I had heard about the padlock bridge in Paris but never saw good photos of it so I couldn't totally imagine it. So when we left our apartment on Isle Saint Louis to walk around the second day on Isle de la Cite, we immediately came upon it. Ah, ha! So that is what it really looks like.
It would be hard to guess how many padlocks are on this bridge. I wonder how many years of collecting locks this represents. They are hooked around the chain links on both sides of the road. The Seine splits to go around the two islands in the middle, so the channel isn't very wide here.
There was another bridge across the Seine where we saw these also, and a few in public parks where there was chain link fencing, but this one had the most by far. Mr. Swede said he also saw a bridge of "love locks" in Cologne, Germany across the Rhine River similar to this. Don't know which came first or how many other bridges have the "love locks".
I'm not sure of the procedure, but I saw many locks with dates and initials on them and others with messages. Does putting a lock on this bridge bring eternal love? Do you throw the key into the Seine or keep it? Do any of them ever get removed? Do couples come back over time to visit their lock?
If you are trying to find the bridge when in Paris, just look for this.
Notre Dame on an early morning. The only time I could take photos of the bridge without a million people in my shots was early in the morning. Mr. Swede seriously wanted to climb the 422 steps to the top of Notre Dame, but unfortunately, rheumatoid arthritis in my right knee said I wasn't going to do that. I didn't know what was wrong with my knee until we got home, but I told him that I would climb the stairs when my knee is better. I can imagine the view is wonderful on a clear day and great for photos.
So did Mr. Romantic and I place a lock here? No. Maybe on another trip to Paris. We didn't take the time to find a hardware store to buy a lock. I do think it is kinda fun to think about having something of yours always in Paris to seal a pledge of love when you are far away.
Summer
Photos: Swede
