A Path of Love!

 The following is an email I sent to all my children:

One of the hikes I'm going to do in Italy is between two towns in Cinque Terre.  And along one of the trails is a place to hang locks.....as in locks like we have on all of our gates.  After yu read the story I'm attaching, you'll understand better.  So....I asked c (my boyfriend and their father/father-in-law) to bring me a lock to hang on the wall while I'm there.  Days went by and I'd actually forgotten about it. 

Well, today he brought me the lock he wanted me to take to the wall..........and it is the lock from the house that has been hanging on the gate since the day we installed it.......at least 20 yrs ago!    How sweet is that??  that he brought it to me to "lock our love in"  and that he actually thought and thought where to get a lock from........and got it from somewhere that is so special to me!!!!   He's a pretty neat guy!!!

Now, read the article below to better understand this story...

                                  Lock Your Love on Via dell’Amore for Saint Valentine

Via dell’Amore, the Cinque Terre romantic path dedicated to lovers, is famous all over the world. Couples love to walk on this pathway and, as a ritual, sit on the lover’s chair (the sculpture with a kissing couple) and put locks on the various gates and railings.
These locks symbolize their eternal love for eachother. In fact, two lovers demonstrate their devotion by inscribing their name or initials on a lock, securing it on one of the many gates along the path and throwing the key away so that their love is locked forever.
Some people could think that this ritual trash the area, but I think that today this has become part of the history of Cinque Terre. Lovers, but also families, close friends come here to lock their relationship forever.

But, do you know how the italian padlocks of love trend has begun?
In Italy the love padlock enthusiasm came first to Rome because of a romantic rite mentioned in two novels by the writer Federico Moccia. These novels, “Tre metri sopra il cielo” (Three meters above the sky) and “Ho voglia di te” (I Desire you) were also adapted and transformed into a film.
As per the story, a young man trying to win the heart of a girl, tells her that there is a tradition of putting a padlock in an old bridge in Rome, and throwing the key in the river makes their love last forever.

I will be sure to buy one of these locks to replace the one on our gate.  And this is the one I will be taking with me to "lock our love"  after I've thrown the key into the sea!

I think I may be married to the sweetest and most thoughtful boyfriend in the whole wide world!!

 

Travel Guid