July 29, 2013

A review - Hotel/Restaurant Hofgarten Luzern, Switzerland

Here's a secret: I love to eat. I also love breakfast. Since I went gluten free it is difficult to find a breakfast place in my lovely hometown of Luzern. It's always been a tradition of my friends and I to go out for brunch or just breakfast. However, I had become a sad camper about this tradition of ours since most places just offer regular bread and nothing else and nothing for my tiny problem. This changed when we rediscovered a place that made it all fun again. Hotel/Resturant Hofgarten.


Years ago we often ate here and then our paths parted for unknown reasons. A few years ago we decided to go back and try our brunch on Sundays again. Now, imagine you are two girls who are off during a regular week day and want to have brunch. Hofgarten is one of the very few places offering just that. Hofgarten also offers gluten free bread (whether or not the bakery next doors makes it, it was given to us at no addicitonal cost, thank you!). Yes, it is currently at CHF 30 per person which somewhat equals to $30 a person. Typical Swiss prices but it is an all-you-can-eat buffet with coffee, tea, chocolate, milk, juices, bread, cereal, cheese, cold cut meat, nuts, yogurt, fruit salad, and even scrambled eggs, omelette, sunny-side ups, bacon, ham and what not. Plus, it was a brunch/breakfast buffet during the week too. Remember that. Normally you can't get such a buffet unless it's a weekend. It was a win-win situation.

Guess who enjoyed a hot breakfast with gluten free bread, lots of coffee, cheese, nuts, yogurt and yummy jam today?! Me! I also went with my friend and her newborn. As always we enjoyed ourselves. 


If you live in Luzern or happen to travel through or to this lovely city and you look for a non-touristy place to eat (even for lunch or dinner it is amazing by the way), and you don't mind spending a little extra to get the service you deserve then I would recommend Hofgarten in Luzern. The staff is very nice and professional which I - with my hotel/restaurant background and experience - value and appreciate. In all the years I have gone to Hofgarten I never left disappointed.

I call this place the little hidden gem in this town. Sometimes people don't think of it right away and I just have to smile. It's exactly places like these that make me love the hospitality industry again. And when I find a place I really like I also try to sit down and share it with you all. 


Photo sources: Hotel/Restaurant Hofgarten

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July 27, 2013

The Time I Cheated and Learned My Doctor Failed At

My mom just thought being gluten intolerant consist of not eating anything with wheat flour in it. Well, yes, my dear mom and whoever is not familiar with this dietary intolerance, it indeed is that and so much more.

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale which is a cross between wheat and rye. It makes plenty of people sick. It's been a blessing to read and find people who are struggling with this silly thing called gluten. One of my best friends is gluten intolerant as well, so we are the happy crazy girls trying stuff and helping each other out when we are about to fail and reach for a regular donut.<br>

Today, there's tons available that is gluten free; from pasta, bread, cereal, cookies, sauces, chips, make-up (yes yes!!!), and drinks. What is comfort food for you when you eat a donut or go to your favorite Italian restaurant three corners down your street is pure horror to others. I'm only intolerant and have to deal with stomach aches, bloating, gas (hello, sexy!), constipation, a very pregnant-looking belly, headaches, dizziness or an off-balance feeling, fatigue, and facial outbreaks. I am okay with my gluten free pizza at Pieology being touched by the same gloves that touched a regular non-gluten free pizza a few seconds earlier. However, I know a few people cannot even have that. No bueno.


As you know, this is new to me and I'm okay so far. I've had my issues in the beginning and still deal with occasional difficulties to find stuff or places for the past two months in Switzerland that are more open to it but I'm doing okay. I learned that my lovely Luzern is actually really narrow-minded when it comes to this and needs to face the fact that this is happening. Not just for my sake, for plenty others out there. Other cities in Switzerland are a little more open to the gluten free diet. Other countries as well. Germany was a freaking blessing you won't believe it. So I cannot wait until I land in lovely California again...the land/state that allows me to go out to a restaurant and actually ask for a gluten free menu. YAY.

