Taking flight!

Friday afternoon saw me taking a Ryanair flight from Leeds to Pisa. As soon as we boarded I was handed a menu card which, unbelievably, had a good selection of vegetarian snacks. Yes there were the usual pop and sweets and crisps and buns along with a host of hot and cold beverages but, on this occasion, I was not limited to a tube of Pringles and a Kit Kat. This menu offered croissants, cereals and porridge for the morning traveller, two vegetarian snack packs, olives, nuts, two flatbreads, patatas bravas, mozzarella sticks, salad, oven chips, ratatouille with fusilli and a panini. All the food had clear labelling and, in fact, the patatas bravas and snack packs did not have the v-sign, so was very useful.

 

The menu card had this Andy Warhol cartoon type figure and encouraged us to "use call bell to order at any time!" What service!

For a low-cost airline I would agree; definitely a spiffing selection!

Several years ago on a flight to Špain my pre-booked veggie meal was nabbed by someone else. Sure, Spain isn't exactly long-haul but if I don't have food I tend to suffer a travel migraine (as demonstrated on my birthday last year with the infamous birthday barf whilst trying to locate the villa!) The stewardess was very apologetic but could offer nothing vegetarian. She did, in fact, kindly give me an apple from her own locker.

Airport and airline food can be tricky. Even last year when delayed at Barcelona airport the poster in the cafe read "healthy Mediterranean veggie paninis" but was actually with chicken and bacon! 

Of course these obstacles can pale into insignificance compared to actually trying to get a veggie meal abroad ... but those stories can wait until another time!