Santorini is a gorgeous island about a 45 minute flight away from Athens. The views from the caldera will take your breath away! Tourism is big here, and every restaurant I contacted was eager to help and prepare celiac safe meals. Shane and I landed and boarded our transfer to Imerovigli, a small village on the Caldera between Oia and Fira. I highly recommend staying here. The views and sunsets are just as gorgeous (or better) than in Oia. It is also quiter and less touristy, and the people are incredibly kind and friendly. One of my favourite things about this place are the things I learned through talking to the local people about Santorini's history and about their thoughts towards celiac and allergies! Altana Traditional SuitesLocation: Imerovigli 847 00, Greece I couldn't have imagined a dreamier stay than the one we had on the Caldera in Imervogili. When I try and think of something Christos, Marios, Christina and Luca could have done to make our stay more amazing, there isn’t a thing. They were the most hospitable, thoughtful and kind hosts ever. The first night, we had a mishap. I was exhausted and jet lagged and went for a nap in our beautiful room while Shane had a drink in the infinity pool. Responsible guy that he is, he tried to clean up and take his plate and glasses down all the steps to the lobby. I was completely asleep when the door burst open. Shane ran to the bathroom sink. "Ow ...ow ...ow" I stood up. There were pools of blood trailing all over the white stone floor. Shane was still trying to clean up his broken glass, floor and rinse his elbows at the same time. I rushed downstairs for help. One of the owners, Marios drove over, looked after Shane, drove us to the clinic, sat with us for hours, spoke with the doctor, drove us to the pharmacy, helped him fill his prescription and took us home to our room. By the time we were done it was five hours later and past midnight. He was kind, thoughtful and cheerful the whole time. The night before Shane's birthday at 11 pm at night, Marios was at the port picking up another guest’s lost luggage. While he was doing this, he was simultaneously sending Christos photos of birthday cards so he could purchase the perfect one for Shane. They also found him flowers and cakes on the house and personally wished him a great day! While planning the birthday, I got to chat with Christos about all the history found right under our feet. From the grumpy captain who used to own the property, to the beautiful half-Egyptian sisters that used to room in the place, he made my stay so much richer by sharing all the stories that live in this very special place. Plus, he’s really easy to talk to and his English is really good! I never expected to easily discuss intergenerational trauma, indigenous people, and the difficult history of santorini with someone who’s first language is Greek! Meanwhile, even though it was our honeymoon, Shane fell in love with Marios a little. I think it's because Marios took care of him and drove him to the clinic late at night when he gashed his elbows open. It was really funny how he had a man-crush on him and just added more laughter to our stay. I felt so warm and well taken care of here. This place will always be a part of our love story. Hike from Imerovigli to OiaThis hike is the number one "thing to do" on Trip Advisor, so we had to give it a try! Honestly, this was an insane hike to try to do in 30 degree weather. I adored it, but there were also a few parts where I felt like I was going to puke. Take the bus home for 1,80 euros! Rare SantoriniLocation: Location: 84700 Gali Square, Imerovigli 847 00, Greece Dish: Baked lamb shank with crispy roasted potatoes Rare is a meat-based restaurant that came highly recommended by Marios, one of the twin brothers that own Altana. Our server was very hospitable and really wanted to make sure the food was safe for me. Our server was lovely and explained, that taking care of people with allergies at the restaurant was extremely important, because in Greek culture we always want to take care of people and make sure they have a really good experience here. He made it very clear the whole ebvening he believed in that philosophy! As for the food, My lamb was tender and the potatoes were crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle. Nima was all smiles! The meat was amazing paired with a large glass of red wine. It's very odd for me to choose a meal without any vegetables, as I love them, but this was an incredible dinner after a long day and crazy hike! ATV Rental (Jimmy's ATVs)This was one of our favourite days here! I think it's a great activity for a honeymoon as it was really romantic to explore the city together on a little ATV. I will try and tell the story of this day through our photos. To PsarakiDish: Whole Sea Bass on the grill After exploring the island ATV style, and riding through the windy, winding roads, we felt very hungry! This place was recommended as the best seafood restaurant on the island. It’s right by the water and the patio is between the restaurant and a busy road - so watch out as you're crossing to go inside to pick your fish! After looking at all the glistening fishies, we choose a gorgeous sea bass. They grilled it beautifully, the skin crisp and caramelized. It made it really hard to wait while our server sliced and deboned it