Who wouldn’t want to be sisters with Paris, especially in the spring?
© Meredith Mullins

It’s Not a Dull and Boring World

A story that features the words dull and boring can still show promise. We begin with a tale of two cities. Sister cities—Dull, Scotland, and Boring, Oregon.

This particular familial friendship (also called town twinning in Europe) was based on the humorous pairing of their town names. They even added a third city to the clan, creating a celebratory menage à trois. Bland, Australia was invited into the partnership, launching a possible new trend of town tripleting.

Due to the media attention and the increased tourism, these towns are now anything but dull, boring, and bland.

Welcome to Dull, with a side of Boring (and a hint of Bland).
© Gannett77/iStock

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Cultures

There are many reasons to seek a city-to-city partnership. Just as in A Tale of Two Cities, it is during the best of times and the worst of times that these bonds are formed.

The most noble reasons for city sisterhood are to promote understanding among different cultures and to build a foundation for world peace—whether during times of prosperity or times of crisis.

Cities also bond over a common name, similarities in size and demographics, shared history, related industries, trade relationships, tourism opportunities, or cultural links.

Jackson, Mississippi, became a sister city with M’Bour, Senegal,
to open new doors to educational and cultural exchange.
© Meredith Mullins

Led by a Saint

The earliest known city partnership in Europe was between Paderborn, Germany, and Le Mans, France, in 836. These cities had little in common other than an “eternal brotherhood” of two Catholic dioceses, both paying tribute to Saint Liborius.

Liborius was the Bishop of Le Mans for 49 years. After his death—and perhaps due to word of miracles near his tomb—his relics were requested to be brought to Paderborn. They traveled via an 800-kilometer procession, which, if led by a peacock as legend has it, probably took quite a while.

Liborius has remained the patron saint there for more than 1000 years. The two dioceses continue to support each other today.

The relics of Saint Liborius are in the crypt of the beautiful Paderborn Cathedral.

Town Twinning

The first modern twinning agreement was between Keighley, England, and Poix-du-Nord, France, in 1920 following the end of WW I.

Keighley soldiers had been stationed in Poix-du-Nord and had seen the devastation to the town. They urged the town council to offer a twinning agreement as a gesture of solidarity. The townspeople raised funds to build a community center in Poix-du-Nord, which is still in use today (named the Keighley Center, so as not to forget their twin).

A sister-city quiz: Who is pictured here—Toledo, Spain, or Toledo, Ohio?

Another historic early sister relationship was Toledo, Ohio, with Toledo, Spain, in 1931. Perhaps the seed was planted in the late 1800s when Spanish Toledo gave a gift of two quality steel swords to American Toledo. Although, the name match was a vibrant part of the connection, the relationship grew deeper, with frequent student, athletic, and artistic exchange delegations.

The interactions were interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, WW II, and a period of Spanish political isolation, but the relationship continues in many new ways, as both cities undergo revitalization changes. They renew their vows at every anniversary: “Long Live the Spirit of the Two Toledos.”

The Toledo sister relationship started with a gift from Spain of the famous Toledo steel swords.
© ahau1969/iStock

International Momentum for Sister Cities

The idea of twinned towns and sister cities gained momentum in 1956 when Dwight D. Eisenhower created a U.S. nonprofit called Sister Cities International. The organization focused on pairing cities as a way to heal the wounds of WW II and to encourage trade and tourism to bolster the economy.

Sister Cities International keeps a member log, where you can find who is paired with whom in the world today. They also can help a city or town find a sister if guidance is needed (yes, there is a cities-seeking-cities personal page). Who would have thought that a city could be a lonely single?

Sunny film-loving city on the French Riviera—single—seeks a sister city
for long-term relationship focusing on cultural exchange.
© Pascvii/Pixabay

For example, when the French Riviera town of Cannes was searching for a sister, the organization offered a pair with, who else? Beverly Hills, California. Both are known as havens for the rich and film-famous.

Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills has some similarity to the La Croisette walkway in Cannes.

Sister Cities—Is Monogamy Possible?