Anyways, I simply digress.
What I wanted to share with you is that I failed following a strict gluten free diet here in Europe. There, I admit it. Finally. I mean, imagine food you haven't eaten in a year or even half a year which your body and mind had been longing for. Just imagine it. Those food items instantly remind you of fond childhood memories you want to hold on a little longer. But, what if you can't have any food your body and mind so desperately looked forward to? It blows. BIG TIME.

So, I cheated. And yes, I failed. As much as I enjoyed the taste in my mouth and how I felt eating my beloved food I wrestled with the consequences. Once I stayed in bed for two days. I was walking around as if I had morning sickness 24/7. It wasn't worth it. Clearly, I had to stop my childhood memories from wanting to come back to me when it came to food and I simply had to say good-bye and move on.



I broke up with my temptations.
I researched, and also found out that my Swiss Doctor failed to find out that I had this allergy. For years I had been struggling with constant dizziness, fatigue, nausea, constipation, and what not. For years I was treated for low blood iron which yes, I had too. But when the dizziness etc didn't stop we checked and found my iron to be perfect. So, my lovely Swiss Doc? Did I really have to go to my US Doc and learn about my intolerance to gluten? I think I did.

So my lovelies, this is my quick story...my way to vent, and my way to accept who I am with or without allergies. I may have cheated on gluten once or twice or maybe even four times, but I won't ever do this again. Ever. It's not worth it and it hurts.

I will certain think before I eat or come close to temptations. Then again, my friend in CA is waiting for me so she can scold me for my misbehavior. ;) LOL

If you want to see recipes, here's a blogger who just recently learned she's not only gluten but also dairy intolerant. So far Kristen is really trying to make her new diet fun, edible, and doable - looks like she's doing a great job. 

Have a fun and safe weekend everyone.
Any plans?


I will be staying home mostly. It's going to be close to 100 degrees and it's not going to be fun here. No AC and all. Yikes.


xoxo

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July 26, 2013

It's HOT!

Switzerland isn't really known to have sizzling hot summers. They are usually around 75 to maximum 80 degrees on a very hot summer day. This has changed over the past ten years. Blame global warming or whatever. It's happening. We all notice. It's happening all over the world. The changes here are as follows: 1) it's either very very rainy and cold, like what was happening since March until mid-June. 50 degrees and constant rain isn't fun. Or 2) it's so hot you just want to rip your skin off. The latter is happening right now. 

It's been so hot it's not even funny. California and other states, cities and what not may have had a heatwave too (and I'm just speaking US now) but heck, you guys have ACs most of the time (with a few exceptions I know). There's no AC here. There's no draft or wind or whatever here. At least not now and if there is we are usually not standing there because well, we don't know where that draft or wind actually occurs. If you were wondering if we had fans...yes we do. They usually just create more dust and muggy air.

So, without further ado...it's hot, and all I want to do is sit by my imaginary pool and relax. Or walk around in a fluffy dress.

Happy Friday my lovelies.
Hope you are having a cooler day and are enjoying ice cream or a cool drink. In a fluffy dress of course. :)

hot day outfit



Positano by Jean Paul floral print dress / Jane Norman dress / Ancient greek sandals / Jigsaw jute tote /
Ray-Ban gold glasses / Columbia hat / Hawaiian Tropic sun care / Essie nail color /


Linking up with Long Distance Loving.

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July 24, 2013

Impossible by James Arthur

I'm not a huge fan of reality shows *yes, I know* but I watch them occasionally when I'm too lazy to switch channels or think. I'm also not a huge fan of music/sing/talent shows such as The Voice, American Idol, X-Factor, you name it. It's just not my thing. Not saying they are bad. I just don't feel the need to watch them every time I have a free second to watch television. However, I have to admit I watch The Voice (US version) because of obvious reasons *hello, Adam - engaged or not*. I have to admit that much. Europe has always had the same or similar shows, and they were okay. The UK is known to have more shows than other countries and yes, when I am in Europe and there's nothing on TV or I feel sick to my stomach or something I will switch to an English channel and watch a talent show. 

