Erica Leibovici

What to do

Milan, one of the fashion capitals of the world. The main area to visit is the city where you can explore the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the iconic shopping gallery. The gallery features many founding designer shops such as Prada and Gucci. In the city’s heart you’ll also see Duomo di Milano, the famous gothic cathedral. In all, if you have a passion for fashion like me, this is the city for you.

Where to eat gluten free

• Bistro: a cute charming 100% gluten free restaurant with a bakery on the first floor. This place was delicious, they offer breakfast in the morning which we unfortunately didn’t get to try but for lunch/dinner they have a large variety of sandwiches and pasta dishes. I highly recommend their Nutella cheesecake for dessert!
• Pizza Postantino Milano: the best gluten free pizza I ever had in my life and I’ve been celiac since I was 15, I am 24 now so I have tried many. The crust? 10/10 so good I almost had trust issues. They aren’t a fully gluten free restaurant but they use separate ovens plus cooking spaces and they are accredited by the Italian Celiac Association.

What to expect

People are really friendly and will help you out if you need directions. In general there’s a lot of people but not crowded especially in the evening around 7:00pm, everything in the city square is walkable and very easy to navigate. Most restaurants are open for lunch, then close around 12:00pm, then re open for dinner which usually close late perfect for last minute cravings.

What to do

Florence is a fairly small city but there’s still many things to see with their tight passageways, shops and restaurants. The main plaza is Piazza della Signoria, filled with shops, restaurants and stop for gelato where you can walk along the Arno River a beautiful scenic walkway. In the middle of the city you can find the Piazza del Duomo, where you’ll see the beautiful paper like architecture of the famous Duomo and the gates of paradise.

Where to eat gluten free

Florence was definitely a staple for my best friend and I. All these place are all celiac safe so no need to stress.
• Grom: 100% gluten free gelato with a wide variety of flavours.
• Mama eats: has non gluten free food but has a separate kitchen, and everything on the menu can be made gluten free.
• Osterio dello Sgrano: our favourite spot of the trip we came back basically every night. It’s 100% gluten free and they offer a variety of pasta dishes, tartar, sandwiches as well as alcoholic or virgin cocktails for drinks.

What to expect

Everything is walking distance for the most part. A mistake we made was relying on uber to get around, which is difficult with the crowded streets and narrow alleyways, making it not only more time consuming, but it will cost you more in the end. You’re better off renting a scooter or bike if your destination is too far on foot.

What to do

Who says you can’t see Rome in a day? There’s a lot to see and if you’re on a time crunch, I’ve got the itinerary for you. Plan your visit accordingly, best thing to do is get your day started early. For example, check out the Trevi fountain no later than 8:30am before crowds start to from, from my experience it gets full around 9:30am on a weekday. Next, visit the colosseum and explore the Roman Forum and the Palatine hill to learn rich history. Lastly take a guided tour of The Vatican and immerse yourself in art from a variety of historical periods.

Where to eat gluten free

Who would have thought that Italy is one of the safest places for those who have celiac! These are a couple of my highlights.

• La Pasticcia is a small bakery that sells a variety of pastries such as croissants and delicious cream filled donuts.
• 4 Cimarra Pizzeria: they have two separate kitchens one gluten free and one “regular” clearly labeled and all their pasta is gluten free so there is no confusion.

What to expect

Skip the line passes are a life saver as lines form quick and moving very slowly. No matter what time you go there will be a lot of people, this helps ensure you will get to see what you want to see in a timely manner. We were part of a tour pros: you have a guide cons: you have a guide who won’t let you escape, take that as you will.