A warm welcome in Portugal
Marta left her dear friend Tanya in Vienna, a stay that had been like a fairy tale.
Filled with fond memories, it was now time for yet another long journey, from Europe’s eastern corner all the way to its western end - Portugal.
There is always a certain excitement when traveling to unknown places, not least because you have to get used to new cultures, new smells, perhaps exciting food, and different landscapes. Especially when the journey is so long.
Marta had become quite the “wandering citizen of the world” by now, always ready to embrace new cultures.
Of course, she was a little nervous, but she had a simple philosophy: As long as the host has a cat, they are probably kind people.
In fact, regardless of what kind of pet people have, it means they appreciate the joy of living with animals and the value they bring.
Portugal is a large country, and while tourists may be most familiar with the Algarve coast, that is just a small part of a country rich in culture.
Yes, and especially in food culture.
For Norwegians, the first thing that comes to mind regarding Portuguese food might be bacalhau, the national dish based on Norwegian salted dried cod. What many don’t know is that when you’re served this dish in Norway, it’s far from how it’s served in Portugal. In fact, there are as many ways to prepare it as there are days in the year - truly!
After a short stopover in Lisbon, Marta continued her journey north, toward Porto. In Porto, Sandra awaited, an authentic Portuguese, imagine that!
And after a warm welcome - literally, with the temperature well over 30 degrees, they set off on a drive.
To make sure Marta had arrived safely, she was unpacked and given a place of honor on the car’s dashboard, almost like a travel mascot.
Since Sandra didn’t live in Porto itself, the drive was long.
And Sandra had plenty to tell along the way about the historic city of Porto, her favorite football team there, the Douro River winding through the valley to the east, the port wine made in the region, and many other things that Marta frankly didn’t understand a word of.
Portuguese wasn’t easy for Marta to grasp; sometimes she wished Sandra had subtitles, like on TV.
But Sandra, typically Portuguese, had a fondness for gesticulating just as much as she spoke, something Marta appreciated.
In fact, Sandra gesticulated so much that Marta wondered if the car was driving itself.
When you don’t understand the language, it’s a relief that you can at least follow the hand and arm movements.
They’re universal!
Besides, who needs language when you can, for example, point at food, smile broadly, and say “yum”?
It works, especially if you’re cute enough.
As they approached Sandra’s home, Sandra suddenly grew serious and started explaining about the dogs they were going to meet, as Sandra did not have a cat.
At this, Marta felt a bit unsure.
Marta had been traveling the world for almost two years now and hadn’t yet had the chance to meet the dog Odin, the little brother of Jesperpus and Kasper back home in Tigerskogen.
The few dogs she had met had all been very kind.
But she had never met a dog like the one Sandra described as a “famous mouse-catcher.”
Mouse-catcher?
“Marta,” said Sandra, with a tone that made it sound like she was revealing state secrets.
“You’re going to meet two dogs.” One, Indie, was supposedly so sweet she could have been a Dalmatian in a Disney movie. The other was... a bit less Disney.
More like the “hero of the streets,” a famous mouse-catcher.
In fact, not just famous—Nestum was INFAMOUS!
The street’s mouse-terrorist!
Even Kasper would have struggled to keep up with Nestum on a mouse hunt back home in Tigerskogen!
Well, with fingers crossed and all the little things you do in the hope that everything will go well, they approached Sandra’s home, feeling a bit shaky but hopeful.
After all, Marta had been to the Pope’s house in Rome, and that’s supposed to bring good luck in life.
And it was a warm welcome, oh yes, very warm. Blistering, because Nestum absolutely lived up to everything Sandra had said.
The consolation was that the other dog, Indie, was as sweet as Nestum was an intense mouse hunter.
Indie promised to keep an eye on things, even when the humans weren’t home.
But Sandra had two comforting words: Marta would be placed up on a picture frame, high on the living room wall, whenever no one was watching Nestum.
And most importantly, the nearest neighbor was a veterinarian, in case anything dramatic happened.
That wasn’t much comfort, but good to know.
It was still early on the day of Marta’s arrival, and to make sure Marta didn’t get the wrong impression, Sandra invited her on a sunny stroll, a little walk along the beach.
Nestum had to stay home, as the household’s boss, Indie, needed to have a performance review with him, giving some instructions on how to welcome long-distance travelers.
And it worked!
Marta actually fell asleep under Indie’s watchful eyes, thinking that maybe this stay in Portugal wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
By evening, she was even placed safely next to Nestum, under Indie’s sharp supervision. Perhaps Nestum just needed a little time to realize that Marta wasn’t an ordinary mouse, a tennis ball, or a snack.
And with that, she drifted off to sleep—hopefully dreaming not of aggressive mouse hunters but of something Sandra had mentioned earlier, about traveling and meeting a famous cat she might even get to stay with...
