Due to a year of clipped wings, I have run out of current places where I have sprinkled Dave’s ashes.  So until we can comfortably start traveling again, I will share beautiful places from the past where I have spread his ashes. They just didn’t make it into a post.  There are so many more places than what I have reported in Remembering Dave.

This trip was in 2016.

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Hopewell Rocks are rock formations caused by tidal erosion by the Bay of Fundy.  It is a unique and beautiful place to visit in that, for a 3 hour period each day, you can walk along the rocky ocean floor before the tide comes rushing in.  This is plenty of time to admire to 40 to 70 ft. rock towers, but always keeping an eye on your watch for the estimated time of the highest tide in the world.  Up to 46 ft. of water fills the ocean floor at 12 ft. an hour!

You don’t want to ignore the warning siren alerting you that it is time to leave the area.  If you wait too long, there is a tower you can climb to wait for someone to rescue you, which must be quite embarrassing.

As beautiful as this area is, I could only smile to myself as I imagined Dave being one those tower people.  I can still hear him saying to me, “Ma, sometimes you have to live on the edge.”  That he did.

I sprinkled his ashes on the ocean floor and built a small cairn nearby knowing that the tide would come rushing in and sweep him out to sea.  That’s ok, he would’ve ignored the siren anyway.

Another unique, yet beautiful, place for Dave.

 

The wild horses have roamed the beaches and backwoods of the the Outer Banks for centuries.  Because of the increasing development in surrounding areas, the horses were moved to Corolla where they continue to roam free over 7500 acres. They wander through public and private land.

Whether they stop to cool off in a carport or freely trot along the shore, it is heartwarming to see these beautiful animals unfettered and running free—as they should be.

Corolla, with its beautiful sunrises and sunsets, wild Spanish mustangs, and a feeling you have left the world behind, would have been just the place for Dave.

I can see him on the beach, book in hand, watching the horses trot by.

In his words:

“It’s a simple beauty that’s found in
natural things that embrace their
natural form. It’s a beauty that loves
deeply, but resists possession.

What I call sweet grace.”

Another special place for Dave.

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There are so many beautiful, scenic places in Ireland; some of which I have previously written about.  One more place is Caherdaniel; a charming little village located in County Kerry on the Inveragh peninsula.

When I looked out over the Derrynane Bay at the picturesque rolling mountains and beaches, I knew instantly that Dave would love this secluded part of Ireland.  It became one more special place for Dave.

Although I have written about all the beautiful places where I have sprinkled Dave’s ashes, I also know that Dave loved a good time and relished the fun side of life.  His trip to Ireland would have been a combination of nature’s beauty coupled with enjoying lively pubs where he could down several pints of Guinness.  With a little urging, I could see him making an hilarious attempt at step dancing!

That was Dave; full of fun and laughter.  You never knew what to expect from him.  He was a character for sure. Ireland would have surely welcomed him as one of their own.

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While in Europe two years ago, I sprinkled Dave’s ashes in many jaw-dropping places; some of which I did not post.  Now that Covid-19 has clipped my wings for a while, I decided it was time to find and post some of those missing places.

Mount Pilatus is in central Switzerland and overlooks the lovely city of Lucerne. It is composed of several peaks and offers beautiful countryside views. At least that’s what they told us. It was overcast and cold.  The only picture I took was of a group of crows sitting on a railing.  It was definitely NOT a Dave-worthy place that day.  I was disappointed, but it was just a weather bump in the road.  The weather had cooperated with us most of the time so I figured I shouldn’t be greedy.

As we headed down the mountain in the cogwheel train, we stopped to transfer to a cable car in Fräkmüntegg.  Even though it was cold and rainy, we could actually see the pretty Switzerland countryside below.  Granted, it would have been more spectacular from atop the mountain and if the sun had been shining.

That’s fine because I knew the sun would come out once again and Dave would be in another amazing place.

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Annecy is a quaint little town in the southeast part of France and is located between Lake Annecy and the mountains.

The cobbled streets of the Vielle Ville (Old Town) hosts a weekly farmers’ market, which offers every delicacy you can imagine and colorful fresh flowers. 