Some cities are hungry for relationships. They are seeking a larger family, embracing sisters from many parts of the world to expand their cultural awareness and tourism or trade opportunities.

San Francisco has 20 sister cities. Los Angeles has 25. Barcelona has 22. These are popular places— sister city influencers. But the big winner is Saint Petersburg, Russia, with 63.

Saint Petersburg, Russia, wins the sister popularity contest.
© Yulenochekk/iStock

These proud high achievers boast of their global reach with signs in the city centers pointing to all their sisters (and the mileage distance to reach each).

A street sign in Los Angeles points to some of its sister cities.
© Tupungato/iStock

Among Europe’s twin towns, there is one noted monogamous relationship. Since 1956, Rome and Paris have been exclusively twinned with each other. Their proclamation: “Only Paris is worthy of Rome; only Rome is worthy of Paris.”

However, this exclusivity doesn’t seem to bar them from adding sister cities or partner cities. Paris is a sister/partner city to Prague, Tokyo, Athens, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., among others. Rome is a partner to Buenos Aires, Sydney, and Madrid.

Exclusive twins—Paris and Rome—share layers of history.
© Meredith Mullins

Perfect Matches and Odd Couples

Some pairings have an obvious connection. Some sisters have similarities that exist beneath the surface. And some couples are just odd.

Indianapolis, Indiana, and Monza, Italy, are sisters in speed. The Indy 500 is famous in America and the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza (Italian Grand Prix) is famous in Monza. A relationship was inevitable. The Italian-American community in Indianapolis was also a part of the equation.

Agra, India, and Petra, Jordan, are connected by some of the world’s wonders. Agra is home to the Taj Mahal and Petra is known for its archeological sites.

Places offering the world’s treasures often seek each other out as sister cities.
© Meredith Mullins

Cuzco, Peru, and Xi’an, China, are also well paired and linked by UNESCO status.  Cuzco is a stepping stone for Machu Picchu and Xi’an for the Terracotta Army.

A cultural exchange with two world-treasure sites yields high travel dividends.

Digging Deeper

Sonoma, California, and Chambolle-Musigny, France, are united in an appreciation of terroir and fine wine. Who would win the blind tasting? It’s difficult to say, but perhaps everyone’s a winner when you’re talking about the elegance of Pinot Noir.

Would your sister city choice be based on a horse’s head?
© Maky Orel/Pixabay

Horseheads, New York, and Nakagawa, Japan, are linked in an equine way. A Japanese man from Bato-machi (which translates from Japanese to horse head) saw Horseheads on a map and encouraged his local government to “friend” them. The official sister city designation was awarded. Bato-machi became a part of the larger city Nakagawa, but the relationship remains intact

Sometimes one person’s footsteps are present in both sister cities’ history. Monterey, California, is a sister to Lleida/Lérida, Spain because the Spanish expedition leader, Don Gaspar de Portolá, born in Lleida, was one of the founders of Monterey (as well as San Diego).

De Portolá became the first governor of the Californias (Alta California and Baja California under Mexican rule) from 1768–1770, and later in 1776 Monterey became its capital. A statue and many building names in Monterey are reminders of de Portolá’s important influence.

Lleida/Lérida, Spain—the birthplace of Gaspar de Portolá
© Geertwillemarck/Pixabay

The sister liaison of Amritsar, India, and Bakersfield, California, is, at first glance, a mystery. Bakersfield sits in the desert-like San Joaquin Valley, an agricultural and oil hub near Los Angeles. Amritsar is near the Pakistani border, and home of The Golden Temple.

The common denominator is a connection to the Sikh religion. Bakersfield has an active Sikh community. Amritsar is the holiest city for Sikhism.

The generosity of the Sikh community is present, whether in Bakersfield or Amritsar.
© Meredith Mullins

Timbuktu, Mali, and Tempe, Arizona, became sisters as a part of a large-scale humanitarian effort. And, often, when a natural disaster or political issues disrupt a city, the sister is there to help.

Break-Ups Happen

Good sister karma cannot always last forever. Sometimes the relationship is terminated for ethical or political reasons. Prague ended its sisterhood with Saint Petersburg and Moscow because of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.