right on our table. We enjoyed this with a light white from Santorini. Interesting note: Almost all Santorini wines are white, because they produce mostly white grapes because of their climate! After, we chased the sunset home. We were hoping to make it back to Imerovigli to catch our final sunset in Santorini. It's hard to do simply a food blog in Santorini because of all the incredible vistas and people. We did have one "gluten found" in Santorini, but the owner of the restaurant was so puzzled and apologetic that I decided not to blog about it here. It actually ended up being a lovely night. The owner sat to chat with us for awhile and he even wanted to buy a Nima. Later, to make sure I had enough to eat, Shane went foraging in fig trees and probably found about 40 ripe figs! For those who don't know me, I am pretty much obsessed with them. Anyway, even though I couldn't join at the dinner table, I felt very loved. It’s interesting what travel can do to you. Sometimes it’s a fun trip, sometimes it’s a disaster, and sometimes the experience pushes you into slightly different universe than when you left home. Maybe there is a neat custom you bring into your life. Maybe a foreign way of thinking helps you make new choices. Maybe things fall apart and come back together so magically you now have a greater trust in the whole universe. Home is a little warmer, and at night, the stars seem to hang a little lower, closer your heart. This was one of those trips that changed me. On our honeymoon, with my Nima beside me, for the first time I discovered a culture not only through its history, its landscape and its people, but I could also discover a culture through its FOOD. The thoughtful gestures, discussions and caring attitude from the people there only made my first experience exploring the cuisine while traveling richer. I seem to trust joining people in meals more. Now home, my world is different, days filled with more calm and with more nights at the table, being nourished not just with food, but with more friends, more conversation and more laughter.
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Hydra a dreamy car-free island filled with gorgeous views and lots of donkeys. When learning about the islands, I read so many people visited this island as a day trip and completely fell in love. We decided we had to see the views for ourselves and check out the food scene. There is something very magical about this place. TechnieLocation: Epar.Od. Mandrakiou-Molou, Idra 180 40, Greece. About a 15 minute walk West along the water from the port, near Avlaki Beach. Appetizer: “Dolmadakia”, vine leaves stuffed with rice & herbs, marinated white anchovies, smoked yoghurt, lemon Main Course: Grilled yellowfin tuna niçoise, purple potato, sautéed green beans, olives, cured egg yolk, tomato dressing. Dessert: Sparkling wine and homemade ice cream. I choose pistachio and chocolate! After a day filled with whitewashed buildings, cliffs, historic canons swimming in the Aegean sea and donkey selfies , we wandered up the mountain in search of a few restaurants we had emailed about gluten free meals.
We passed one called Omilos and I really wanted to eat there because of the gorgeous view by the water. However, Shane convinced me to keep trudging up the hill when he pointed out a baby-blue sign that read “Technie, just past the second windmill.” Shane wanted to us to keep climbing. Am I ever glad we did! What followed was one of the most incredible dining experiences of our lives. The cool breeze after a hot day, attentive service, and three Nima tested, Nima approved dishes! Tranquil acoustic remakes of songs we recognized from our childhoods (late 80’s ) only added to the nostalgic paradise vibe. For the food, everything tasted unique and delicious, and the pictures speak for themselves above. Something even more nourishing than the food was the thoughtful, attentive service by our server, Yannis. He was so invested in finding food that was safe for me and in making sure Shane and I had an incredible experience. Here, I was learning about and getting to know the kindness of local people through their food. I was nourished and surprised through Yannis' care for us and through how he included me in the meal like it was nothing. Through this, I felt more satiated than I had in a very long time. Some other Hydra recommendations: Sunset Hydra from the Four Seasons (Location: Hydra 180 40, Greece) and Omilos ( Location: Epar.Od. Mandrakiou-Molou, Idra) also replied thoughtfully to my emails and were confident they could accomodate celiacs and prevent any cross contamination. For a full year, Shane and I planned our gluten-free honeymoon to the Greek Islands. I adore travel, but for the past 20 years, the food piece has always been elusive. I've been fascinated by all the crazy experiences, gorgeous vistas, languages, local people, intriguing customs and new ways of thinking… but the ability to explore the food has always eluded me. My reactions to gluten are severe, and I react to extraordinarily small traces. So, I always did my travel without much food exploration, and wondered sometimes of the special things about food and travel I was missing out on. I think everyone with a severe allergy knows what it's like on trips, family gatherings and holidays. While they are wonderful, the food aspect is always