INDIANA THU
VIAGGI LOW COST, TREKKING
AND VEGAN CUISINE
Trekking lover, tireless walker, vegan, gluten and lactose intolerant but that doesn't stop her! IndianaGio is the blog where Giovanna tells us about her do-it-yourself, low-cost and planned trips down to the smallest detail.
Welcome to Easy Travel Hosting! Could you tell us a little about yourself and how your blog was born?
Hi, I'm Giovanna, and thank you very much for the interview. I dedicated a good part of my life to making art, but in 2007 fate took me away from my country (Romania) and from being an artist.
I have been living in Italy for years now, a country where I had to reinvent myself and where I discovered the passion for travelling. I have been traveling since 2012 when I met Carlo, the perfect partner, with whom, every time we have a day off, I set off to’ adventure.
The idea for the blog came to me in 2020 during the lockdown. I have always liked writing and, having documented everything since our first trip, the transition from pen to keyboard was quite quick.
The aim is to be an example to those of us who like to travel and explore new destinations. The blog talks about low-cost and do-it-yourself trips (organized down to the smallest detail) and about nature, given that we are big trekking enthusiasts. Furthermore, it is aimed at those like me who are vegan or have food intolerances.
You have chosen a vegan diet and discovered that you are lactose and gluten intolerant. Is it difficult to find places to eat while traveling or do you find that the choice of restaurants and in general of food suitable for your diet is growing almost everywhere?
When I started traveling I was only vegan and this never created any problems for me. Without too many pretensions, wherever I went, I always found something to eat.
But then gluten and lactose intolerance arrived and everything became more complicated. At the beginning, being vegan and gluten intolerant traveling around the world created a bit of difficulty for me because I wasn't prepared. I managed to overcome this challenge by continuing to travel and taking advantage of my experiences.
Now, before leaving, I do a lot of research on places to go and I always leave with a few packs of bread and biscuits in my backpack, I choose accommodation with a kitchen and, despite being on holiday, I continue to cook.
If years ago veganism and intolerances were almost a taboo, today fortunately something has started to move and they are no longer taboo. There are many restaurateurs scattered around the world who in their small way are trying to change things and, it may seem strange, but I found more choice in the places where I least expected it.
Of course you have to be careful and always ask because, even if you start to find gluten-free products everywhere, unfortunately the doubt remains that there may be contamination.
We saw the articles on Norway in winter, a road itinerary with wonderful landscapes. Could you tell us about it?
The trip to Norway, especially the part of isolate Lofoten, it was one of the best we've ever done.
The Lofoten Islands are truly unique. To explore them we rented a car which allowed us to be more free to move around and hunt for the Northern Lights at any time.
I think Lofoten is the kind of destination that enchants whatever season you visit, but in winter they are special and the landscapes have something unreal. Just stay on the E10, the road that connects the fishing villages, to enjoy the beauty of the islands.
Obviously driving there in winter is not so easy, because the weather conditions can often change from sunshine to snowstorm in an instant. In six days we managed to see the most important villages, several beaches and of course the Northern Lights which brought out the little girl in me.
I think this destination should be on every traveler's bucket list.
What do you do to make your travels greener?
Having been born in a communist country, it was obligatory, at home, to be careful of waste of all kinds, and today I still carry this habit with me.
Obviously, even when traveling I follow the same habits that I have at home: I am careful about waste, I try to separate waste, I use biodegradable things as much as possible, I eat vegan and preferably organic, I try to avoid disposable objects, I choose ecological hosts where possible, I rely a lot on digital instead of paper and I never leave home without my friend, the water bottle.
Unfortunately, taking the plane doesn't help the environment, but I try to redeem myself by relying a lot on public transport and also on my legs; in fact for me walking 20 km in one day is almost normal on holiday.
What I do is certainly little, but all it takes is for each of us to try to do something and together we can change the world.
Easy Travel Hosting thanks Giovanna so much for taking part in our interview.
If you want to find out more, you can follow her on her website by clicking here.
And on social media too!
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