Love locks

Locks of love

Paris, June 2010

Keep your love under lock and key...especially in Paris.

On the Pont des Arts, the wooden pedestrian bridge  that transports one across the Seine to the Louvre, a simple padlock represents love and devotion.  Some plain, some engraved, strangely they seem an appropriate gesture in the city of love.  Unfortunately, not all think so.  There used to be thousands of locks on the bridge, but recently the vast majority disappeared.  It seems the powers that be in Paris think they are an eye-sore.  One can only conclude that these powers are the reason behind the disappearance.  However, some locks remain, further testament to the devotion they represent.  I wish that I would have had one with me to add to the collection.

The second string

After a few days at Disneyland Paris, our son still had not had the opportunity to meet some of his favorite characters. While I remember characters wandering the park when I was a child (at least in California), it was not the case here. Character appearances in Paris were relegated to specific times and if you miss the window you are out of luck.

On the final day, leaving the parks without so much as a photo with the famous mouse, we decided to stop for dinner at Café Mickey in the Disney Village. We thought it was just a Disney-themed restaurant, a parting treat for our son, we had no idea that some of the characters joined you while dining.

So there we were, eating our meals, when Mickey appears out of the kitchen. Our son was beside himself...and I was thinking finally, he'll meet more of the big characters. Then out comes then Goofy, then Tigger, then Pluto and I'm still thinking JACKPOT! Granted we weren't sitting in the best location, but I still managed to get photos. I kept wondering who would appear next. Maybe we'd get lucky and have Woody or Buzz Lightyear.

And then came the second string.

'Who is that character?' my husband asks.

'Um...I know him...um,' scouring my cartoon memories for a name. 'Isn't he from Peter Pan?'

'Oh yeah, he's Captain Hook's toady, right?'

'Yeah, that's it...what's his name?' And only after several minutes did I remember it was Smee.

Smee was followed by Friar Tuck from Robin Hood, Geppetto from Pinocchio, and one of the cats from The Aristocats. Our son had never seen any of these movies. He's a connoisseur of the more recent Disney movies, primarily the fault of us, his parents, as we are not huge fans of the older movies. He was bewildered by these strange characters that seemed to also be the ones that made sure they said hello to the people in the cheap seats...like us. The photo I have of him and Geppetto is priceless. He has a true look of who the heck are you and why do you have your arm around me on his face. But hey, one day he'll finally see those characters on TV and think I've met them.

Café Mickey. A fun place to eat at Disneyland Paris, especially if you want to meet Mickey and friends...even the ones whose name you can't remember.

Like they're rock stars

I think one of the best things about the Disney experience is the chance for kids to meet their idols. Just watching our son's face light up as he saw his favorite characters in person was priceless. And even though he knows they aren't real...you can still tell there is part of his mind that says they are.

But tell me, is it wrong for his mother to be equally excited to see these stars? I think I actually shouted 'look, it's Buzz Lightyear!' louder than the children standing around me.

Where dreams come true

After four long and noisy days here, I am enjoying the quiet of home...and laundry. More to follow.