Prague broke up with Saint Petersburg for ethical reasons.
© Felix Mittermeier/Pixabay

Laguna Niguel, California, put its sister relationship with Al Qa’im, Iraq, on hold after the Iraqi town was taken over by ISIS.

And sometimes a sister city goes dark for years when politics enter the picture. (Minsk hasn’t returned phone calls to one sister in years.)

Thinking Globally: The OIC Moment

Do you know the sister city/cities of the place you live? A better understanding of a sister and the reasons for the pairing will surely enhance your knowledge of home.

More to the point . . . if you could choose someone—anyone—for your sister, how would you decide? Someone with shared roots? Common interests? A best friend? An exotic stranger? A strategic partner? Someone you can count on in times of need and in times of celebration, even from afar?

Who would you choose for your sister city or twinned town to continue this quest for world peace and better human understanding?

As you think about the answer, you’ll open a window to the world . . . and to yourself.

For more information on sister cities, visit Sister Cities International.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here. 

A global favorite
© Minsun Lee

The Inside Scoop on a Global Favorite 

 I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream.

Have you belted out those lyrics . . . or do you remember, in your childhood, having a Pavlovian response to the seductive call of an ice cream truck bell or jingle?

My ice cream truck tune still occasionally pops up from my subconscious childhood playlist and reminds me of the truck getting closer and closer to our house.

This was my first lesson in the science of sound waves, as we learned to judge exactly how long we had to gather up our coins and get to the corner. It was the highlight of those lazy summer afternoons.

The seductive call of the ice cream truck
© iStock/phaustov

Ice cream is a global treasure. It has been a favorite dessert for centuries—even long before refrigeration. And our cultural encounters with ice cream around the world offer a deeper look into the joys of our planet.

Adding the “taste” element to cultural encounters
© Minsun Lee

A Brief History: From Frozen Snow To . . .

From Alexander the Great to Chinese dynasties to Roman emperors, ice cream was mostly snow or ice mixed with inventive additives, like honey, nectar, fruits, and juices. The royal ice cream addicts of the day had “runners” constantly making trips to the mountains.

Its evolution continued as Marco Polo brought a more evolved concept from the far east to Italy that turned into the birth of sherbet. Some histories say that Catherine de Medici was also involved, bringing the concept to France, where milk, butter, and eggs were gradually added to the recipe.

Grateful to whomever brought ice cream to France
© Meredith Mullins

Even the American founding fathers had a role in the “birth of ice cream” story. George Washington is said to have had two ice cream pots in his home.

Thomas Jefferson had a simple recipe for vanilla ice cream, as well as a more complex recipe for an ice cream dish similar to Baked Alaska. And Dolley Madison is said to have served strawberry ice cream at President Madison’s second inaugural banquet.

Would Dolley Madison ever have imagined that ice cream could be rolled, as in Thailand?
© iStock/Fascinadora

A Global Ice Cream Tour

Different names. Different ingredients. But in almost every country in the world, you can find some kind of frozen treat.

Japan has many varieties of ice cream, but the most famous is its mochi. The colorful little balls consist of a sticky rice dumpling around an ice cream filling, with flavors such as green tea, red bean, and mango.

Little puffs of heaven: mango mochi from Japan
© iStock/Merrimon

Korean cuisine offers a special frozen dish called patbingsu, which is a tiny mountain of shaved milky ice with sweetened red beans and fruit at the summit. The taste changes with each bite, as the flavors and textures are altered in the melting process.

Korean Patbingsu—a melting mound of flavors
© iStock/nunawwoofy

A similar dish in the Philippines is called Halo-Halo (which translates from Tagalog to mishmash or mixture). The name is appropriate as so many sweet things can be added to this dessert. The basis is shaved ice, milk, and sweetened beans. Then coconut, plantains, gelatin cubes, jackfruit, star apple, tapioca, and yams can all be added.

Mexico is famous for its light, fruit-based paletas (very healthy!). They look like popsicles, and, are mostly just fresh fruit and water.

