by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps

One of the rewards of visiting another country is the opportunity to observe and appreciate what is different – as well as noticing what is the same. These flashes of familiarity can make you feel very connected to a place in ways you did not expect. Dad talks about this a little in his Travel Epistle post, how senses are often heightened during travel, and how the basic human need of eating and drinking can help visitors get to know a new place.

The other week my eye doctor told me about a recent trip to Portugal with his sister. I’m a longtime patient of his, sometimes obliged to visit twice a year because I’m blind as a bat with unusually high pressure readings for glaucoma. Luckily this bat can see well with contact lenses and doesn’t get quite as nervous about these appointments as she did as a bat teen. It’s pretty routine, we shoot the breeze and I ask what cool trips he’s taken lately.

So doc is raving about Portugal, telling me how beautiful and safe the country is. They toured cities and fortresses and even rented accommodations in a castle. He mentioned it was his sister’s first trip overseas, and how special it was to see her reaction to everything. I could understand that, as introducing someone to a new country adds a whole new and meaningful layer to an awesome trip to Europe.

He suddenly said, “I have to show you this photo” and left the exam room to grab his phone. He explained that many towns in Portugal serve their own local variation of a rice dish, which his sister enjoyed for dinner. A restaurant they visited toward the end of the trip noted that their dish was made with octopus. The sister was comfortable with the routine and still chose the dish, imagining it would be similar to fried calamari. The photo showed her surprise as she stared at the plate – which had a mid-size octopus draped over rice – its head, eight legs piled up vertically. She was a good sport, but told her brother she was definitely ready for a burger.

I had read about Portugal’s famous pastries – Pastel de nata – and asked if they had tried any of those. My doctor verified that they are delicious. He commented that Portugal has a lot of respect for old traditions, such as making these pastries from scratch as they’ve done for ages, and forgoing any kitchen or factory shortcuts that might make production easier. And he said to his surprise, the pastry dough reminded him exactly of the kind his Pennsylvania Dutch Grandmother used to make – also with great care and without convenience. He and his sister took some of the Portuguese tarts home to their father – and even before sharing their nostaglic observation – the father exclaimed that they tasted just like the confections his mother used to make for her family. When he was telling me this, it was clear that the family was delighted by this discovery.

There’s a transition that happens as someone falls in love with a city, a country, a continent – initial apprehension to fascination to feeling a true connection. I always appreciate stories like these. Not just highlighting a destination I might want to visit, or listing must-see landmarks, but stories that affirm the ways different countries and cultures can resonate deeply with a tourist in personal and unpredicable ways. And if the story in question distracts you from an uncomfortable medical test or worrying about results, so much the better.