Unique little shops encircle the town while artists display their handicrafts along pathways and bridges. 

It is a lovely place to enjoy everything French.  With the lake, its three canals, and the River Thiou, it is known as the Venice of the Alps!

Little outdoor cafes spring up everywhere along the streets and canals.  I can certainly see Dave with a cold beer watching the world go by and absorbing the moment.

This quaint, unique alpine town is another special place for Dave.  J’taime mon fils.

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The Hatfield-McCoy Trails consist of over 700 miles of trails and are located in the mountains of southern West Virginia.  Trails range from the scenic mountain views, to tight and twisting trails. Those with a penchant for endless ATV trails are drawn to this second largest vehicle trail in the world!

A few weeks ago, Rob enjoyed a long weekend with friends on these trails.  He enjoyed a sense of freedom and camaraderie he hasn’t felt in a long time.  With work and house responsibilities, he finds little time for himself.  Dave would have chided him for not enjoying life and doing the things he likes.  I heard it from him all the time.

This trip reminds me of Rob and Dave’s adventure in Corfu, Greece around 1999-2000. Although they didn’t rent ATVs, they did rent scooters to tool around the island. Corfu also has many winding roads, but with cliffs overlooking the Ionian Sea. I am glad I didn’t know about this until they were safely home.  As always, when Rob and Dave got together, there were many laughs and always a few mishaps.

Dave decided to give a “hefty” young lady a ride on his scooter. It didn’t quite work out as planned since they both fell off the bike. I guess they decided it wasn’t such a good idea.  Rob has really fond memories of this trip. I am sure if Dave could have joined Rob in WV, we would be laughing at their escapades.

So, with this in mind, we felt this should be another special place for Dave.  The guys found the best overlook they could and lined up all their quads in Dave’s honor.  Rob placed Dave’s boonie hat on top of his quad and sprinkled his ashes nearby.

Family, adventure, camaraderie—what could be better?

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I always feel sad that Dave has not been a part of so much of our family’s history. There have been so many times in the past 13 years that our family has experienced joyful celebrations and the sadness of losing those close to us.  I feel Dave is watching over us, but I just wish he could be alongside us to share in our laughter and tears.

I remember how Dave would encourage me to slow down, quit the rat race, and start enjoying life.  He just wanted me to find peace and contentment.  This post is about his wish and how, in a small way, he was a part of it.

Fred and I were married this past January.  We dated back in high school over 57 years ago. We went on to marry others, have children, and experience a lifetime of joy and sadness before reconnecting three years ago. Young love is written about in songs and books, but senior love is just as special.  It is a comfortable companionship when you can enjoy the peaceful day-to-day happenings together, or share the excitement of world travel.  It’s knowing that someone is there for you all the time; someone on your side.  This would make Dave smile and say, “It’s about time!”

It was raining on the morning of our small ceremony.  However, as we arrived back at the B&B later that afternoon, we were greeted by a beautiful sunset. The next morning we were thrilled to see the dramatic sunrise over the Delaware with the sun’s rays streaming down the Catskill mountains.  It felt like a message of congratulations from Dave.

Dave is in so many spectacular and unique places all over the world, but this time I just wanted him to be with us on our amazing day.  And, by the way, it is a beautiful place, too.

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This small mountain pass in the French Alps connects the towns of La Clusaz in Haute-Savoie with La Giettaz in Savoie and is located in the Aravis Mountain Range.  The drive to and from the pass consists of sharp switchbacks with amazing views of the surrounding mountains.  The lovely homes and farms on the rolling hills of grass and yellow wildflowers are picture-perfect.

Whenever I travel, I have a vision of places that I determine to be “Dave-worthy.”   Some places are pretty by most standards, but just don’t meet those criteria.   There are other places, however, where there is no hesitation.   My eyes widen and emotion fills my heart.  I hear Dave’s voice in my head saying, “Wow, this place is awesome!”  I don’t just wander around looking for the right spot for Dave. Every spot is the right spot! I was especially drawn to the quaint travelers chapel of Sainte Anne.  Standing on the steps of the chapel is a breathtaking panorama with a dramatic view of Mont Blanc.

