<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

We have just returned from our hiking trip in southern Germany and  
the Dolomites in northern Italy.  It was a fantastic trip and the  
eating went without a hitch.  As with much of Europe they seem to  
understand GF and easily accommodate.  Also I think they are  
accustomed to cooking without processed foods and additives, using  
mostly fresh products.  Everything was delicious!  I had sent my own  
version of a dining card since I am also Lac intolerant to each of  
the hotels where we were staying with both English and German (they  
speak and eat German in the Dolomites also).  When I arrived and  
spoke to the chefs they had my card right there and we could discuss  
the food together.  I found that the chefs spoke English very well.   
I never had boring food.  At the hotel in Kastelruth I was so well  
treated that I suspect the rest of our group wished they were also  
eating GF!

Other info I received from all the kind people on this listserv  
before our trip:

You can always get GF items at the Pharmacia (large lighted green  
cross) in Italy.

In Germany go to the health food store called the Reformhaus for GF  
items.

Schar and Bi-Aglut products are even in many supermarkets.

Take a dining card with translation for the few occasions where they  
don't speak English well.

Risotto is great, just check about the liquid used.  They eat a lot  
of polenta in northern Italy which should be GF.  They often have GF  
pasta available.

The Antipastas are most often GF and you can make a meal right there!

As in the States be cautious with soups and sauces.  I found they  
often make their own broth and will use corn starch for a thickener  
on request if you have time  for that.

In most large cities an English menu is available on request.  But we  
were in tiny villages most of the time.

Be careful to avoid wheat starch which they consider GF.  Also  
maltodextrin and modified food starch should be avoided.  This never  
came up  for me.

I did avoid all sausages just because I couldn't figure out how to   
make sure they were GF.  I feel like a missed something special,  
probably unnecessarily.

I was warned to check to make sure sauerkraut was not prepared with  
flour and to check about meat being dusted with flour.


Again, MANY THANKS to all of you who took the time to help me.  Your  
suggestions were great and I felt much more comfortable before making  
the trip.  I even got GF foods on KLM both going across and coming  
home.  And I even came home with uneated GF foods which says alot  
about how well I ate along the way.

Sarah in Wisconsin

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