A couple of days ago just happened to be Valentine's Day. Even though it's not as big a deal to me, my hubby & I do fall into the trap a bit since we still CELEBRATE OUR ENGAGEMENT ANNIVERSARY. That part is a big deal to us!
We are, also, very busy in our lives. Other things do get in the way...like kiddos. Don't get me wrong, hubby & I do try very hard to make time for each other. That is absolutely important in any relationship! But there are times when things like basketball practice just tend to fall on a particular holiday like that. Plus, hubby coaches the team...so...that's how it goes.
But we didn't fret. We knew things would be crazy-busy out there on the fabricated holiday. We would still take in dinner or coffee to commemorate our engagement anniversary, but it was too difficult this year. Which we were fine with. We could go out the following night & still be OK.
There has been something on an INSPIRED BUCKET LIST OF MINE that I had forgotten about until recently...so it was only in my head for a while. It's the whole Love Padlock thingy. I knew tourists did it on a bridge in Paris, France...but it did apparently begin in Italy. It, then, took hold in many other places (mostly bridges) around the world.
Here's what goes down:
Two people (more than likely as a couple) will get a simple padlock & will write their names, a date &/or a message on the padlock (one with a key, not a combination lock). They would, then, take the decorated padlock to a bridge with a fence, attach & lock it, then throw the key into the body water underneath. This is done to symbolize an everlasting bond, and the key will be lost so that the lock cannot be undone. It's a beautiful & sweet gesture, don'cha think?
Unfortunately for many of these bonds...they end up torn apart anyway. Why? Well, it's not for the reason you may be thinking...
See, there are so many locks on these bridges that it begins to block the view of water & weighs down the fencing. What happens is the fact that the city will have or hire someone to cut the locks off. Such an endearing gesture between 2 people is ruthlessly taken away. I guess it's fine in the moment of the lock going on, but how sad to go back to find your lock & remember...just to find out it has been removed anyway.
Just a couple of years ago, we were told of a restaurant close to us that we just NEEDED to try! It's on the historic square of the town we live in. We were given the chance to try it out. You know what? We loved it! It's a quaint & old-world style Italian place. A touch on the pricey side, but not over-the-top.
This is the place I brought up when I was REMEMBERING THE ROMANCE WITH MY PRINCE CHARMING. It was, and remains to be, our new place since our former fave closed so long ago.
It was interesting earlier this week...we were watching a news cast as they did a story about some kind of Valentine cuisine of sorts. I don't remember if it was about dinners or desserts or both...
...no matter, I noticed as the person they interviewed was sitting in a booth, the background looked oh-so-familiar. I asked my hubby, "Is that Cafe' Verona? Because that totally looks like Cafe' Verona." He tilted his head & said it might be...and then the guy's name came on the screen - it was accompanied with the restaurant he was with: Cafe' Verona! I knew it!
At the end part of the story, the reporter talked about the gates on the front of the eatery. She brought up the practice of Love Padlocks in other parts of the country (ringing a bell here, folks?). She had a sharpie with her & wrote on a padlock her name, her hubby's name & how long they'd been together. She then placed it & locked it onto the gates of our favorite "our place." I never remembered seeing locks on there before, but had never paid attention to that part...
For our Engagement Anniversary, I got a gift certificate for us to use for dinner at Cafe' Verona. As I entered into the restaurant, I did notice a few locks. Awwwww...!!!
I also got padlock, then had it engraved with our names & a special word we have used with each other for years! It's a hardcore, heavy duty Brinks padlock, too. (I know this information because the engraver at Things Remembered pointed it out.) When we said "forever", it was meant! (Just as I responded the engraver at Things Remembered.)
I also took the liberty of making reservations for us there, too. That's right...RESERVATIONS, people! Fan-Cy! Amm-i-rite? So, at around 6:30 last night, we got to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement! Plus, we took the padlock, too. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner & some antioxidant-fortified Jesus water with our meal...then we made our mark as we left our favorite romantic establishment for the night:
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| Our engraved lock after we put it on the gates... One side was engraved with our names & a double heart between them; the other side was engraved with "SHMILY" (See How Much I Love You) |
As we stood out there & took the pics, a woman came outside for a smoke. She saw us taking pictures of our newly-attached padlock & commented on it. She asked if we had just done it. Apparently she & her man had just attached theirs, too. And we got into a discussion about the padlock practice & how glad we were that a place like Cafe' Verona gives you the opportunity to take part in a practice that is being denied or banned in other parts of the world.
Plus, she was impressed by the engraving. And we had a discussion about "SHMILY".
So...as if our exchange of vows of forever almost 17 years ago wasn't enough...it's now totally locked in at Cafe' Verona. I can officially mark that off the bucket list!
Stay tuned...
God Bless, AM~Erica
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