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

I've received a number of helpful messages to which I have tried to respond
directly.

From Pavel Hubatka, a Czech presently on military duty in this country:

>Some people in Prague can speak English, but almost nobody has a clue
>what CD is about. So here are some sentences you may need to use. It
>would be better if you have them written to show it. The prounanciation
>could cause a misunderstanding.

>- gluten free product - bezlepkovy vyrobek
>- gluten free diet - bezlepkova dieta
>- gluten - lepek
>- does not contain a gluten - neobsahuje lepek
>The explaining in the restaraunt is very difficult even for me. But
>anyway,

>I must keep a gluten free diet. The gluten is poisonous for my body. My
>meal must not contain a flour, bread, soy sauce, ketchup, any sauce,
>pasta, etc. It can be prepared naturaly like cooking in water, grilled,
>or baked. Simply only the meat with the salt or pepper, baked potatoes,
>fresh vegetables with no dressing, cooked rice. Without any gravy,
>sauce, spices, breading for frying etc.

>The story in Czech.- Musim drzet bezlepkovou dietu. Lepek je pro me
>telo jedovaty. Moje jidlo nesmi obsahovat mouku, chleba, sojovou
>omacku, kecup, jakoukoliv omacku, testoviny. Musi to byt pripraveno
>prirodne, uvareno ve vode, na grilu, nebo pecene. Proste pouze maso,
>osolene nebo s peprem, pecene brambory, cerstva zelenina bez dresinku,
>varena ryze. Bez omacky, koreni, nesmi to byt obalovane, nesmi to
>prijit do styku s moukou.

And from Hana Maslowska, a contact person for celiacs visiting the Republic:

>In restaurant you can use this text for explaining your needs:
>
>Mam celiakii a proto nemohu jist jidla, ktera obsahuji  tyto obiloviny:
>psenici, zito, jecmen a oves. Mate na jidelnim listku jidlo, ktere by bylo
>pro mne vhodne, nebo muzete pripravit moji porci bez zminenych obilovin
>(napr. bez zahusteni omacky >nebo osmazit maso bez obaleni) nebo misto
>toho pouzit mouku ci skrob z kukurice, ryze, jahel, pohanky ci >brambor?

In Germany there are healthfood stores whose signs include the word
"reformhaus." In them, gluten-free products are shelved together. Most
large cities have several (at least), as do most smaller cities and towns,
but the selection in the latter are smaller.

I'll be travelling with this useful information and will feel much better
prepared. My thanks to all for the assistance!

Ned Berkeley
Edmund Berkeley, Jr.
2403 Bennington Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901-2205
804/296-2096