Spain

22 October 2022

Italy Rapello Portofino Santa Margherita Sestri LevanteI love Italy with its beautiful scenery, pizza and gelato. I recently was asked if it was expensive to holiday in Italy and my response is simply as with any destination it can be as cheap or luxurious as you want to make it. To travel around by train always feels affordable compared to home and a Marinara pizza usually sets me back five euros.

A few weeks ago we flew into Pisa and hopped a train up the coast to Rapello. The Italian Riveria is truly beautiful. Using Rapello as our base we visited Santa Margherita, Portofino and Sestri Levante. The weather was perfect, we ate plenty of pizza and gelato and had aching feet from wandering picturesque towns.

Next stop was Genoa where we embanked on a completely new to us travel experience; a cruise ship! We had found an cheap last minute deal and booked three nights/four days with MSC on board the Poesia. I always like to focus my travel stories on how I managed as a vegan with mild food allergies. I was absolutely worried about how I would cope on a ship but knew our time was short and I could always eat well when in port.

After booking the trip I complete a Special Needs form and the reply received was....

"Please note that on board you will find in all the menus in the bars, main restaurants, buffet, speciality restaurant a little note close to the list of food where is specified if food is Vegan, in case of any doubt do not hesitate to contact the personnel in the dining outlet and they will give you all the information required."

I felt that my allergies had been overlooked in the email which was disappointing. We boarded the ship at lunch time so we unashamedly made the lunch buffet our first stop. We scoured every inch of the buffet but there was never an indication on signs to state an item was Vegan. The hustle and bustle of onboarding was overwhelming. As a typical Brit, I struggled with having to catch the attention of staff to inquire about suitable food. You're also face with the most enormous buffet and I felt embarrassed to hold up a queue to ask questions. 
vegan food onboard MSC cruises
Our first formal evening meal was a bitter disappointment. The menu arrived with only one dish marked vegan; a main course. I spoke to the waiting staff and mentioned my allergies first followed with "I'm also vegan". There was a difficult moment where milk allergy was misunderstood and reference was made to lactose intolerance but I keep stressing the difference. As you may know these are two very different dietary needs. I was surprised that by registering a special needs form that staff didn't seem informed ahead of time. You are assigned a table where you are sat every evening so it wouldn't be impossible to do this, maybe? Once I stressed the fact I was also vegan I was told it counteracted my allergies because after all vegans exclude milk and eggs. With a heavy heart I sighed because cross contamination does matter. It's hugely important and my biggest risk is a stomach ache for others it could be anaphylactic shock. Moments later I proved that point when I couldn't select any bread from the basket because one of the choices available was a cheese topped roll.

What happened next was comical, keeping in mind I was also on a table of strangers. I had requested a salad for starter. It was an attempt to veganise an existing dish on the menu that evening. Out came quarter of an iceberg lettuce with tomato, carrot and possibly radish with no dressing. I was then served two bagels which were cold to the touch, as if they had been defrosted. I requested balsamic and olive oil in an attempt to make the salad more exciting. My main course was the only labelled vegan dish of Tuscan style stewed legumes. I skipped dessert as I was only offered fruit platter or lemon sorbet. After four days of vegan cakes, croissants and ice cream in Italy, a fruit platter was the most boring things I could be offered (not to mention my OAS).
dinner menu msc cruise poesia
Our waiter advised me to pre-order for the next evening informing me that they could adapt dishes. To keep things easy I opted for the vegetarian starter minestrone soup followed by the vegan dish of spinach, quinoa and potato burger. For the third evening we ended up skipping the formal dining last minute but my choices had been carrot & ginger soup and Tofu morsels (stir-fry).

I'm not much of a breakfast person and with the hurdles of an unlabelled buffet I stuck to the classics. Fruit was readily available and I cobbled together some beans on toast. I did manage to hunt down plant milk but it was only upon request.
travel, Italy, Spain and France
As I found the level of food onboard to be average at best I made the most of my time in port. I had gelato from Amorino in Marseille. In Palma de Mallorca I ate some wonderful empanadas at Las Muns, a giant cookie from Anita Cakes and ice cream at Rivareno. We left the boat in Barcelona and I had a late lunch at Green & Burger. 
vegan food in Palma, Marseille, Barcelona
I'd like to think that other cruise companies may handle allergies and a vegan diet better but it's unlikely we will cruise again. It wasn't just about the food but we actually didn't enjoy the experience of this style of travel. I certainly wasn't disappointed with the ship or our room but I hated being stuck with so many other people. You really noticed the volume of tourists when three cruises come into port at the same time.

