The Bakery on the Other Side of the Bridge

Last spring, my sister and I traveled to a small town in Portugal.

We stayed in a guesthouse near a stone bridge, and every morning we walked across it to buy breakfast.

On the first day, we found a tiny bakery with no menu in English.

The owner, an old woman, smiled and pointed at a basket of warm bread.

We tried to say "thank you" in Portuguese, but our pronunciation made her laugh.

Instead of feeling embarrassed, we laughed too.

She then gave us two small cakes for free and showed us how to eat them with coffee.

Later, a young customer explained that the cakes were a local tradition for visitors.

That evening, we drew a picture of the bakery and gave it to the owner as a gift.

She put it on the wall beside the door.

When we left the town, she waved from the bridge until we could no longer see her.

On the train, my sister said that the best part of traveling is not the famous sights, but the people who open their doors to strangers.