a little stressful and a little sad. I felt somewhat like I was standing outside of everything looking in, knowing it could mean weeks of pain and scary neurological symptoms if I stepped inside and joined in with everyone in the feast. On our honeymoon, with my Nima beside me, I wondered if I was finally going to be able to fully jump into the food aspect of Greek culture. I left Vancouver hoping I would finally get to walk inside, eat ravenously and explore Greece with a calm mind, a settled stomach and a full heart. AthensWe arrived in Athens on the metro at 9:30 am after traveling almost 17 hours! We were lucky (or we were well-researched enough) to be staying for free on points right by the Acropolis and Syntagma Metro station. History, culture and a wide array of food choices kept us engaged the whole time we were there. Shane and I choose to experience mostly Greek food, but I found gluten free options that encompass a whole world of flavours. Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Spanish, italian, Middle Eastern, and all of our recommendations below are all a short walk from the ancient area of Plaka and the Acropolis. All kinds of food adventures live here! Daphne’sLocation : Λυσικράτους 4, Αθήνα 105 58. A 3 minute walk north from the Acropoli metro station (Click the restaurant name to be taken to their website. Click the address to be taken to their google maps location.) Dish : Greek Salad with Feta, Capers and Olives On our first night, jet lagged and sleepy, we wandered into the Plaka. This area is the oldest neighbourhood in Athens and is filled with ancient ruins and winding cobblestone streets. Wandering its narrow alleys we found a softly-lit patio was under a trellis of grape vines, with a gentle saxophone and a scent of olives and grapes in the breeze! While it had the perfect atmosphere for our honeymoon, I had serious doubts about their ability to understand celiac and cross contamination. I showed them my Greek Celiac card and ordered a Greek Salad. I was surprised and elated when Nima came up smile. Athinaikon RestaurantLocation: Mitropoleos 34, Athina 105 63, Greece. Right by Syntagma square and Syntagma Metro station. Dish : Grouper on the Grill (I subbed the stir fried veggies for a Greek Salad. The veggies in Greece are too good!) From the beginning, Athinaikon restaurant was extremely accommodating to my email request for gluten free food. They were enthusiastic about preparing a safe meal for me and wrote that their potatoes have their own fryer and oil, that they have repeat celiac customers, and that they would be very thorough about cleaning any prep areas. The grouper was meaty and delicious and the vegetables were crisp and fresh. The coolest thing though, was when I stood up, I realized there was a clear panel in the floor. The ancient, 5000-year-old city ruins were sitting below our feet! I peered down through the window and wondered about the ancient people that used to wander the streets below. What an incredible way to finish our meal. New Taste RestaurantLocation: 105 57, Φιλελλήνων 16, Αθήνα 105 57. About a 3 minute walk South-West of the Syntagma Metro station. Dish: Beet and Pear Salad With Goat Cheese. We stayed at New Hotel and during a freak thunderstorm, we wandered upstairs to New Taste for some prosecco and food. The service was thoughtful and they understood cross contamination well. Plus, who wouldn’t love the rose-gold and natural touches of the table settings, accented with dark wood pieces and succulents? After the storm subsided, we wandered out top the patio, which features an amazing view of the Acropolis. If there wasn’t so much to explore in Athens I would have been sitting out there gazing at the vast city and Acropolis in the distance all day long. Blue Fish AthensLocation: XPGH+42 Athens, Athina, Greece. 3 minute walk east from the Monastiraki metro station or a 10 minute walk west from Syntagma Metro station Dish: Sea bream infused with a basil olive oil on cardamom carrot puree and avocado cream. This was one of my favourite meals of the entire trip. The patio featured strung lights along the trees of the narrow cobblestone sidewalk and the terrace was lit up just as much by the lights as it was by the history that surrounded us. The ruins and soft yellow glow of Hadrian’s library was right next to the restaurant! As for the service and meal, here we enjoyed the sassiest service of our trip. Our server was extremely witty and funny. The sea bream had a perfectly crispy skin and the sweetness of the carrot cardamom puree along with the creaminess of the avocado puree paired beautifully with the fish. I loved the addition of the infused basil oil on top! Athens honourable mention : Avocado in Plaka has a very large array of gluten free dishes and came highly recommended by many celiacs. I ended up stopping here a few times but because of timing, only had smoothies or juices so I did not use my Nima here. I heard so many great things though, and enjoyed gluten-free vibe of the place so much, that it seems a shame not to give them a mention here. Location: Nikis 30, Syntagma, 105 57 Athens, Greece. About a 4 minute walk West of Syntagma metro station.
Next is Hydra (part two). This was Shane's favourite place! |
AuthorI'm Richelle aka the Tiny Boss. I like to boss around travel and gluten :-) ArchivesCategories |