Rachael K

When last I wrote, I was in the middle of the meseta. The next day I walked 4 miles to catch a bus into Leon, where I stayed for 2 nights before walking again. Yesterday I completed the walk from León to Astorga. After some sightseeing there (Gaudi built a bishop’s palace there - the same Gaudi who did the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona), I caught a bus to Ponferrada. While I wish I could’ve walked it rather than bussing, there are time constraints. So I’ll be in Ponferrada today and set out again tomorrow morning. In less than two weeks, I’ll be in Santiago!

One defining feature of my Camino is doing it with celiac. This is my first trip abroad since my diagnosis. While in many ways, eating out in Spain is easier than in the States because of labeling and knowledge, it’s still not easy. Spanish breakfasts are heavy on pastries; lunch and dinner are always accompanied by a hunk of bread. While there’s often a gluten free food option for everything, there’s not much variety. Second breakfast (as a Dutch friend calls it) is usually Spanish tortilla, which is basically a frittata of egg and potatoes. Later meals are often “ensalada mixta” (salad with hard-boiled egg, tuna, tomatoes, and olives with oil and vinegar) or chicken/pork loin with fries. No seasoning, no sauce. I was fine with this at first, but after eating this for over a month, I’m kind of done.

Whenever I go to a big city, I research gluten free options. There were several available in León, but I ended up eating almost entirely at an arepa place. 100% gluten free restaurant AND Colombian food (with good guac)? Yes please! Then I went grocery shopping at a chain grocery here known for having a lot of GF foods. I may have gone a bit crazy and bought A LOT. To the point that it’s been a challenge to pack everything into my bags everyday. Definitely not lamenting having this problem, but maybe next time I need to exercise a little more self-discipline.

Currently I’m sitting in a 100% GF bakery in Ponferrada. Breakfast was savory waffles- 2 fluffy and tasty waffles topped with jamon serrano, an egg, sprouts, and hollandaise sauce. Delicious!

Now here’s the honesty: both of these restaurants have nearly brought me to tears. It’s so rare that I can walk into a restaurant and get whatever I want without worrying about what’s happening in the kitchen. It’s something I used to take for granted but now, it’s a treat. I’m so grateful for these restaurants (and for the internet so I can find them!). I know the restaurant industry isn’t easy and I imagine it’s that much harder when you’re a niche place. I’m so thankful for these restaurants that work hard to provide delicious food for people like me.

A couple days ago, I met an American couple whose son has celiac. It’s made me think about creating a celiac’s guide to the Camino Frances. There’s not much available on the internet, so it’s been a lot of trial and error for me. I think something like this could be helpful for others.Read more