You can often see the fresh fruit in its frozen form. However, some paletas have added cream and sugar, perfect for satisfying the palate of those who are looking for something more decadent.

Mexican paletas—a healthy choice
© iStock/Esdelval

Ice cream in Turkey offers drama beyond the sense of taste, as vendors do amazing tricks with dondurma, which has an elastic component that allows it to stretch like taffy.

The mastic ingredient (plant resin) and salep (a flour made from orchid root) make the ice cream chewy as well as somewhat resistant to melting. Get out your knife and fork.

Is this ice cream or a visiting space alien in elastic form?
© iStock/boggy22

India’s traditional kulfi makes India one of the top ice-cream loving countries of the world. It usually comes in a popsicle form and is made with caramelized milk, nuts, sugar, and cardamom and comes in flavors such as mango, rose, almond, orange, and strawberry.

Kulfi from India, with a dash of saffron and pistachio
© iStock/SStajik

Germany’s special ice cream treat looks like a plate of spaghetti, with a name that is equally misleading—Spaghettieis. This creative dessert includes vanilla ice cream made to look like pasta, strawberry sauce to look like marinara, and white chocolate shavings to look like parmesan cheese.

Dinner or dessert? Spaghetti or ice cream?
Only a taste test will reveal the answer.
© iStock/Sandra Albinger

Iran and Afghanistan also have a pasta-based approach to their frozen dessert. Faloodeh (Persian: فالوده) uses frozen vermicelli noodles with corn starch, rose water, lime juice, and often ground pistachios.

Just looking at this Faloodeh from Iran is cooling.
© iStock/Bonchan

Rwanda got its first taste of ice cream a few years ago thanks to the work of a Rwandan artist and a women’s drumming troupe. (Read more in the OIC story on that success.)

Sweet Dreams: The first taste of ice cream in Rwanda.
Photo Courtesy of Liro Films.

Of course we can’t go around the world without mentioning Italy’s gelato or the U.S. love of just plain scoops on cones—two of the most popular forms of ice cream in the world.

The magical world of Italian gelato
© Minsun Lee

What are your Flavorites?

We’ve come a long way from frozen snow, with stops along the way for Baskin and Robbins 31 flavors (one for every day of a month) and the creativity of Ben and Jerry with hits such as Chip Happens, Chocolate Therapy®, Everything But The …, and Cherry Garcia®.

The Guiness Book of Records awards La Heladería Coromoto (Ice Cream Shop Coromoto) in Venezuala the record for the most flavors offered—870 at the moment.

But the Game of Cones is not yet over. There will be no Breyer’s remorse.

Chefs around the world are pushing the boundaries, as we discover ice creams and sorbets with flavors of garlic, onion, wasabi, mustard, corn on the cob, jalapeño, cheeseburger, fois gras, horseradish, beet, and blue cheese.

Ice cream “artists” around the world are inventing new flavors every day.
© iStock/CharlieAJA

Often the culinary favorites of a country find their way into ice cream. Peru offers Mazamorra Violeta, an ice cream from its unique purple corn.  Japan brings in flavors such as sea island salt, unagi (eel), and soy chicken.

Mexico offers avocado and tequila flavors. And Scotland makes . . . what else? Haggis flavored ice cream. (If you don’t know what that is, don’t ask.)

We might not be screaming as loudly for flavors such as horse flesh, cow tongue, and snake venom, but it’s always good to try new things, especially cultural encounters featuring desserts.

Tell me again. Is that chocolate or snake venom?
© Meredith Mullins

Oh I see, there are no boundaries except the imagination when you’re traveling (virtually or otherwise) in search of ice cream around the world.

And, as the United States and New Zealand continue to battle it out for the top ice-cream-loving country, we can all play a part. It’s summer. Chill out. Follow the siren call.

So many flavors . . . so little time
© Minsun Lee

And let us know your favorite ice cream flavors (although I doubt if we’ll get any votes for cow tongue).

Many thanks to Minsun Lee for her photographs. And, for those who want a culinary dessert adventure, here’s a recipe for patbingsu. 

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.