On a trip across Europe we spent some time in Austria. While walking thru Vienna’s center of town near St. Stevens Cathedral we became aware groups of young people, dressed in black coming into the square from a number of directions. It seemed odd and appeared something was going on. As several boom boxes began to play music they began to dance…
After only a few minutes it was over and the group drifted away in all directions just like they had come.
Walking away we realized it was our very first “flash mob” experience and it seemed our day had gotten a little brighter.
We weren’t aware of love locks before about a decade or so ago but now as we travel we come across collections of padlocks attached to bridges, fences and other public structures everywhere. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what was going on by all the couples names engraved on the locks. In the last five years or so it is becoming difficult to not notice these collections, they’re popping up everywhere.
For goodness sake it’s even hit our small Florida town. The weren’t there a year ago but just last month as we walked through the lake front park, there they were!
Winter Garden Park
The practice isn’t new but was virtually unheard of outside of a few cities, mostly in Eastern Europe, until recent years. Early in the twenty-first century the practice has exploded worldwide. A love lock is a padlock which lovers lock to a bridge, fence, gate or monument to symbolize their undying love. In recent years the lovers’ names or initials, and the date, are engraved on the padlock, and its key is thrown away, usually into the river under the bridge, to symbolize the couples undying love for each other.
This simple and romantic practice seems innocent enough, but more and more it’s being treated by authorities as litter or vandalism, and there can be serious costs associated with damage caused and their removal. But we’ve also learned that there are places where authorities are embracing lovelock places as a tourist attraction.
Paris
A little research will find that love padlocks date back at least 100 years to a Serbian tale of World War I. It involves the bridge Most Ljubavi or the Bridge of Love in the town of Vrnjačka Banja*. A local schoolmistress named Nada, who was from Vrnjačka Banja, fell in love with a Serbian officer named Relja. He went off to war in Greece, where he fell in love with a woman from Corfu. Heart broken Nada broke off their engagement and after some time died from heartbreak. As the tragic love story circulated, young women from Vrnjačka Banja wanted to protect their love and started writing down their names, with the names of their loves, on padlocks and attached them to the bridge where Nada and Relja used to meet.
Savannah, Georgia
Ha’penny Bridge, Dublin
In Dublin there is a famous pedestrian bridge called the Ha’penny Bridge. It is one of the more famous symbols of Dublin. Nearly 200 years old (1816) it is a protected structure, but in recent years Dublin City Council have had to remove thousands of padlocks from the bridge on a regular basis. They are considered unsightly and are causing damage by chipping paint and adding considerable weight to the historic bridge. Engineers have estimated that at some point, if not removed, they could cause the bridge to collapse.
Today the key to many an Irish heart now sits at the bottom of the River Liffey where couples in love have thrown them after securing their love locks to Dublin’s historic Ha’penny Bridge. Today there is a group dedicated to breaking that bond. Shortly after the lovers have left, an expert lock-picking group arrives to tear these bonds of love apart and stop the locks from making the bridge structurally unsafe.
River walk Wurzburg, Germany
“It’s a fairly constant churn,” said Seán Nicholls, who set up the group when he was on his way to a professional lock-picking meeting. “I was heading to the meeting one day and I walked over the Ha’penny Bridge and noticed all the locks. In my mind it was defacing a city treasure. That’s kind of where the idea came from,” he said.
Dublin City Council embraced the group in the aftermath of a love-lock situation in Paris where the locks caused a section of the Pont des Arts bridge to collapse. The bridge in Paris had become famous for “love locks,” but the locks became too heavy and a two-meter segment of the bridge and railing buckled under the pressure of so many romantic symbols falling into the Seine.
Just this summer we were in Liverpool and along the waterfront – surprise! We found them in a cliffside park in Lima, Peru. From Amsterdam to Zurich and even in Asia it’s no longer a surprise to come across these obtrusive symbols of undying love.
Just recently the practice has come to America and is growing in Savannah, Boston, St. Louis and a number of other cities. Not to walk away from a business opportunity many locksmiths are now offering professional engraving on their padlocks and a number of manufacturers are offering heart shaped padlocks, likely to cause the new tradition to grow and spread even more.
Ha’penny Bridge, DublinSavannah
Are LOVELOCKS legal or prohibited?
Montevideo, Uruguay
Mt. Huangshan, China – Adding love locks? Legal: Encouraged
Brooklyn Bridge, New York – Adding love locks? Legal: No
Hohenzollern Bridge, Germany – Adding love locks? Legal: Yes
Seoul Tower Seoul, South Korea – Adding love locks? Legal: Encouraged
Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, Boston United States – Adding love locks.?Legal: No
Butchers Bridge, Slovenia – Adding love locks? Legal: Yes
Penang, Malysia – Adding love locks? Legal: Encouraged
Tamuning, Guam – Adding love locks? Legal: Yes
Vrnjacka Banja in Serbia* – Adding love locks? Legal: Yes
The Distillery District, Toronto, Canada – Adding love locks? Legal: Yes
Ponte Milvio Bridge, Rome – Adding love locks? Legal: No
The Flame of Liberty, Paris – Adding love locks? Legal: No
Stab Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge, St. Louis – Adding love locks? Legal: Yes
Fountain of Locks, Montevideo, Uruguay – Adding love locks? Legal: Yes
The Casa Di Guilietta, Verona, Italy** – Adding love locks? Legal: Yes
*This bridge “Most Ljubavi” is a pedestrian bridge known as the Bridge of Love in the town of Vrnjačka Banja and is the location where the legend of the love locks began.
