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after much apprehension I found my month in Florence to be wonderful.
Much easier than in America.  In a pasta culture what is NOT pasta is
clearly fine.  Waiters were astonished at my question whether a particular
sauce might contain flour. Of course not.  Soups didn't have bread in them
unless they were called that.  I also found a fabulous bread substitute,
FETTE TOSTATE, a gluten-free cracker toast, which I could buy at the
Pharmacy at the Railroad Station (thanks, Martha Teeter) and is available
elsewhere as well.  It tastes very good, and is a wonderful vehicle for
whatever one might put on bread.
 
When I got back home I found that it is available here as well, frome
Dietary Specialties in Rochester NY (800/544-0099) as well as from
De-Ro-Ma in Laval, Quebec (514/687-2287), which also carries Dr. Schaer
products, which Martha Teeter had suggested I try to get in Florence but I
could never find.
 
The mainstay of my diet ended up being risotto, which one could even buy
as a pre-packaged food, put out by Knorr as well as other companies.  I
found some fabulous restaurants. Anybody who wants my list can contact me.
 
Rolf Meyersohn