Sometimes an archway is just a beautiful archway. This entrance to a home in Monterey, California was nicely framed by a magnificent bougainvillea. Unfortunately, the plant was damaged by frost and is no longer there.
Archways and doors invite us to step through, to experience what is on the other side. They are places of transition. Passing through an archway or a door can be a ceremony of initiation and renewal. This door is at the Carmel Mission.
Doors, gates and thresholds are entrances into new worlds. Gates and doors are common to many story genres. Often the hero passes through a gate or crosses a threshold to begin his journey or quest. This gate is to the cemetery at the Mission San Juan Bautista.