This summer, our local radio station plays one song quite often. I love it. So much, I have to turn the volume up. Crazy, I know. Well, it's James Arthur's version of Impossible. He won the X-Factor UK in 2012 with this and oh boy, I'm hooked. Shontelle's version has always been one I admired but James' ? I can feel the pain, the despair, and well, the love.

You be the judge. Which version do you think is better?




Linking up with Shanna with her weekly Random Wednesday!


July 23, 2013

Lately!

My lovelies,

As I am trying to soak up everything there is in my last two weeks in Europe I'm going to be busy organizing and arranging things. It's going to be a hectic but also a good time. So I thought I'd update you on a few things that happened over the past week, and weekend. And what better way to show you in pictures? :)

pink pants c/o Koton, grey blouse c/o Yargici, scarf c/o Old Navy, shoes c/o Rieker

This is one of my favorite outfits. :) And since I love to combine old items with newer ones I was in heaven when I found the polka dotted scarf I bought years ago. Matched perfectly.







Never mind the glasses or my funky smile. No idea what we laughed about but my friend and I had a blast with my camera...and it somehow made us giggle like little school girls. ;)





Well, if you are in Switzerland and you aren't going to visit Luzern, then part of your trip wasn't schedule right. Haha! A walk over the famous wooden bridge and a view over the water to the mountains is just awesome every time I see it. 








My quick trip to Germany was fun. I love Freiburg. It's bigger than Luzern but doesn't have that big city feel. Even though I'm a big city lover I love smaller towns that let me wander around for hours. I had my milk coffee and fruit/yogurt for snack time. Glad I'm not lactose intolerant.


Pink and black are my colors. They go with everything. And since it's warmed up in Europe it was time for me to paint my nails. By warming up I mean whatever my fellow Californians had in June with extreme heat is rolling into central Europe now. It's been hot for days, and it's getting hotter over the weekend. I love the heat, BUT, no AC kinda sucks and doesn't make it pleasant. Wish us luck.


It's July in Luzern and this means it's Blue Balls Festival again. All kind of artists domestic and international come to my hometown and bring out little place here a little funk, jazz, soul and what not. It's a very musical time and I love it. I wish I could have gotten tickets for Damien Rice or a German Group but oh well...I survive by not going. Or, I'm lucky and win those tickets?! Fingers crossed.
That's the view from our music hall overlooking the crowds and lake. Just beautiful, no?!

So yes, that's about it for right now. It's been hot, it's been fun at times also boring. However, I will miss this place dearly. I'm packing already. By doing so I'm already putting a lot of pressure on me, my body gets nervous and I'm automatically scared for what is to come in the next few months. I will be fine. I always have been. I just hate the whole travel part. Once I'm there I'll be fine. That much I know about me. 

Hope you are doing well.
Excuse me while I am a little busy here.
Besides, I gotta enjoy every second of this city while I can, right?

xoxo

July 19, 2013

Istanbul Recap #4

This is my last recap of lovely and fascinating Istanbul, the city that lies on two continents. There are moments that I don't even realize how lucky I am having spent time there or just having the opportunity to call that city home as well. It's so surreal at times. I enjoyed my time in Istanbul this summer, and as I am happily back in Central Europe I'm also looking forward to California again. Can you keep you at all?!

So, while I am wrapping up my summer break and start to pack for my return to California here's a few last photos that sum up my trip to Istanbul. With its ongoing struggle and protests (what is up with all those protests anyways this summer?!), it is still my favorite place to be.




