Love Locks at the Pont des Arts bridge. Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the Seine River linking the Institut de France and the central square of the palais du Louvre.
In recent years, many tourist couples have taken to attaching padlocks with their first names written or engraved on it to the railing or the grate on the side of the bridge, then throwing the key into the river below, as a romantic gesture.The City of Paris has not yet adopted a definitive policy on how to deal with this new fad. Ah, crazy, crazy tourists, trashing the Seine with their stupid keys.
Frankly, I'd blame it on the Chinese. This bridge totally took me back to Huang Shan. <--Yellow Mountain, in China. While my blog postings from those long ago days when the wee children really were still wee, doesn't chronicle it, we came upon a bridge that looked just like this way up on top of the mountain.
So, I'm fairly convinced Chinese tourists must have started this craze.
I was astonished at the great lengths people go to decorate and engrave their locks.
As someone who struggles to remember to pack underwear when I travel, I find the notion of having enough forethought to have your Soul Mate's name engraved on a lock a little overwhelming. You know Marion had this done; Maxime probably doesn't even know this lock is here.
And then, there are those for whom the notion of "Soul Mate" fails into the category of "Feline." Cue the Crazy Cat Lady ...
"Miaou."
Next: Versailles!! Check that One off the Bucket List
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