A wonderful wedding.

 It is hard to believe it is the 1st of September, as here in Croatia it is still lovely and warm and the beaches in the tourist town of Tucepi are still packed. I am kicking myself for not buying the little flat in Kastela, that I had the chance to buy last year - I thought that there would be very few tourists out here this year with the Covid virus, but I am wrong,  so I really missed a trick there, however, I do know that there were lots of reasons I did not progress with it and my offer had been rejected.  So even in another country still stuck with old concerns. Sadly I have also been a bit freaking out all holiday. I often do the first day in a new country, but this time it has stayed with me much of the time, though I do not fully understand what it is about, so whilst I am enjoying it all very much,  I am also weirdly freaking out.    I suspect it has to do with the weird year it has been and the emotions connected to what has been a very happy time, but also  I suppose a very intense time.    However, everything has been made much easier by how calm Mr and Mrs Austen, have been throughout this time and how kind.  They really have put others first,  even though they should have been at the heart of the event.  

First they gave us the family time before the wedding,  just chillin time,  they especially spent time with the children, then they ensured that we visited key places and for fun they added in time at the local aqua park.  There have been lots of nights watching TV together, or playing computer games and tons of takeaways in between trips to hairdressers and wedding dress companies.   Bit by bit they also had to dash to the airport to pick up more of their guests, and when the car stopped working, that meant via bus.  Two days before the wedding they had to get pcr tests for the guests who had come in from Sweden, Portugal and France and they also put up Nathan's cousin when her accommodation did not come up to spec.   The night before the wedding a whole bunch of them went out for a meal, including  my 14 year old nephew and on the wedding day they also ferried several people to the event which was taking place out on Ciovo island. 

I wanted to make the most of the hotel we were staying at so I took myself off their early by bus.  It was a rather touristy place - it had that old familiar feel of a holiday hotel that was a bit past its best but that in a way was its charm, except you had to climb about thirty steps to the uninspiring reception where a sour faced greeting sent you off to a side door entitled Hotel Bike.   The actual room I stayed in was stylish and big and very promising, except that when I needed a hot bath,  I got a cold one instead and could not work out how to use the shower and to add insult to injury it cost £26 more to stay there for a night than I expected, however, it was just above the wedding venue and that was useful as we could go on the beach, help with the decorations and then rest before the event, and when I was all danced out I could slip away to sleep away.    

The wedding had a few dramatic events to it, such as the grooms wedding ring going missing,  the audio being such that even though an English translator being present, I often couldn't hear or understand what he was saying, and for a moment I was a very sour faced guest as I felt a bit overwhelmed by it all and was upset when the little English band were not all together at the reception.  In the end it was quickly sorted out and for the most part it was a very lovely occasion.  The priest himself was great,  the little church really sweet and it was completely full.  Musician friends from Sahaja came and played and Mooji was kind enough to send personal greetings to them and the bride and groom.  My nephew handed out the sheets with the reading in English and my niece being the flower girl got to sit in the front row with me.  Despite the cold wind outside it was roasting inside.    Most of the ceremony was in Croatian including the vows,  my son is really coming along with his language,  and it was wonderful to see the loving smiles between him and his wife.  It seemed much nicer and more friendly than most weddings.    I was really taken by the fact that both me and the bride's mother wore the same colour blue.  We had pride of place, but no ceremonial function but every now and then people would congratulate me both on the wedding and on having such a lovely son.   I would have loved it if I could have made a brief speech to thank everyone for coming, but speeches are kept to a minimum, which is probably as it should be.   However, I was busy taking pictures and sending them back to the UK so that made me feel more purposeful. And at key moments the bride and groom did manage to hook up with family at home too, so that helped it feel inclusive. 

Then it was off to the wedding venue next door. There were only 50 guests but that was a nice number. N and M were at the top table with their best man and best woman.  The best man gave a brief speech and then that was it.   We had a lovely starter of prosciutto and cheese, followed by a meat dish with prunes or rice and squid, which people seemed to really enjoy.  The meat was very tasty,  and then I had fish which was really lovely.     It is served with chard, which is really popular here.  I need to find out how they make it so much tastier than my chard at home.    As the wedding had not started till 7.30 we were eating really late and in between each course we all got up dancing.  There was a really special mood as each number seemed to signify something to the other for example my sister and I suddenly found ourselves dancing the opening bars of a song, alone before everyone joined in.  And the 8 year old ring girl surprised everyone with her robot dance.    Apparently some of the people up and dancing were famous for not normally joining in so I do not know what had happened, but the choice of music, which was designed to reflect everyone's various tastes helped. There was a lovely moment when M danced with her very elderly grandma.  Then there was a very delicious cake,  each layer had a different flavour,  lemon and chocolate were the ones I tried and then having danced and danced I slipped away, but apparently it only! went on to about 2.30! by which time I was fast asleep. But I woke at 7 so went up to the swimming pool and then enjoyed breakfast and started taking down the decorations.  I was able to get a boat back to Trogir which was fun, or would have been if I  had not left my camera behind at the hotel.  However, luckily others at the hotel were able to retrieve it, so whilst I felt their service had not been good (like much we have experienced this trip) on this occasion they came up trumps.  .   Then I crashed out at home, waking up in time for a second day's celebration for neighbours who had not been able to come to the wedding.  It is so lovely that maybe 20 people can sit outside and share a meal together.  Apparently it is traditional to serve roast lamb or pork the day after the wedding,  and there was a special heart shaped cake and a toast to end the evening.  (however, I had crashed out by then)  And it was good to get to know the neighbours who now people my son's life. 

The last day of celebrations come holiday was a boat trip out to the islands.  The sun shone, the company was good and it was a perfect way to relax together.   The owners even gave the newly weds a present, and their attention to detail was great.  Fish, wine,  the famous local drink and swimming off the boat, made for a memorable end to memorable celebrations.