Day 1 - Turkey
Where the national sport is (Olive) Oil Wrestling! We were a novelty in Deema, the center of Turkish culture in Fort Wayne, on Christmas Eve. The staff was warm. The minced kebobs smoky, the Baba Ghanoush and pistachio baklava a Turkish Delight!
Day 2 - The Holy Land
We toured some of our own Holy Land in Fort Wayne, with 360 churches in city limits, a Synagogue and Jewish Center, a Mosque and 3 Muslim Education Centers, 3 Buddhist Temples, a Sikh Place of Worship, and a Hindu Temple. Since the Israelites were promised milk & honey in the Promised Land, that’s what we enjoyed.
Day 3 - Japan
And, Fort Wayne’s 1st Sister City Takaoka. The Friendship Garden at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art holds items from the alliance established in 1977 and will be opened in 2027 on the 50th anniversary. Fort Wayne is also home to many Japanese businesses. I walked into a manufacturer and asked if the manager might have a few moments to visit. The CEO welcomed me into his office for a half hour to share his story, recommended the most authentic food, and then called the restaurant owner at Haru Sushi Izakaya to personally meet us.
Day 4 - Ireland
We discovered that the Irish founded our city, built the Wabash & Erie Canal, and learned there is an “Irishtown” in Fort Wayne to this day. Our gastronomical adventure took us to J.K. O'Donnell's Ale House for homemade Irish fish & chips. It was built by good friends Scott and Melissa Glaze, who got the idea of reinvesting in our downtown long before others.
Day 5 - Burma
Where the time is 11 ½ hours ahead of Fort Wayne! We were the primary site for the first refugees in 1991. There were more Burmese settlers in Fort Wayne than any U.S. city, thanks largely to Diana Sowards, co-founder of Friends of Burma, who sponsored resettlement with support from Catholic Charities. Today, 10,000 refugees call Fort Wayne home; and with their American-born children, 20,000 Burmese people are here. Markets are the social center, where Burmese people shop for fresh food daily. They also eat their tea (laphet) which is dried and fermented with delicious spices. We tried it and liked it!
Day 6 - Italy
Where they officially recognize 600+ pasta shapes! Fort Wayne is a leading Indiana city for Italian-Americans. 5,500 residents (2.3% of our population) claim Italian ancestry. New Italian dining like Amore maintain Italian leadership in food, thanks to Lisa & Chuck Surack (founder of Sweetwater Sound), who built it out of their love of good food and hospitality.
Day 7 - Columbia
The second most biodiverse country in the world, second only to Brazil. One out of every 10 species on Earth can be found there. We also learned about Tejo. It’s like Indiana’s cornhole sport, except with gunpowder-filled targets that explode! We had a lovely chat with Columbian Delights owner Juliana who, with her son, made Columbian food for local farmers markets. Her fan base encouraged her to open the restaurant.
Day 8 - Cuba
Off-limits to Americans for 63 years. We learned of the “Pedro Pan” program that helped 14,000+ youth escape to America during the Cuban missile crisis. 41 were sponsored in Fort Wayne because of Catholic parishes that assisted Cuban families. One is the father of Marilyn’s friend Rocky Ledo, and another is the brother of friend Vivian Hernandez. Small world! In 2021, the Pedro Pan boys gathered here from across the country to honor the 60th anniversary in a special mass. These “once-lost boys” grew to be teachers, business leaders and owners, and significant contributors to our community and the country. Oh, and we savored Cuban chicken at Proximo!
Day 9 - China
We began 2026 by traveling back in time to The Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). The Dynasty introduced Confucianism as state orthodoxy, opened the Silk Road, invented paper, and its people often call themselves "Han" to this day. In honor of this Dynasty, we enjoyed food from its namesake restaurant, chosen by the Chinese owner to honor this golden period. Fort Wayne's connection to China, since 2012, is with Taizhou, our 4th Sister City. We treasured the “Painting in Poetry” exhibition and…small world…the Taizhou artists’ translator Su Zhang joined our Virtual Visit. The Sister City program is about "Connecting Globally and Thriving Locally." We are so grateful to live in a city with a commitment to both.
Our Takeaway
While the worldwide visits were virtual, the generous spirit of the people we met was very real!