I don't expect the world to accommodate me all the time and I understand I'm fortunate to have never experienced anaphylactic shock. However some foods make me really sick and it ruins a holiday to be caught out. If you can't accommodate my needs just be honest and I'll make sure to pack lots of snacks. 

Sarah x

Note: MSC should also reconsider their formulation of body wash and shampoos, although permitted the inclusion of Methylisothiazolinone (MI) was not welcomed by me.

23 September 2017

Travel Playa de Alcudia, Majorca, Spain
Left to Right - Top Row: Our Hotel, Middle Row: Breakfast & Dinner I created from buffet in Hotel & Playa de Alcudia beach , Bottom Row: Puerto Alcudia & Old Town Alcudia

I've been a little under the weather this week, I return from a restful week in Majorca to find myself taken down by a cold. It totally sucks and I can't seem to get rid of it. Anyway this article isn't about my germs instead I wanted to talk about our recent holiday as I enjoy documenting our travels.

My husband and I are usually independent travellers in the sense that we arrange everything ourselves but this time around we were both feeling worn out from life and took the easy option. We booked 7 nights at the Hotel Delfin Azul through Thomson. Package holidays are a means to an end. I enjoy the laziness of hotel pick ups and drop off, a full suitcase is a perk rather than an extra charge but the resort reps with their chipper attitudes just grate on me. Sorry but I don't want to go to the Waterpark or Pirate Shows! We ignore this element of the holiday package and prefer a little more independence once we reach our destination.

I can't fault our hotel. It was clean, modern and a comfortable room. The entertainment was not to our taste and the pool view room had its disadvantages being situated above the loud music. Yes I am an old fart, late nights are not my thing but we got on with it and accepted we could make up lost sleep with afternoon naps on the sunbed. We were half board which was a bit of a gamble considering my dietary needs. On the whole I managed fairly well as it was a buffet style set up. Food wasn't labelled for allergies so you needed to advise staff so that someone could explain what options were suitable. I admit I never bothered, being a non meat eater most hot foods were ruled out anyway. I ate a lot of salad and chips but topped this up with some treats from Lidl (5 mins away where I found soya yoghurts & fake Oreos). I did spot a corner of the restaurant (away from all other food) dedicated to gluten free staples like bread and biscuits. For breakfast I was impressed that every day I had the choice of soya, rice and oat milk. There was a lack of cereal options but since I don't drink fruit juices (it's an OAS thing!) I enjoyed a glass of plant milk each morning. 

Playa de Alcudia is a large resort with miles of beach. I was slightly disappointed that Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut were all within easy reach simply because I wanted Spanish foods, you can't beat good tapas but it wasn't obvious where we'd get some. We ended up getting away from the area by exploring on foot or using a local bus. From our hotel it was about a half hour walk to the original old town of Alcudia which had a lovely authentic feel but a little tourist driven. On Tuesdays and Sundays there is a huge market which we had a wander around but if you don't enjoy crowds you'd be best to avoid the area. As you'd expect there were lots of little shops and cafes so you can easily sit down and people watch. I love patatas bravas but we got ripped off in one place as it wasn't authentic, we were served potato and ketchup which was disappointing. 
Travel Playa de Alcudia, Majorca, Spain
Puerto Pollensa, Majorca

We caught the local bus to Puerto Pollensa which turned out to be a stunning area of natural beauty with a laid back and quiet way of life. There were few large hotels and we got the impression many places were private apartment rentals. We enjoyed strolling around the bay and then sat down for lunch and ice cream (sorbet for me). Only downside was it lacked a good beach, there were small patches of sand but a lovely marina.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't always kind to us and we had several large rain storms during our stay. It was a little tricky to get out and about however come the afternoon the sun came out. One lunchtime we sat down outside a restaurant, ordered food and the heavens opened. Sheltering under the awnings and eating soggy sandwiches wasn't ideal but we laughed about it. We failed at being British, no umbrellas or rain coats, flip flops and short for us.

