Cypriot wedding

The wedding was being held in the shade of a nearby church.  It was right next to the beach and walking distance for all the various hotels that everyone was staying at.

The day felt hot, so we wanted to ensure we were well shaded when we arrived.  Knowing my Swiss friends well, I was certain they would all be on time.  I arranged to walk down to the wedding with them.  As expected, they had all agreed on the time to meet at the hotel and when to start walking.  Veronica and I happily joined them and we walked down to the wedding together.  We arrived early enough to have our first choice of places to sit, well shaded and with the ideal view of the wedding.

As the sun slowly began to set, the wedding began.  The groom has set himself up down the path leading from the door to the church.  After a very traditional delay, Corinne appeared, looking radiant and lovely, walking down the aisle towards Stelios.  I was incredibly happy for her.  We had known each other for a long time now.  All the back to when I lived in Australia and she was studying there.  We had become good friends and had even visited each other over the years on our various holidays.  I still remembered when she came to visit me in Hong Kong with Stelios as well.  I would never have imagined that I would now be at her wedding in Cyprus of all places.  I felt this strange sense of satisfaction and ease to see her happy with Stelios. 

Stelios and Corinne both looked great.  There were songs sung, vows exchanged and speeches made.  A lovely ceremony for everyone to witness.

  

After the wedding ceremony, we all made our way back to the large villa complex they had hired.  There on the grounds overlooking the water, the reception had been set up.  As the catering staff worked to get everything set up, all the guests enjoyed snacks and drinks. When we were seated at the tables, we were then given the most food I have ever seen at any wedding I have ever attended.  Every course was enormous, and the number of courses didn't seem to stop.  By the time it did finally stop, the tables were completely full of large plates.  Most people had long stopped eating, unable to handle anything extra.  

The bride and groom made their way around the tables.  Greeting everyone with smiles.  As the night continued, the drinks continued to flow and games were organised with all the guests. 

After more games and more speeches, the dancing began.  This was a Greek wedding, and no Greek wedding can truly be complete without the dancing.  I dragged Veronica with me to the dance floor so that we could join in, our tired feet reenergised by the music.

Cyprus with no baby

My good friend Corinne was getting married in Cyprus.  We were invited to her wedding, but with work commitments and the need to look after Pickle, it didn't seem possible.  Suddenly though, there was a change.  Projects that needed to be completed disappeared.  Reorganisations happened.  Jobs changed.  Suddenly a very busy time became quite free for the both of us.

We were out in a park with Pickle when I asked Veronica her thoughts on this very sudden idea.  Should we go?  Could we go?

It seemed incomprehensible only a few weeks earlier, but now it was all becoming something at least within the "realm of possibility".  I messaged Corinne to ask her if she was free to speak.  She was and took my call as we walked around the park.  I asked her whether it was too late to come, assuming we could get the logistics all worked out.  She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the call was about something more concerning.  She was delighted and hoped we could make it work.

So for the next few days, a flurry of activity occurred as we tried to make the necessary arrangements for a trip to Cyprus.  Flights weren't cheap and they weren't convenient, but we found something passably acceptable (only just).  Pickle would be cared for by his grandparents for a few days.  Annual leave was arranged.  The days passed us by, and soon enough we were at the airport waiting for our flight to depart.

It all felt extremely strange.

We hadn't been parents for very long, but it was an all encompassing experience.  To find ourselves suddenly separated from it all just didn't feel right.  I knew that Pickle was being well looked after, but it didn't remove my sense of concern or anxiety for him.  

After a short stop in Doha, we arrived in Larnaca in Cyprus.

We had arranged a hire car to make things easier.  The wedding location was the East of the island, so instead of immediately driving over we started to explore the local area around Larnaca first.  It was one of the bigger cities in Cyprus, but it was still relatively quiet out on the outskirts near the "famous" Salt Lake.  As we stood on the salted crust of the lake, I bunch of young guys pulled up in their car and started to walk out to look as we were.  They were clearly tourists as well and one of the guys asked me in a joking and sarcastic manner: "Is this place any good?  I don't think it is."  He was probably right....

After the initial stops closer to the airport, we moved into the city itself to eat and explore.  We went to a souvlaki restaurant that had been recommended by the manager at the car hire company.  "It looks touristy, but it's actually good" was what he had told us.  He wasn't wrong, and we had what would be one of the best meals of the entire trip.  The vegetables were fresh and full of flavour, the meat was smokey and nicely grilled.  It was simple food, but it was from the region and set us in the right mood.

We walked around Larnaca after lunch.

It didn't feel big at all and there was a nice relaxed feeling to the place.  The height of the tourist season was over, so things were now apparently much quieter than what they would otherwise be.  It meant that the stroll through the town was a calm experience without any jostling or crowds.  The first place we went to on our exploration of the town was the Church of Saint Lazarus.  This church and the salt lake seemed to be the two most famous attractions of this area. After our visit to the lake, I was more reserved in my expectations for the church.  From the outside, it was a relatively small and humble looking church.

On the inside, it was far more magnificent.

It was still a very small church, but it was adorned with gold.  At the back, there was a large wall of Orthodox church icons.  Saints, with their images brightly illustrated and surrounded with ornate gold decorations.  It was a beautiful and impressive sight. 

We kept walking around the rest of Larnaca.  There wasn't too much exciting to the place.  There was a beach and promenade area.  Shops, restaurants and cafes all along the front, as well as an old fort.  We walked through the fort, stood up at the top and took some pictures before we walked through the town back to the car.

We now needed to get to Protaras where the wedding was.  It was mid afternoon and we had plenty of time.  It was a quick drive.  Only 45 minutes along the highway and we were already at the hotel.  At this point, we needed to be careful and quiet.  A pre-wedding dinner had been arranged this evening before the wedding day.  Corinne knew we were coming, but we had decided to keep it a secret from all our other Swiss friends as a surprise.  I had to be careful coming and out of the hotel to ensure we wouldn't be caught early.  I knew my Swiss friends well though, they would all most certainly be on time.  So after checking in, we intentionally delayed leaving to ensure we would be 10 minutes late (unheard of for my Swiss friends).  Everything we amazingly well and we arrived at the restaurant to looks of happiness and shock.

Dinner was a bit of a blur.  Veronica and I were jetlagged, but the emotion of seeing my old friends swept me us as well.  The food came and went, but none of it really mattered to me.  We all chatted and laughed, years had gone by and it was a joy to be able to spend time together with them again as well as to be able to introduce them all to Veronica.  If it was only this evening, the travel had already been worth it.