Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Lock up your love and throw away the key

Love locks adorn the Love Lock Wall in Malá Strana

 "Love can never grow old. Locks may lose their brown and gold. 
Cheeks may fade and hollow grow. But the hearts that love will know, 
never winter's frost and chill, summer's warmth is in them still."


A symbol of everlasting love...



 Water Sprite Kabourek sits at the Velkopřevorský Mill wheel.  He was created by sculptor Josef Nálepa, who is one of two people who made a portrait of Salvador Dalí

Apparently, Kabourek doesn´t like the love locks...
"Water sprites have various characteristics, e.g. they tend to like alcohol, pretty girls and so on. Kabourek is said to like bottled beer.  'He is good, although he looks gloomy.  He is only bad to bad people', Josef Nálepa describes Kabourek’s character.  'And he says that he will throw to the Vltava all those who put padlocks on the beautiful grids which make it impossible to see the bridge or the water sprite,' added Josef Nálepa.  'It is not a good habit, which originates somewhere in the east.  I think that the city should get rid of this unsightliness, so that we can have the beautiful old Prague'.  And one more thing.  The thing on top of Kabourek’s head is a little flame, which the water sprite uses as a light under water."


Kabourek is right...the locks do block the view of the old mill and most people probably don't even notice him sitting there 

Kabourek, you're going to have to take it up with this restaurant next door to the mill - they're selling locks to people

  
  
 More love locks at a different bridge overlooking Čertovka (Devil's Stream)





And even more love locks.  These are attached to a statue on the Charles Bridge.  That's just not right.