I am never a tourist in this city and yet I discover new places and cafes each time I visit. Walking through the bazaar felt incredibly funny. Last time I did that was maybe ten years ago?! I don't even remember. Seeing all those gold and silver jewelry available to buy made me feel like a kid again that is looking at all the Christmas lights sparkling and glowing in the dark. Well, no need to be a kid I still jump up and down when it's Christmas time. But I digress. The above photos are all mine. It cannot get more random. My favorite? The cat, no doubt.

Below you see a random collection of photos that were available on the world wide web for everyone to see. I experienced a few of these scenarios too. I'm both, proud and disgusted. From thousands to millions trying to walk on the freeways at night to cross the bridge (which then got closed), to police forcefully entering a hotel that helped the injured and the tired, to random people standing in the middle of a sidewalk protesting in silence. This pretty much sums my Istanbul experience up.







It was one of the best experiences I had in Istanbul. I'm by no means pro protests and fighting but when it is time to say something and to change something or to hinder something bad to happen for a country that has worked hard to becoming what it is today then I am very much pro protesting and standing up for what one thinks is right. Just in the most friendly ways of course. Even though not much has been discussed in the news about the protests lately, don't be fooled. They are still going on.

To wrap my recap sessions up, here's a collage I just adore. This woman in black has become one of the ultimate symbols of the protests in Istanbul and all over Turkey. She just stood, and the police decided to start the water. If you go against someone friendly who just stands around then let me welcome you with open arms! It may look like nothing but we only see these photos. The ones that followed these are worse, and really, do we wanna see them?


Read also:
Istanbul Recap # 1
Istanbul Recap # 1.5
Istanbul Recap # 2
Istanbul Recap # 3

We should not forget Egypt, Syria, Brazil, and every other country fighting for democracy, for order, for a better living, and for peace. And yes, let's not forget what injustice has been changing our gigantic country as well. Gosh, why?! What is up with all these protests.

xoxo

Friday Fancies - Sandals!

Happy Friday everyone.
I've been wrestling with my allergies (what is wrong this season? Europe, you're not nice to me), my continuous and irritable gluten intolerance, and the fact that I have to pack my belongings again and fly back to California. Sigh. However, today is a good day. Not only will I go out and enjoy the warm weather in a dress (!!!), but I will also see a friend of mine and her newborn. Cannot wait.

Before I am going to enjoy this weekend, I'm linking up with long distance loving and her weekly Friday Fancies. This week's theme is all about sandals. It's summer, it's warm, and let's be honest we all love them. ;) I simply couldn't just show you one pair, I had to go with a few. Enjoy.


Sandals


Uniqlo linen shirt/ Topshop skinny jeans / Ankle wrap flat / Rupert Sanderson flat sandals / Toe post sandals / Birkenstock footwear / Sam Edelman leather shoes / DV by Dolce Vita silver sandals / Red sandals / Gold necklace / Ray-Ban lens case / pureDKNY floral perfume / Essie / Austique Sandals Neon Pink


Have a fabulous weekend, lovelies. Having any fun plans?
Thanks for stopping by and hello new followers!!!

xoxo

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July 18, 2013

Quote Of The Day #8


{via}

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau 



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July 17, 2013

Ocean Love

Living in California made me fall in love with the ocean. There's really no explanation worthy of my words and your thoughts that would ever describe how I feel when I hear the waves clash or when I sit in the sand looking out on the endless horizon in front of me. It's like me living a different life in that particular moment, or just me feeling at peace, or me simply finding tranquility amidst the regular craziness in my life. 


So, today, while walking home from my eye appointment holding my free vanilla latte in hand (screw the gluten free stuff) my iPod randomly picked songs that were either titled something with ocean, water, sea, drown or something in that category. It's a gloomy and hot day today so listening to songs that reminded me of California and the ocean made me smile. People probably thought I was nuts walking around with a huge smile on my face but I did not care.

