Re: looking for GF friendly hotels/restaurants in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain

[Guest guest]

I had good luck three years ago using the delphiforums CD site. It has quite a good travel area. Nowadays, I think you have to pay something like $25 to get access to their archives -- which may be material more than six months old.

See what you can get through the basic (free) service. I haven't looked at the site for quite a while, but it was extremely helpful to me early on.

I haven't been to Spain since I went GF, but I've seen some blogs suggesting travel there is quite workable.

For Barcelona, I can't emphasize strongly enough that you will want to stay away from the Ramblas after dark. I've known many, many people who, like myself, were mugged there at night. Organized groups of attackers work the area. Long ago, it was a lovely place at night. We safely, happily strolled there after dinner along with Spanish families and courting couples. Things changed for the worse; it's a scary place at night now, unless it's changed again in the past couple of years. Which seems unlikely.

H.

H.

Hi all,

We are taking a trip in a few months to Madrid and Barcelona so are looking for any recommendations for gluten free friendly and kid friendly hotels and restaurants. I've started looking at the national celiac sites for Spain but am having a hard time as I don't speak Spanish.

We would appreciate any suggestions that you may have for hotels, restaurants or any particular websites that you think would be helpful....

Thanks!

-----Original Message-----

From: Horvath <laura_horvath@...>

; SillyYaks ; bayareaceliacrock

Sent: Tue, Sep 8, 2009 9:09 pm

Subject: [ ] looking for GF friendly hotels/restaurants in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain

Hi all,

We are taking a trip in a few months to Madrid and Barcelona so are looking for any recommendations for gluten free friendly and kid friendly hotels and restaurants. I've started looking at the national celiac sites for Spain but am having a hard time as I don't speak Spanish.

We would appreciate any suggestions that you may have for hotels, restaurants or any particular websites that you think would be helpful....

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Spain in general is very GF friendly; A big part of the food is based on rice

and potatoes. Many of the restaurants have career servers who are dedicated to

service and have been doing this for years. If you speak spanish it is better.

If not buy one of those cards in spanish spelling out what you can eat.

Tortilla espanola (based on potatoes and eggs) is usually OK; most grilled food

would be ok; most paella is actually safe;

I would recommend one restaurant in Madrid: El Asador Real; they have the best

roasted pork (cochinillo); make a reservation and get there earlier in the night

to make sure they do not run out of it.

Barcelona is the culinary new place to be. Tons of great seafood. Many of the

tapas are GF with meats, seafood, veggies with simple preparation which does not

include flour.

My favorite hotel in Madrid is Arosa Hotel on the Gran Via; a simple 4 star

hotel with internet right in the middle of everything.

If you go into any El Corte Ingles or HiperCor (it is the same dept. store;

hipercor is their supermarket version and El Corte Ingles has always a food

section) they have tons of GF stuff. I usually bring back 2 suitcases full of

food from Spain. They have breads, crackers, cereals and also frozen food. You

can bring your own bread to breakfast.

Wheat is trigo; oats is avena; rye is centeno; barley is cebada; just an FYI;

corn is maiz; rice is arroz; potatoes are papas; flour is harina;

enjoy; you can PM if you have any other questions.

>

>

> I had good luck three years ago using the delphiforums CD site. It has quite

a good travel area. Nowadays, I think you have to pay something like $25 to get

access to their archives -- which may be material more than six months old.

>

> See what you can get through the basic (free) service. I haven't looked at the

site for quite a while, but it was extremely helpful to me early on.

>

> I haven't been to Spain since I went GF, but I've seen some blogs suggesting

travel there is quite workable.

>

> For Barcelona, I can't emphasize strongly enough that you will want to stay

away from the Ramblas after dark. I've known many, many people who, like myself,

were mugged there at night. Organized groups of attackers work the area. Long

ago, it was a lovely place at night. We safely, happily strolled there after

dinner along with Spanish families and courting couples. Things changed for the

worse; it's a scary place at night now, unless it's changed again in the past

couple of years. Which seems unlikely.

>

> H.

>

> H.

>

>

>

>

> Hi all,

>

> We are taking a trip in a few months to Madrid and Barcelona so are looking

for any recommendations for gluten free friendly and kid friendly hotels and

restaurants.? I've started looking at the national celiac sites for Spain but am

having a hard time as I don't speak Spanish.

>

> We would appreciate any suggestions that you may have for hotels, restaurants

or any particular websites that you think would be helpful....

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Horvath <laura_horvath@...>

> ; SillyYaks ;

bayareaceliacrock

> Sent: Tue, Sep 8, 2009 9:09 pm

> Subject: [ ] looking for GF friendly hotels/restaurants in Madrid

and Barcelona, Spain

>

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>

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>

>

>

>

> Hi all,

>

> We are taking a trip in a few months to Madrid and Barcelona so are looking

for any recommendations for gluten free friendly and kid friendly hotels and

restaurants.? I've started looking at the national celiac sites for Spain but am

having a hard time as I don't speak Spanish.

>

> We would appreciate any suggestions that you may have for hotels, restaurants

or any particular websites that you think would be helpful....

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>