Recently I had an opportunity to ‘stopover’ in Paris for a few days on the way back to Australia from Western Africa. Though I had last visited Paris three years back with my son on a Europe soccer tour this particular visit gave me a different perspective. Without the rush of a strict timetable I had time to absorb what must be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
One thing that did catch my attention was a bridge called Pont de l’Archevêché (Archbishop’s Bridge) and is a bridge crossing the Seine river. It is located on the South Eastern corner of the Notre Dame and is very impressive at sunrise.
What tweaked my attention was the thousands of padlocks attached to the fencing on this pedestrian bridge. With closer inspection I realised these padlocks are declarations of couple’s love that now stand time-locked next to one of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Notre Dame. Lovers often throw the keys into the river Seine as a sign of undying love, or keep it and open the padlock when they next return to the French capital.
As I’m not one to miss out on the action I ventured to a local hardware store, duly purchased a padlock and summarily proceeded to declare my undying love for my wife on the landmark by attaching my own padlock.
For those that are travelling to Paris and want some brownie points with a loved one I’d suggest you proceed to do the same. Engrave a padlock prior to travelling as this will eliminate the hassle of trying to find a padlock in Paris and wasting time finding a place to get it engraved.