A drop in the ocean  
A change in the weather  
I was prayin that you and me might end up together  
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert 
But I'm holding you closer than most, cause you are my heaven

by Ron Pope - A Drop in the Ocean


Lately, I'm on a listen-to-all-kinds-of-music kind of trip. It's nice. I rediscovered my old CDs from when I was in junior high all girlie loving boy bands, and hanging posters up in my old room of heartthrobs of all kinds of bands. I found those CDs and laughed hard. I no longer am a teenager and I no longer fall head over heals for artists I see on posters and wish to put those posters on my walls. I am a grown up woman loving good lyrics, beats and sounds. 
 
So lately especially yesterday and today, I'm on a Jay Ollero kick. If you haven't heard of him you are missing out. How I heard of him? I met him and he gave me his CD. Personally. Really, I'm not kidding here. I simply didn't mind. Maybe he wanted to get rid of his CD after a concert and handed it to me and my two friends but oh boy, his music isn't ''mediocre" as he called it himself that night. Nope. It's different, yes, but that makes it special and in my opinion perfect and quite fantastic. My favorite song so far? 
Drown. Of course it's got an ocean theme in there somehow.

Yeah you took me by surprise
Caught up in the rising tide
Lost at sea no coast in sight
I'm terrified

And I've got nowhere to hide

Love is deep like an ocean
And your waves throw me around
Hurts my heart when we're apart
 Feels like, feels like I'm gonna drown
 
 
So, Jay, if you ever read this...know that we are glad we met you and got your awesome CD. Thank you!

Linking up with Random Wednesday

July 15, 2013

Monday Morning Gossip - What a Weekend

My lovelies,

What can I say? Life is short. Life is precious. Life is everything and nothing at the same time. For every one of us life means something else. Though, once it is lost it will not return. Even if it did it would not be in the same form. This weekend has been a complete mess. And my weekend usually starts Fridays whether or not I am traveling through Europe. It was a long mess.

I for once had to turn the TV off. News of people getting killed, fighting, protesting, and what not made me simply sad. I later on turned it back on to watch DVDs that lifted me up. Best idea ever!

Health issues in my family hit my emotional levels pretty hard. And, I learned things over the past month about my family I'd rather not know. I'm appalled, shocked, impressed that it took so long for the truth to come out, and just mad. All these feelings came back this weekend it was like an avalanche rolling down from nowhere. I know now why I am the way I am today. Take this as a good thing!

I also turned off twitter and facebook mostly during the day. Good idea. No retweets and updates from my lovely people all over the world, nothing from news channels, and nothing from my dear friends. I needed a break. I slept in and for once it felt like a good idea at that time.

However, when you open your phone early in the morning because you can't sleep all night and get hit with texts, twitter and facebook updates you know something's not right. Florida disappointed big time (sorry but that's just a ridiculous verdict and just a whole lot of crap! - sorry); that was one big news. The first big news wasn't even fully processed by that time. Cory Monteith's death wasn't exactly something I wanted to read at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning after a very intense, uncomfortable, and weird night with hardly any sleep (won't disclose why but hey, got to keep some stuff private here as well). I thought I didn't read his name right but turned out I did. Crap it.

He'll be missed by many.
And that's how I remember him, with sunglasses.


And if the weekend didn't already start badly...I got sick Sunday. Bet it's a 24h-thing. Stayed home all day in my pj's contemplating about life, love, family, the future, and well, sadly also death. It was a weekend not to remember.

Hope your weekend was better, and if not, let's hope this week is going to rock our socks. At least I will get new glasses and have a fabulous Japanese Dinner Date with my Japanese aunt on Wednesday. Cannot wait. Something good has to happen.


Linking up with Leeann over at Join The Gossip.
You should too!

xoxo


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July 12, 2013

Have you made your appointment?

This post is for all the women out there reading this, knowing the topic I'm about to address, not thinking about a.k.a ignoring it, for those women who will be reminded daily that life is precious and glorious, for those who have lost someone, for those who are about to lose someone, for those who have lost the battle and for everyone else around these women who are struggling, living, breathing, laughing, crying, worrying, hating, and simply thinking about it. I'm talking about cancer. More importantly breast cancer.


