Postcards from Paris: {serrures de l'amour/Locks of Love}

Along one of the pedestrian bridges crossing over the Seine, my new French friend took me across to show me the many love locks connected to the wire fabric of the bridge. Each little lock represents the love of two companions. Rumor has it that the couple takes the lock, finds a good view for the lock, and secures onto the metal fencing, then throws the key into the water. It seems like a nice little ritual. There were some locks that had been rusted into the bridge, securing the love even more so, and there were some unfortunate looking ones which were on the verge of breaking off and becoming lost forever in the Seine. I don't know the superstition behind the strength of the lock, how long it remains, or how rusted it becomes. I like to imagine that each developing characteristic to the specific lock has some sort of significance to the couple's enduring love. It can seem silly to dwell too much on the subject, but I openly admit to glancing through my horoscope if it happens to be in the latest fashion magazine. I don't walk under ladders. I make wishes whenever possible; blowing out candles, shooting stars, holding my breath through tunnels, tossing coins into fountains, and all that jazz. Yes it may be silly, but for the sake of that sort of romantic intrigue, I justify dwelling on a little superstition.
Bisous,
Reba