Have nothing to offer but have you compared bakeries in different countries? I feel like a neighborhood bakery can offer a lot of local flavors that are affordable + unique, can't share with friends tho.

not as much as grocery stores. Most stores are big enough where I can get lost in them for a bit. A lot of bakeries tend to be smaller, a bit more crowded, more transactional, and I don't always speak the language well. It's not that I've never been, but they tend to invoke a bit more anxiety than browsing in a larger store.

BUT... have had some great breads, pastries, pasties and such in Moscow, Romania and Iceland. With that said... they may not actually have been great. The article touches on it - some of my memory of "great food" is just... the experience of having that food while abroad. I've told friends "oh, i had some great ____ over at _____" only to get told that that place is garbage and has the worst ____ ever and I should go to ____ instead. They may be right, but part of the 'taste' is 'first time trying $foo in $bar' which adds to the memory (usually good). Also... whether I'm with someone or on my own has an impact - usually the whole memory is better when I'm with friends or family.