Dave absorbed nature into his soul. The outdoors was his religion.  He wrote poems about bumblebees and wind chimes and would forego tents so he could sleep under the stars.  Nothing pleased him more than the beauty that surrounded him in nature.  Here, near the chapel, Dave is surrounded by the nature he loves.

On the front of the chapel are the words “Sainte Anne Protegez les Voyageurs,” which means Saint Anne Protect the Voyagers.

I’m hoping that includes heavenly voyagers.

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For as long as I can remember, I wanted to tour Neuschwanstein Castle.  When I lived in Germany for a brief time in 1968, I had hoped to find the time to visit.  Unfortunately, Vietnam interrupted those plans and I was prematurely sent back to the states.  I mentioned to Dave it was still one of my travel wishes.  He thought it would be a “cool” idea.  (I think the German beer was also a draw!)

The castle overlooks the Village of Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany and sits between the Alpine foothills in the south and the hilly landscape in the north.  There is a magnificent view of the castle from the Marienbrücke (Marie Bridge).

As King Ludwig once wrote, “the location is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable.”

On a beautiful, sunny day in May, I sprinkled Dave’s ashes from the bridge overlooking the castle. The bridge spans the Pöllat River and overlooks the Pöllat Gorge.

As we walked down the mountain, the clouds rolled in and it began to rain. I was so thankful that, once again, my “weather angels” helped us out.

It may have taken fifty years to get there, but it was definitely worth it. It’s an amazing feeling when you finally get to enjoy an experience that has long been on your wish list.  I just never could have imagined it would be the subject of a remembrance post for my child.

I hope Dave still thinks it’s cool.

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The Bernese Alps is a mountain range in the Swiss Alps, which connects the peaks of Jungfrau and Mönch.  It is accessible only certain times of the year by a railway that slowly makes its climb to the top; sometimes traveling underground.  It is the highest railway in Europe at 11,371 feet.

When we were a short distance from the top, the train stopped for a few minutes to allow us to acclimate to the high elevation.  The amount of time was surely insufficient for when we arrived at Jungfraujoch, we were clearly not ready for the lightheadedness, the shortness of breath, and feeling as if our limbs didn’t belong to us!

We slowly climbed (and I mean SLOWLY) to the vantage platform hoping to see the spectacular views of the Aletsch Glacier with Jungfrau in the distance.  However, as we stepped outside, we were surrounded by grey clouds and cold whistling winds. I made my way to the railing and kneeled down to sprinkle some of Dave’s ashes into the void.   Needless to say, I was disappointed not to be able to document another beautiful place for Dave. I knew it was such a special place—even if I couldn’t see it.

As we were lining up to head down the mountain, I turned around and was shocked with what I saw through the window.  In a brief moment, the grey clouds disappeared, the sun brilliantly lit the area and opened up the most amazing view. It instantly brought tears to my eyes as I was sure I was seeing a pathway to heaven. THIS is where Dave’s ashes are.  Such magnificence! I was given this exquisite moment for Mother’s Day.

Thank you, Dave, for that much needed message.

As we rode back down the mountain and absorbed the grandeur of the Swiss mountainside, we reveled in the beauty of lovely little Swiss towns with thundering waterfalls as backdrops.  The snow capped mountains completed the picture-perfect scenes.  I knew Dave would forever be a part of this beauty and I smiled.

We were staying in the town of Interlaken and decided to take a cable car up to Harder Kulm, Interlaken’s hometown mountain.  It was quite a steep climb to the top where we were greeted with beautiful panoramic views of Jungfrau, Mönch, and the town of Interlaken.  At an elevation of  “only” 4,337 ft., we were able to freely move about the area.  Although not as spectacular as Jungfraujoch, this was definitely a scenic charm and another worthy place for Dave.

Between Jungfraujoch and Harder Kulm, I couldn’t ask for more beautiful places for Dave.  He would have loved Switzerland.

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