Alanah and Arbaline celebrated their Sacred Union and wedding on Sunday August 12, 2007! :-) Some pictures of our ceremony can be viewed here. We then experienced two and a half weeks of No-Time, i.e. our honeymoon, in Greece from August 12 through 31. Below are a few photos from our adventure. Higher resolution versions of these along with other pictures can be seen here.
1: Parthenon: Alanah and Arbaline stand before the Parthenon, probably the most famous temple in Greece. Notice the bit of scaffolding in the background, which is part of a restoration process currently going on. This of course reflects our inner scaffolding, which is coming off more and more! :-)
2: Acropolis: Alanah sits on the edge of the Acropolis (the hill upon which the Parthenon and other ancient structures sit) with a view of Athens behind her.
3: Athens: A wide view of the large and beautiful city of Athens, Greece, seen from the Acropolis.
4: Greek Ruins: Alanah before some Roman era ruins. On the upper left can be seen Hadrian's Arch, and on the upper right can be seen the acropolis with the Parthenon peeking over the edge.
5: Goddesses: Greece contains many large museums and ancient artifacts. Here can be seen two beautiful figures in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. One is the goddess of Love, and the other is a marble statue. ;-)
6: Gardens: A fountain in the large Athens Municipal Gardens. Notice the star made out of stones on the ground in front.
7: Alanah: Alanah dressed up pretty on a rooftop terrace restaurant. The acropolis is in the background, although it's invisible in the picture due to it being evening.
8: Pillars: Arbaline is in position to start the 1st Gate mudra. These are Roman era ruins of the Church of St. Titus at Gortyna, Crete.
9: Garden Trees: Alanah is in position of finishing the 8th Gate mudra. This is another picture from the Athens Municipal Gardens.
10: Knossos: After Athens we journeyed to the island of Crete. Alanah does the One Heart in the palace of Knossos. This was the capital of the ancient Minoan civilization, and the site where Theseus faced the minotaur and met Ariadne.
11: Knossos: Alanah and Arbaline do the One Heart together before a pair of pillars forming an "11", at the palace of Knossos. Notice Arbaline's bull head shirt with a strap across it, symbolizing "no more bull" in our lives. ;-)
12: Phaestos: Arbaline and Alanah together at the Minoan ruins at Phaestos, Crete.
13: Agia Triada: Alanah waves as she gets ready to climb an ancient stairway, at the Minoan ruins at Agia Triada, Crete.
14: Elevator: After stairs comes the elevator! ;-) Alanah is a beautiful soul at all times, even in seemingly "ordinary" places like this elevator at the Lato Hotel, in Heraklion, Crete.
15: Hearts and Smiles: After Crete we journeyed to the island of Naxos. Arbaline sends a heart from our hotel room at the Hotel Grotta on the island of Naxos, Greece.
16: Beach: Naxos is famous for its beautiful sandy beaches. Alanah welcomes you into the crystal blue waters.
17: Beach: Alanah reflects on life as the late sun reflects off the water.
18: Portara: In the main town or Hora of Naxos is this gateway called the Portara, the last remnant of the Temple of Apollo.
19: Portara: Alanah playful in the blowing wind. :-) The Portara can be seen in the background on a narrow peninsula.
20: True Love: Alanah and Arbaline share a magic moment next to the Portara at sunset.
21: Natural Arch: Greece also features a number of naturally formed gateways. Alanah contemplates one while looking out to sea, very near our hotel.
22: Mt. Zeus: While on Naxos, we climbed Mt. Zeus (Zos), the tallest mountain in the Cyclades cluster of islands. Alanah is at the base of the trail, with the mountain in the background.
23: Zeus Cave: Part way up the mountain is the Cave of Zeus. According to legend, this is where Zeus, king of the Greek gods, was born.
24: Zeus Summit: Arbaline and Alanah at the summit of Mt. Zeus, with a view of much of Naxos and other islands visible in the background.
25: Nature: Alanah in the beautiful countryside of Naxos, on the back slopes of Mt. Zeus. Notice the stone wall, where there were often herds of goats ambling about.
26: Shopping: Greece in general, and Naxos in particular, are full of enchanting shops along narrow, windy streets. Alanah tries out a hairpin in a fairy themed store we came across.
27: Boat Trip: Traveling by boat is always a special experience. We took this boat from Naxos to the island of Santorini.
28: Dolphins: While on the boat, a group of at least five dolphins joined us and swam along the bow for several minutes! This view is looking straight down from the side of the boat into the water, where one dolphin can be seen jumping into the air, and two others on either side of it in the water. A magic experience and true blessing! :-)
29: Santorini Town: Alanah welcomes you to the sunny island of Santorini, Greece. The town of Fira can be seen on the edge of the cliff.
30: Santorini Caldera: Alanah and Arbaline together at the edge of the caldera on Santorini. Santorini is an enormous ancient volcano, that erupted 3600 years ago and then collapsed into the sea. It greatly changed the world around it, just as we have been greatly changed together. :-)