When I was little I never thought about this topic. I was a little girl living life and enjoying little things like blossoms or bubbles in the air. My grandma's neighbor was a friendly and such a great person I saw and visited often. I also dog-sat her dogs. I loved her dogs. Then that friendly lady got sick, had to go to the hospital quite often and ended up in bed in her apartment. Alone. I visited. I was barely 8 I think. She looked fragile but strong. And one day, she left the world and said her good-bye's. She had cancer. That word was new to me, but I understood that cancer meant something bad. Something that was beyond my imagination. I was 8 and soon enough thought of those bubbles and blossoms again. Life continued.

When I was 13 I met one of my dearest friends. We were similar and yet very different. She had a brother and parents. I only had my mom. One day she told me that she couldn't play with me because she needed to stay home and then visit her mom in the hospital. I asked why and she said her mom had breast cancer. There it was again. That word. Just this time it was more specific. A few weeks later I asked her how her mom was and she said that she felt much better and was ready to come home. A year had passed. In the meantime I met my friend's mom. She was such a fun person. She was a role model. Then when I was 15 I walked home with my friend. We both had our school books under our arms. It was a beautiful day in October that allowed us to wear short sleeves. My friend seemed quieter but cheerful. She then mentioned that her mom wasn't doing well at the moment. I knew why.

The year I turned 16 I was invited to my friend's confirmation process of her church. It was an honor for me to get invited to a church I didn't even belong to. So I went. Her whole family was there. We had a blast, and took photos. It was a gorgeous early spring day. Just beautiful. What we didn't know then was that the camera we took was broken and those non-digital photos didn't turn out at all. Just a few were okay. We were sad. Silly old cameras we had back then. What we also didn't know was that this spring was the last spring my friend's mom would experience. She died within a year. My friend was just barely 16 when she lost her mom to breast cancer. My life stood still for a moment.


This is a topic that some of us take too lightly. This is a topic some of us just ignore. Though I remind my friend every single year that she must go see her doctor and get herself checked. She may be fine, but she may not be entirely. You never know. You will simply never ever know. But a check and a tiny bill later is nothing compared to losing a life or a breast, or even two.

Today I learned that yet another lovely, strong and brave woman I know is struggling. Not for the first time, and definitely not for the last time either but she is struggling. It reminded me that life is precious. And it doesn't even have to be because I am a woman, or because I knew someone that lost her battle, or because I saw my friend and her brother growing up without a motherly hand next to them, or because I know bloggers who have dealt with this topic. It is because it is part of who we are. Female or Male (yes, guys get their cancer too...they are even worse at checking their bodies than girls are!!). It is life. It is us. And, it is important to remember it all.

I am not a huge fan of Mother's Day, or Valentine's Day and all those special days and months we should remember and walk for or write about or what not. Because Mother's Day should be every day, Valentine's Day should be every day, and breast cancer awareness month should be every single day. Same goes for HIV/AIDS, MS, the blind, the deaf, child abuse, verbal abuse, and anything and everything else we fight for, walk for, write about, think about, write cards for, buy flowers for, and go out for lunches or dinners. 

With this topic today I want to address every one of you out there. Whether or not this hits home for you, do not ignore this topic. Do not think it won't happen to you. Do not think it's nothing. Because it is something. It is something big.

Today, I wanted to write this because once again I was reminded that life is precious.
Maybe this topic hit me when I witnessed an accident today, or when my Godmother talked about her radiation and operations, and what not. Maybe it was because we talked about that lovely, strong and brave person I mentioned above who lost her toe and breast and all that jazz. She hasn't lost the battle, and she hasn't lost hope and strength. Not yet. Not this year. Not ever. Maybe it's because all this today got finally in my head and finally told me to tell you. Maybe it's a combination of every single thing that happened this past week, maybe it's the weather, maybe it's my being at my mom's and my knowing I will leave Europe soon to be back in California. Maybe it's nothing at all. It was just time to tell you that little story, with my writing skills my professor loved so much. Or maybe it was just time to write it all out.

