Being a Vegetarian on holiday

Spendless

Doshwaster wrote: »

If that's going to be a problem that that means avoiding almost everywhere in Asia (apart from Japan and major cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore) as plumbing can be very basic or sometimes non-existant. It may seem yucky to start with but you soon get used to it.

I'm not thinking of Asia for next year's holidays, more somewhere mainland Europe.

maman wrote: »

I think your experience of Greece may be somewhat out of date if it's anything like my experience in Turkey.


When I first travelled to Turkey over 25 years ago we were lectured by the Rep. about toilet paper but I don't think it happens now. They do put small bins in bathrooms but I think that's just from habit. I'm talking about a tourist resort. If you travel further afield like rural bus stations, for example, then the Turkish Toilet (squat version) is more common but I've experienced those on French motorways too!


I'd suggest you book one of the many luxurious villas/apartments with pools that are available and eat out most evenings. Turkish restaurants always have detailed menu boards outside and much of their food is cooked from scratch so will make changes if asked. They're very customer focused.

The conversation I had with the Greek man about it was in 2002. I was haivng an op in hospital, his Mum was having one in the next room. He told me of how the plumbing can be, due to the rock formation below the ground . I can believe that some hotels have overcome this (Saniflo maybe?) I have IBS so sometimes I just 'have' to go and putting soiled tissue into a bin just isn't something that appeals.

I agree that going self catering would solve most of the vegetarian issues, however DD said she'd really enjoyed the holiday in a hotel we'd had in Spain a few years ago (only type of hol we've done like this) as she met friends of her own age, also staying there. I was hoping we could do something like this again.

Bettie wrote: »

In America they have Italian Hard Cheese and call it Parmesan and it can be vegetarian.
I went to the Amsterdam cheese shop and they couldn't offer me one veggie cheese and told me none of the restaurants use it. On a cruise ship all the cheese had animal rennet. If I go abroad now I ask for vegan so I don't have to worry about cheese. Wherever you eat it's down to staff knowledge.
Sadly even top chefs can be ignorant on vegetarian foods.:(

I wasn't aware of this but in a place that was struggling to understand I didn't want a meat option on it, I doubt that many would have enough product knowledge to tell me how the cheese had been made

Spendless

littlereddevil wrote: »

I am vegetarian and have travelled the world many times with no problems. I've never had a problem in Florida finding stuff to eat.

Sorry, missed you off when quoting. We were in Orlanda and visiting the tourist attractions there. At the theme parks there was often no vegetarian alternative and we had to search for the place that did the cheese and tomato pizza option. Once we went to the place listed as doing fries. Every single one was a loaded with meat, no vegetarian alternative.

On a few occassions, we went out for breakfast. At a buffet breakfast the baked beans aren't vegetarian, something you'd not think about here, there they are with pork. Another time out for breakfast, there was no veggie option if you didn't wish to have pancakes and syrup. On that occassions as you could purchase additional items, we asked for just eggs and hash browns. A chinese buffet which I'd also thought would give more veggie options, turned out to be very meat and fish centric. I think DD ended up eating a plate of fries with the cheese and tomato pizza they were also serving.

We went one night to Ponderosa and just paid for DD to have the buffet, but I asked if there was any veggie option from their main board to add, in the way, we 3 meat eaters were having and there wasn't.

Carmen

melanzana wrote: »

If you ever go to Cork, you have to go to Paradiso (Denis Cotter's place), look it up. Divine, even though I am not veggie. Cork is lovely also!

In Dublin there is just SO MUCH CHOICE, but Govindas, Cornucopia, and Blazing Salads are those I would recommend for reasonably cheap and cheerful veggie food... for Dublin!

Hope you enjoy Ireland.

Ditto, my veggie friend returned from Cork today and she was amazed how many veggie options were there 👍
I plan to go there soon and check it out.

I have never been to Turkey, but have always found veggie food on turkish restaurants menus.
France unfortunately do not really understand vegetarian food, yet!
Greece I did find more difficulty, but that was many years ago!
India is a veggie paradise, but a long way to go just for your daughter to eat veggie food 🤔
Good luck

Petethespider

Turkey is fantastic for vegetarian food. I'm not vegetarian but choose not to eat meat whenever it's at all possible, and in Turkey it's possible

I don't even particularly like vegetables, but the Turkish style of cooking is just so flavoursome. I think I've read somewhere they have a different recipe for aubergines for every day of the year

Re the loos. If you book in to a brand new purpose built resort then the toilets are fine. Book into somewhere like marmaris, bodrum etc, and the loo paper goes in the bin provided. It's not as messy as it sounds as all the loos have a bidet. You toilet, rinse, then wipe so the paper is basically clean before hitting the bin and the bins are changed daily. The only time I have come across squat toilets with no alternatives , were in bus stations in remote areas. All modern service stations have both squat and western loos

Seriously give Turkey a thought Is does span both Europe and Asia, best of both worlds

pollypenny

GwylimT wrote: »

Parmesan is not vegetarian.

It's vegetarian, but not vegan, as it's not flesh.

I don't see rennet as bring any different from milk, from which all cheese is made,

Bettie

pollypenny wrote: »

It's vegetarian, but not vegan, as it's not flesh.

I don't see rennet as bring any different from milk, from which all cheese is made,

I can't agree on that one.
They slaughter a new born calf, take part of the stomach and it makes rennet that sets the cheese.

benjus

Spendless wrote: »

I'm not thinking of Asia for next year's holidays, more somewhere mainland Europe.

Even in parts of Europe it's fairly common not to permit flushing of toilet paper. I was in Portugal last weekend and the place we stayed (which was not cheap and cheerful) had that rule. I think it was also the case in Crete earlier this year, although I can't really remember - it doesn't really bother me. You can always try to find a place with a bidet in the bathroom if it really bothers you.

kathrynha

Bettie wrote: »

I can't agree on that one.
They slaughter a new born calf, take part of the stomach and it makes rennet that sets the cheese.

That's traditional rennet. These days veggie rennet is cheaper, so most mass-produced cheese is fine.

Bettie

kathrynha wrote: »

That's traditional rennet. These days veggie rennet is cheaper, so most mass-produced cheese is fine.

We are talking about Parmesan. In Europe it HAS to be made the traditional way to be labelled Parmesan. In America it is not the case.
You cannot buy Parmesan in the UK that is not made with calf rennet.

kathrynha

Bettie wrote: »

We are talking about Parmesan. In Europe it HAS to be made the traditional way to be labelled Parmesan. In America it is not the case.
You cannot buy Parmesan in the UK that is not made with calf rennet.

And a lot of places in this country don't use proper parmesan, but cheaper alternatives, and most places in Europe have their own local cheeses that are similar