**The Casa Di Guilietta is a particularly popular location for adding love locks as it is supposed to have been the home of Juliet Capulet from Shakespear’s Romeo And Juliet.
Are there any love locks near you? Let us know where and we’ll add the locations.
Grand Teton National Park is located in the northwestern Wyoming. The park covers an area of 310,000 acres centered on the Teton Range, a rugged 40-mile-long mountain range. In 1929, the park was established as a national park, and since then, it has become a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
The Teton Range was created by a localized geological uplift and faulting. Around 9 million years ago, the Earth’s crust began to stretch and thin in the region, causing the land to rise and form mountains. The Teton Fault, which runs along the eastern base of the range, is responsible for the steep eastern face of the mountains. Glaciers also played a significant role in shaping the range, carving out deep valleys and leaving behind moraines and other glacial features.
Join us as we visit historic treasures, natural wonders and vibrant cities set against backdrops that are endlessly changing and visually magnificent.
Located in the North Sea one hundred fifty miles north of Scotland is the Shetland Islands where modern opportunities and history meet. Most buildings in Lerwick, the major town in the archipelago, are made of local stone and have the appearance of being from a different era. Narrow alleys and streets don’t appear to have been made with automobiles in mind at all. The town owes its success to its location, finding shelter in the lee of the island of Bressay across the channel and its good harbor. The town takes its name from Norse meaning ‘mud-bay’ and was a safe harbor for Dutch fishermen in the seventeenth century. This town is a good base for exploring the Scandinavian history, beautiful seascapes and wildlife of the Shetland archipelago.
In the mid eighteenth century relations between the British and Dutch deteriorated and the British built Fort Charlotte in 1781 to protect what they believed was Scottish territory. After that the herring fishing brought a boom and a building explosion showed off the archipelago’s new wealth. In the twentieth century the North Sea oil bonanza again gave Lerwick, with its good port location, another economic boom.
Where Your Ship Docks
This is normally a tender port as large cruise ships cannot be accommodated at its piers. Wheelchair bound passengers will encounter challenges both in getting on tenders as well as disembarking at the pier. The tenders do tie up at a central harbor pier that is right in town.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Port Characteristics – This port has a moderate to steep geography where there are typically elevations and inclines to deal with. Otherwise wheelchair infrastructure is typical of western cities. The waterfront and near port area have moderate inclines in sidewalks but the city itself can be more difficult. There are narrow streets and numerous narrow passages with intersection crosswalks that may have curbs or other wheelchair obstacles.
Coat of Arms displayed in Lerwick
“Nemo me impune lacessit” is the motto on the Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Scotland and translates to “No one attacks me with impunity”, and has been loosely rendered in Scots as Wha daur meddle wi me? (in Scottish Gaelic Cha togar m’ fhearg gun dìoladh, ). It is also alternatively translated into English as No one can harm me unpunished.
Broch of Clickimin
The Broch of Clickimin is a large, well-preserved but restored broch (a broch is an Iron Age stone hollow-walled structure unique to Scotland) dating to the late Bronze Age and is located just a mile west of town.
Fort Charlotte
Transportation
If you’re staying in Lerwick, walking is a great option as the town is relatively small and easy to navigate. You can also rent a bike to explore the surrounding areas.
If you want to explore further afield, taking a bus or hiring a car are good options. The bus service in Shetland is operated by the company called “Stagecoach”, and it covers most of the main towns and villages. Hiring a car is the best option giving you more flexibility and allows you to explore the more remote areas of the island. The islands rental agencies include:
Bolts Car Hire: They have locations in Lerwick and at the Sumburgh Airport.
Star Rent-A-Car: They offer car rentals at the Sumburgh Airport.
Shetland Car Rentals: They offer car rentals at the Sumburgh Airport.
Thistle Car Rental: They have a location in Lerwick and offer delivery to the Sumburgh Airport.
Island Car Hire: They offer car rentals at the Tingwall Airport.
It’s always a good idea to compare prices and availability from different companies before making a reservation.
Local Currency
The Shetlands are part of Scotland so they use the British Pound. Credit cards are welcome and there are ATMs.
What To See
Fort Charlotte in the centre of Lerwick, Shetland, is a five-sided artillery fort, with bastions on each corner. The grounds and exterior battlements are open to the public and it offers good views of the towns harbor area. Today Fort Charlotte is managed by Historic Scotland, and is the base for Shetland’s Territorial Army. Visitors must call to get the keys to visit.
