Wedding proposal

Michel had decided to make it an Elles day and i don’t mind those things at all. We had a few tough days behind us and decided we could use a break. So I stayed in bed whilst michel went out to find some breakfast. Nice breakfasts are difficult to find in Iran. So it was a very nice change to get a nice sandwich served with an omelette, some feta cheese, jam, orange juice and chocolate sprinkles. He served the lovely breakfast underneath a palmtree in the garden of the hostel. A better start of the day I could not imagine.

The rest of the day we hang around and did practically nothing. We wrote something, slept a bit around noon (hottest part of the day) and checked the car for loose bolts. Round 5 o’clock we decide to watch the sunset from Arch e Bam, a deserted mud-brick citadel in the middle of the desert. ‘Will you wear something nice?EMichel asks out of the blue. I have two choices, a blue ‘tentEand a brown ‘tentE This great set of choices comes with the choice of three headscarfsEso what do you have in mind?E‘Well we may have to take some pictures for one of the magazinesEhe sais. I have to say that at this point I got some butterflies in my stomach but waived them off as this was ‘Elles dayE

Bam is a green oases in the middle of the desert of east-Iran and the citadel lies just outside the town. Michel had already been here two years ago and earlier this morning but I did not know anything about the last bit. He could not wait to show this deserted mudbrick village to me. So we walked into the citadel and then I knew why. It was gorgeous! Michel had planned to climb the highest point of the citadel so we could watch the sunset from there.

And that’s where he suddenly started: How long are we seeing each other? Well lets count.. 1 yearEmhhh 11 months and 1 day. Well that must say something, don’t you think? I know our relationship is based on love, romance and trust’…. he sais while going through his knees. ‘I wanted to ask you this for nearly two years now but wanted to wait for a special moment. Mmmh how do you ask such an important thing in a special wayEmmhhEand then he asks me; ‘will you marry me?ETears roll over my face and the only thing I can say isE‘yes ofcourse I want to marry youE I’d love toE

Then Michel grabs into one of the backpacks and comes up with a small bottle of Champagne which we had bought earlier this trip at Moet et Chandon. He had smuggled it with him as drinking alcohol is forbidden in Iran and is as illegal as you can get it. But we think we can make a difference for once, on top of this citadel. Michel had arranged earlier that the doors would stay open a bit longer for us. So there we were enjoying the sunset having the whole place for ourselves. When the imam finishes his call for the evening prayer we watch the light go on in Bam and head back to the guesthouse. A moment never to forget.

Because a nice meal is difficult to find in Iranian restaurant (nothing more then a boring kebab) michel had asked akbar, the owner of the guesthouse, to see what the possibilities were. Akbar immediately knew how important this day would be and had asked michel to come over to his place to have a ‘properEmeal after the visit to the citadel. It would be a feast with all his family. An honour as he never invites guests to his house. The mother of the house, Akbar’s wife, had cooked a delicious true Iranian meal and we had dinner ‘the Iranian way, on the floor with his family and other relatives. As a dessert, Michel had arranged a huge chocolate cake. Later that evening Akbars daughter danced for us and we all had a laugh. It was perfect. We returned late that evening at the guesthouse and chatted for a while underneath the stars in the courtyard.