Reading this back to myself it possibly sounds a little negative but we did have a nice time. I was feeling relaxed and I enjoyed not having a schedule. I read three books on my Kindle which is totally unheard of for me. Our one regret was leaving our driving licenses at home because in hindsight hiring a car might have been a good option for exploring. If I recall correctly this is my third time to Majorca having visited Sa Coma as a child with my family and returning as an adult. I think that childhood holiday might have been the first time I'd ever been on an airplane. Majorca (Mallorca) is a lovely island so don't be put off by the package holiday reputations. Just seek out the parts that are still authentic and away from the nightclubs and Burger King (who don't even serve a veggie burger how rude!).

Sarah x

17 September 2014

Sugarpuffish Madrid Food
I know many of you will be curious how I managed food restrictions on my recent travels. As I don’t have life threatening allergies it makes matters a little easier. I have visited Spain many times so I’m reasonably familiar with the dishes on offer and would happily eat veggie Paella until I burst. Spain is a meat and cheese loving country but visiting a big city like Madrid guarantees a wide variety of cuisines along with vegetarian/vegan restaurants. The biggest problem we faced was deciding where to eat because there was a restaurant or takeaway on every street.

Before I left home I had bookmarked a blog post by Vegan Mos which gave detailed information on Vegan restaurants. We visited Restaurante Vegetariano which was a lovely place hidden down a side street away from the main crowds. The Staff were friendly and we ordered Hummus topped with tomato and pita bread, mixed salad and Gyoza. The food was delicious but we felt slightly on the expensive side. Next up we tried Yerbabuena which was highly rated by VeganMos but we were disappointed. The restaurant was tiny, lacked atmosphere and the food was average. I could not understand why they felt the need to put soya chunks in vegetable paella.

After our failed meal I decided to cut loose and stop seeking out Vegetarian/Vegan restaurants (my boyfriend is a meat eater so I have to take him into consideration). Our next stop was the most adorable Sushi restaurant I did ever see. Miss Sushi was pink, girlie with soft and comfortable furnishings. The menu was extensive with clearly marked Vegetarian and Vegan options. I ate a plateful of vegan sushi and returned to the hotel with a happy belly. 
Sugarpuffish Madrid Food 2
No holiday would be complete without ice cream and Mr Sugarpuffish found Giuseppe Ricci. They only offered one soya option but I really did not care it was limited. I had chocolate on my first visit and the next time they had changed over to vanilla. Both flavours were delicious and I was extremely happy to indulge. On the topic of soya, yoghurts were readily available in the supermarket, in a wide variety of flavours so that became an easy breakfast option (we opted out of breakfast at the hotel to cut costs).

One of our lunch time stops was Naturbier at Plaza Santa Ana. Like many of the cafes in Madrid, it wasn’t anything fancy but offered simple Spanish dishes. We ordered Calamares and Patatas Bravas. On our last day, we ate lunch at La Casa del Pulpo (near Plaza Mayor) and I finally got the Vegetable Paella my belly had desired from the moment I stepped foot in Madrid.

Finally, I cannot forget to mention our visit to Chocolateria San Gines. It’s an old cafe (est. 1894) which only serves chocolate con churros (thick hot chocolate with deep fried batter hoops). Of course, I could not par take in this Spanish tradition so Mr Sugarpuffish sacrificed himself and offered to indulge on my behalf.

As you can tell, I managed my food restrictions fairly easily and it certainly was not any harder than my daily life at home.

Sarah x

15 September 2014

Sugarpuffish Adventures in Madrid, Spain
Did you miss me? Did you even notice I was gone? I spent last week soaking up the sun in Madrid and I did not want to come home. I love Spain and the sunshine so I had a wonderful time taking in the sights. Madrid has a split personality, laid back attitude during the day and a lively party side in the evenings. It’s a typical Spanish city with narrow streets and plazas which I could happily wander around for hours, ducking in and out of the sunshine, sitting in cafes eating Tapas and sipping Sangria. If you seek peace and quiet, head into one of the local parks to escape traffic and shelter from the sun. Who can resist the simple pleasure of sitting on a bench and watching the world go by? Alternatively, a gentle stroll leads to boating lakes, fountains and elegant gardens.

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