Broch of Mousa requires a boat ride but it is the best preserved example of an Iron Age round tower or broch. It is on the small island of Mousa in Shetland, Scotland and is the tallest broch still standing and amongst the best-preserved prehistoric buildings in Europe.
The Shetland Islands are home to a large population of puffins, making them a good place for puffin-watching as well as other bird watching. Within the Shetland Islands there are a number of places to see puffins, with some requiring only a short hike.
The Right Clothes and the Right Gear Make all the Difference
We’ve been doing a lot of traveling for around forty years and for the past couple of decades many of our trips can be as long as 30 days. Even on long trips people are amazed at how little luggage we have.
Traveling light can become a lifestyle once you give packing some thought. It actually makes the trip much easier on you when you no longer are hauling around oversized and heavy luggage.
Pick your wardrobe carefully
Check the weather where you are going to help determine what clothes to pack. Also try to determine any special events that may require dressing up or dressing down. With this information you will be able to determine what you will need but also what items aren’t necessary.
Eliminate items that need special care
Don’t take clothes that wrinkle easily or need ironing. (You can pack a small spray bottle and use water to spritz out most wrinkles.) Avoid items, like silk, that are easily damaged in a laundry.
Stage selected clothes
You’ve selected what to pack but before you pack stage your selection in one place so you can make an evaluation. Ask yourself questions like what combinations do I have and how many items work with each other. It’s important to be able to mix and match. Many environments also lend themselves to layering outfits. Does your selection fit those needs?
Select clothes designed to travel. Give priority to clothes that can be rinsed out and dried quickly. There are growing choices in miracle fabrics that are designed to keep you cool and dry fast. These items are generally lighter in weight so they take up less space when packing.
Pick shoes with a purpose
We travel with very lightweight tennis shoes (actually running shoes), a pair of sandals and we usually wear our everyday shoes. Pick a comfortable pair of all purpose shoes that will fit into your wardrobe choices. When packing, fill fold-top sandwich bags with socks and small items and put them in your shoes. This keeps things organized and also keeps the shoes from creasing.
Select the right suitcases
It is awkward to find yourself on a crowded train with an oversized suitcase that you can’t lift or will not fit in the overhead. In places like Italy, people will offer to lift the suitcases and place them in the overhead racks for you but then they will demand a substantial tip. On commuter trains, you cannot place suitcases on the seats without being lectured or, at best, glared at the entire journey.
Packing cubes
We have gotten into the habit of traveling mostly with two carry-on size suitcases and a couple of backpacks. We have started using packing cubes to organize our suitcase. By packing the cubes tight it reduces items shifting around and getting wrinkled. We also usually carry an additional light- weight foldable backpack for short day trips and holding things acquired along the way.
Pick clothes that travel well
To get a serious savings in size as well as weight take advantage of light weight, easy dry clothing for traveling. Polyester is the new wonder fabric and it has none of the issues of the old nylon clothes from years ago. Generally you’ll find it comfortable, light weight, moisture wicking and fast drying. It’s perfect for washing out in the evening and being dry in the morning.
32 Degrees – We’ve become very fond of this line of clothing. Available in thermal and sweat wicking shirts and other apparel. We both wear their T’s and thermals.
Exofficio – They offer a wide assortment of fast dry under garments for men and women along with interesting travel ideas.
Balanced Tech @ Amazon – another good collection of fast dry clothing.
Under Armour – This company was the first in the market with sweat wicking clothing and was originally marketed to the military and police.
UNIQLO – this is a Japanese clothing company that is expanding quickly worldwide. We believe they offer a premium line at reasonable price. We have bought and traveled with their moisture wicking polo shirts and while heavier than Columbia they still seem to rinse and dry quickly.
Columbia – has built its brand around cool travel clothing. I have had issues with their polo shirts developing pulls in the fabric and am beginning to rethink this shirt.
Taking care of clothes on the road
We also carry a few items that make it easier to freshen up clothes on the roar.
A small spray bottle – Usually all it takes to get rid of suitcase wrinkles is a little mist of water upon unpacking.
Packets of laundry soap – Rinsing out a few things in a bathroom sink is SOP but you’ll get better results by using a small amount of laundry powder.
An inflatable hanger – These take up almost no space and go a long way towards preventing puckers caused by hanging up damp clothes after rinsing out.
Rolling Clothes
Many people swear by rolling cloths to pack, but we admit to never really getting the knack of this process. Even so rolling clothes for packing is a popular technique for maximizing space in your luggage while also minimizing wrinkles. Here are some steps to follow:
Lay the clothing item flat on a surface.
Fold any sleeves or pant legs neatly towards the center of the garment.
Starting from one end, tightly roll the garment towards the other end.
Once rolled, you can secure the roll with a rubber band or by tucking the end of the garment into the roll.
This method not only saves space but also makes it easier to find specific items in your luggage without having to dig through everything. Additionally, it can help prevent wrinkles and creases that may occur with folding.
The Intentional Travelers 