And since this is my Crazy Little World I thought I'd address this now. And not tomorrow.

I also just texted my friend, making sure she didn't forget to make an appointment.

Have you made yours?


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July 11, 2013

Quote Of The Day #7

{via}


Sometimes life is just a shit-sandwich. - Arlene (on True Blood)

***

I simply couldn't agree more.
Let's paint a rainbow then...it'll be better after.

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July 9, 2013

The gluten rant

Holy Cow people.

It is very hard. It's harder than I thought, and it's unfair.
When you start a diet, whether out of free will or involuntarily, then you always know that you will hit a wall. You just do. You have to give up something in order to feel leaner, better, and healthier. Well, going gluten free wasn't my choice. At first it was because I had to find out what bothered me for so many years. Then it turned out to be an intolerance towards anything with wheat, barley, rye, and malt in it. Lovely. So, gluten free it is.


In California I had my troubles but soon learned that pretty much every restaurant offers a gluten free menu, most grocery stores have sections offering gluten free food, and you can easily get around the whole gluten trouble.

In Istanbul/Turkey it was easier than I thought. Lots of dishes are bread-like, but also, most of them are made from corn flour. My heart was so happy. However, there were times I just didn't know or couldn't know whether one dish was made from corn or "regular" flour. I ate it anyways, and usually paid the sad price. :( Their grocery stores and sections were labeled and I found my necessarily food easily.

In Switzerland?! OHMYGOSH. Not so much. My aunt was like ''oh yeah, there's a lot available at this and this grocery store and easily labeled". Ehhmmm. Not so much my dear readers. First of all, there's not a lot available. Granted, maybe compared to ten years ago there's a lot now. However, there's still not enough. AND, where did the easily labeled part come from?
They advertised so much saying it is called this and that (freeform in one grocery store, aha in another for example) but holy cow it's not easily visible or labeled. I mean, if you enter a grocery store and you MUST LOOK FOR SPECIFIC DIETARY ITEMS you gotta find those quick because everything else is there in full bulk available for every other soul but if you need something that will help you stay healthy and ache free and you advertise it so greatly then please, for all the people out there, label it so we can see. 


Needless to say I'm disappointed. For a country that claims to be modern and clearly helps thousands of people from all over the world with whatever means (may it be money, food, medical treatments, or heck even asylum) then please move your lazy butt for once and help your own people in your own darn country. I don't want to pay $12 for flour, nor do I want to pay $10 for spaghetti - in a clearly labeled bio/organic store that sells overpriced stuff anyways. I just don't. That is why you started offering gluten free items in "regular" grocery stores. I don't want to pay $4 either because, yes I know, gluten free is special and special always costs more. But for the love of health and stomach aches, make it possible for it all to be somewhere in between $4 and $9. $6 would be preferable, clearly. I'd pay even $4.50. Ha! I wish.
Don't get me started on the restaurants. That would be a whole other story and I just want to cry thinking about it. So I let it be at that.

So, my little rant for today is I think over.

Clearly, I am not used to this. Ha, and I knew prices were higher, but for heaven's sake label items or sections. I found one store I never go to and they have a tiny section that's beautifully labeled. Their prices were WOW but the labels were fun. Going to a regular store, well, those labels are hardly visible. And if I see food I want to eat but can't...well, then I see labels with a huge image of wheat on the package. It's like looking at a blog post with a blurry background image of wheat. Interesting. At least I know what I'm missing out on.

Just fantastic.
Thanks for rubbing it in.

I clearly needed that.

xoxo

P.s. This is a scheduled post. I'm still in Germany. I'll be back soon.


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