Love bridge

If you've been following this blog over the last few months, you might think that Wessies are a bit too busy going after the benjamins to be worried about such financially non-viable options as "love". Personally,  I've always wondered how couples here, in the moment of passion, could ever tear clothes off each other if the man is wearing a suit waistcoat.

But a closer look at the Kennedy bridge in town suggests that the Bonners are a more romantic bunch than you might think. In an orderly way of course. Every 2 meters along the top of the bridge there are colourful locks attached to the bridge. The little cuties are engraved with messages like: "Annika und Paul 2010" or "Für immer und ewig - Claus und Una".

They are love locks of course - that oh-so-euro symbol of everlasting love. It all started in Italy, says Wikipedia, and quite frankly I believe them. I'm told it's also very big in Cologne to attach love locks to the Hohenzollern Bridge as well, even though it is against the law. Obviously the people of NRW are lovers, not fighters.

I think it's a nice gesture - but obviously people need to work on their relationship as well though. Simply buying and engraving a lock at your local hardware store isn't going to guarantee a happy partnership for life. Although it's a major step in the right direction obviously.

Also, the Kennedy bridge is a bit wind-swept and bleak for mine. There are solar panels running along the south side and there's a tram line too. In fact, if you stand on there long enough someone rams you with their bicycle - I've seen a couple of people get knocked clean into the Rhine already, not a pretty sight.

Personally, I would be looking to go for a slightly more romantic construction really. What about Heidelberg's Carl Theodor Bridge for instance?