Sister City: Italien Quest

If this doesn’t look like Munich, it shouldn’t. As part of the Daily Photo community, we are celebrating the Sept. theme day – which is Sister Cities. Now this was a difficult one, as Munich actually has seven sister cities: Kiev, Cincinnati, Sapporo, Bordeaux, Edinburgh, and Verona. I picked Verona because of its close ties to the Bavairan capital. Not only are there beautiful Juliet statues all through the city of Munich, but I’ve spoken many times of the cities ties to its Southern neighbors. Well, here’s some context to some of that connection. Way back in 1786, the famous philosopher Goethe, set out on a quest to for Italian adventure. Fueled by the midlife crises he was experiencing, he jumped into a coach without much luggage, assumed the name Filippo Moller, and left on a journey across the Alps for Verona. His notes became the basis of “Italian Journey” a metaphor for millions of postwar Germans, who every summer flee their lives seeking a rebirth of sun and vacation – 5.9 million of them in fact. This story is in the persona of Germany’s travel obsession. Today, Germany has named its cultural organization after Goethe, and the story lives on.