something I can’t abide. So I would recommend that you take a few of your own. I did! But I didn’t take enough!
Another problem, was that I think I might have put on a kilo or so!
The Anonymous Widower 