22 January 2023 - PADLOCK TREE PARK - MOSCOW

 

PADLOCK TREE PARK

 

 - MOSCOW -

G'day folks,

Welcome to dozens of padlock-trees along the Moscow River. 

Rows of dozens of trees, each one housing hundreds if not thousands of padlocks, adorn the banks of the Moscow River and symbolize a couple’s eternal love in marriage.

 

When a couple get married, they write their names on a padlock (which is often the shape of a heart), lock it to some free space on one of the metal tree frames, and toss the key into the river. Although the practice is common in many other countries, the iron trees that lovers affix their lock to make Moscow’s bridge of love a unique and romantic site.

It is not uncommon to see newlyweds on the bridge, and even brides in their wedding gowns, kissing just before clicking down their padlock of love on Luzhkov Bridge.

9 FEBRUARY 2021 - HOW F. SCOTT AND ZELDA FITZGERALD MET

 

 HOW F. SCOTT AND

 ZELDA FITZGERALD MET

G'day folks,

We have all heard about them, and read their work, but how did they meet?

You’d think the couple that pretty much embodies the roaring 20s would meet in a more typical fashion, like being introduced by some famous author friends. But the truth is that F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Syre met in a much more ordinary and coincidental way - at a dance. In fact, it was a dance F. Scott Fitzgerald wasn’t even supposed to attend. In July 1918, the aspiring author was stationed at Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, Alabama, awaiting orders to fight overseas in World War I.

To pass the time and blow off some steam he decided to attend a nearby country club dance. At 18, Zelda Syre was already a prominent figure in Montgomery's social circles. She completely charmed Fitzgerald at the dance, but despite his claim that he was on the verge of literary fame, Zelda doubted his financial prospects and rejected him at first. Still, Fitzgerald pursued her fiercely for two years, and she finally agreed to marry him in 1920 after his first novel 'This Side of Paradise' was picked up by a major publishing house.

Although their marriage is notorious for being tumultuous, the two greatly inspired each other’s literary careers. The famous line 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,' said by Daisy Buchanan in 'The Great Gatsby', was actually taken from Zelda’s personal diary.

Clancy's comment: There ya go. Now, you know.

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