TRAVEL | HEARTS | LOVE | SIGNS
Following Signs of Love Around the World
Thankfully there is more love than hate
I would venture to say that if you are reading this article, you know the heart is a symbol of love and I believe that most cultures and humans on the planet know of its significance and what it means.
Even, according to this article, the ancient Romans knew the association between love and the heart. In fact, the oldest known artifact to contain the symbol of a heart that we know today is a coin that dates back to 510–490 BC.
To me, the heart also symbolizes togetherness, camaraderie, and peace. And because I ‘love’ this symbol, I can’t help but snap a photo when I see it. Whether it has been put there by a fellow human or arrives as some mystery from the universe, it always makes me smile and I know that it is a sign that love is shining down on us.
The heart in the lead photo was found on the island of Santorini in Greece. It was just outside a plastered building, the plaster being of the same material that it is on this rock. Did somebody put this heart there on purpose? Or was it just an extra glob that was accidentally flung there and happened to find its way into this shape?
Some places have hearts on display in the form of graffiti or mural art. This big heart in Florence, Italy gave me all the feels. Firenze is the Italian way to say Florence, for those who don’t know.
And these two cute lovey-dovey fish were found on the courtyard wall of our hostel in Bulgaria. The owner of the hostel was an incredible artist and this is just the tip of the iceberg of the art we found once we went inside. The whole building was a true masterpiece that was full of love.
In 2018 we traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico to attend the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. This is a time for Mexicans to celebrate the lives of those close to them who have passed on, and they decorate the graves and cemeteries in the most extraordinary ways.
The celebration is meant to show love to their dearly departed and they do this in many ways. However, one of the most symbolic ways is by spreading flower petals around in vast quantities. The whole city was covered in flowers and it was just stunning.
In 2019 we joined my parents in the US and British Virgin Islands for my mom’s 70th birthday. One day Chris and I left them at the hotel and went to do some exploring. As we walked past this beach I couldn’t help but notice that, while not a heart, somebody had left a sign of love for those that were passing by on the trail. How nice!
While volunteering at a botanical garden on the island of Nevis for 6 months, we got to witness when the flamboyant tree shed its red flower petals. Most days we simply raked up the fallen debris and hauled it off to our compost piles. But one day, one of the Filipino staff members beat us to it and raked them into these beautiful signs of love and I’m so glad he did.
While walking down the street in Livingstone, Zambia, we came across this adorable old VW bus. It didn’t look like it had been serving tapas in a while — too bad. But at least it was still on display and spreading the love!
The story behind this next photo is pretty incredible. I was sitting in the kitchen where we were staying in Rissani, Morocco, at the edge of the Sahara Desert, when I noticed a few ants in the corner. Of course, ants are commonplace anywhere warm and they come and go on their own accord. But this time, even from across the room, I could see that they were creating a special shape.
I jumped up to confirm what I was seeing and couldn’t help but snap a few photos. When I showed them to my host, he accused me of putting something sweet on the floor to attract them! He was amazed when I told him that I did no such thing.
Even the ants were sending us signs of love! How sweet:)
Chris and I were exploring a park in Plovdiv, Bulgaria when I noticed a chalk heart drawn on the ground. I also noted the position of the sun and thought that it would be a good opportunity to get a unique photo. Awe!
It’s sad that neither Chris nor I can remember exactly who gave me this bead. They had found it on the ground somewhere and presented it to me upon returning to our hostel. There are signs of love everywhere, truly.
For the first time in our travels, we found a city that was not happy about tourists being in it (though I know there are more). This was in Thessaloniki, Greece and we passed this sign almost daily for a month on our walk to the supermarket to get food for dinner.
I kept thinking that it was sad that we ‘tourists’ were all lumped under one umbrella and whoever it was didn’t want any of us to be there. I kept telling Chris that one day I was going to respond to it.
Finally, the day before we were leaving, as we walked up the street back to our hostel, there was nobody around and I happened to have a Sharpie marker in my purse. I quickly ran to the wall and attempted my first and only foray into graffiti. I just couldn’t help myself.
Okay, maybe this next photo is a stretch. Please humor me and tell me that you think this bunch of flowers is a sign of love as well. Either way, it was a beautiful display.
As an artist, I often craft art into symbols of love also. As I sell items in my print-on-demand shops, often this art is made into notebooks, stickers, cards, and the like. It’s my way of continuing to help spread the love.
I also carry around a stack of LOVE stickers with me that I give out to fellow travelers and friends that we meet along the way. Most people are thrilled to receive this simple gift.
And to finish this article off, I will leave you with a simple, yet powerful message.
This sign was found on one of our explorations around the Essaouira medina in Morocco where we stayed for 2.5 months in 2020. At a time of great uncertainty in the world, the message from this sign made me feel warm inside and gave me hope for a better future. I truly do believe that LOVE is all we need.
In this time of collective sorrow, I do think that spreading love is important to keep pointing humanity in the right direction. And I do believe that we are all headed towards a future of love and togetherness. Because while we have seen many symbols of love around the world, we have seen very few symbols of hate.
I take that as a very good sign.
This is a prompt response to Globetrotters’ monthly challenge Signs. Get in on the fun by reading Anne Bonfert’s introduction post below:
Read these other prompt responses by these talented writers:
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