Memorial to Sandra

Sandra's Ashes

Scattering details
Place	Date	Notes
I use Google Earth to determine the coordinates of a scattering, unless there is a source for that information at the location. Sources are noted next to the coordinates.
Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada  56° 14' 43.24" N 120° 44' 30.59" W (Google Earth)*	27 August 2003	First scattering. When working for CP Air in Fort St. John, Sandra used to love lying in the grass at the end of the runway to watch the Boeing 737s take off over her. Her ashes were scattered in the same grass near the threshold of runway 20. She will forever look up at the aircraft taking off over her from runway 02. Long-time friends Peggy and Chris were present, as well as Alvin who worked with her at YXJ.
Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya), Zambia  17° 55' 42.67" S 25° 51' 26.16" E (Google Earth)	26 September 2003	Although Sandra never visited Victoria Falls, we were planning to do so in late 2002 had she been strong enough to travel. I scattered some of Sandra's ashes from the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls Bridge (over the Zambezi River) in the company of my friend Arthur from the UK, with whom Sandra corresponded occasionally. It was initially my intention to scatter her ashes from the bottom of the bungee jump from the bridge, but the logistics were too difficult.
Shiwa Ng'andu, Zambia  11° 12' 6.68" S 31° 44' 40.38" E (Google Earth)*	3 October 2003	Sandra would have loved to visit this "English manor in the African bush", complete with all of its rich history. Although it wasn't originally my intention to scatter some of her ashes here, I thought it a perfect setting. Friends Arthur from the UK and Heather from Zambia were present.
Gemsbok National Park, Botswana  25° 33' 57.9" S 20° 41' 18.08" E (Google Earth)*	6 November 2003	The Gemsbok National Park in Botswana and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa together form the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park which, as the name suggests, spans the South Africa / Botswana border. Just inside Botswana, by the road that meanders along the border, I scattered some of Sandra's ashes in the presence of my Uncle Stewart and Aunt Rona. Now she is closer to the lions that so fascinated her on our trip to South Africa in 2001. Postscript, 16 February 2012: My nanna (mentioned in the next entry) died on 2 July 2011. On 16 February 2012 -- what would have been Nanna's 88th birthday (twice the age that Sandra lived to) and the 9th anniversary of Sandra's death -- my uncle and aunt scattered some of Nanna's ashes, also in the Kalahari.
Orkney, South Africa  26° 58' 27.43" S 26° 39' 54.27" E (Google Earth)	13 November 2003	Sandra admired my nanna's garden when we visited here in 2001, and the two of them enjoyed time together over cups of tea. It seemed like a good setting for Sandra among the strelitzias (birds of paradise).
Harare (formerly Salisbury), Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia)  17° 46' 33.75" S 31° 1' 4.64" E (Google Earth)	1 December 2003	I scattered some of Sandra's ashes in the garden of the house where I grew up. Rhodesia is the land of my birth.
Amsterdam, Nederland  52° 21' 26.6" N 4° 52' 51.64" E (Google Earth)	15 December 2003	Amsterdam was one of Sandra's favourite destinations. Although we didn't have a chance to come here together, we had made some tentative plans around the blooming of flowers in one of the well-known gardens here. I scattered some of Sandra's ashes amongst a small grove of trees next to the van Gogh museum, a place I am quite sure she would have visited while here.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada  49° 14' 30.61" N 123°6' 53.04" W (Google Earth)	16 February 2004	On the first anniversary of Sandra's passing I scattered some of her ashes in Queen Elizabeth Park. You can find the location amongst the daffodils (at least for that part of the year when they are blooming) in the north side of the oval flower bed opposite the cedar of Lebanon tree. The tree and its associated plaque are item 7 on the maps posted in the park.
Macksville, New South Wales, Australia  30° 42' 23.34" S 152° 55' 17.83" E (Google Earth)	9 March 2004	I don't believe that Sandra made it to Australia; I know it wasn't high on her list of places to go when we were together. I scattered some of her ashes in the Nambucca River in Macksville, about 10 km before the river runs into the Tasman Sea in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and New Zealand. The area is a beautiful one, full of beautiful sandy beaches that I know Sandra would have loved.
Perth, Western Australia, Australia  31° 49' 34.97" S 115° 44' 29.49" E (Google Earth)	25 March 2004	If Sandra would have loved the beaches on the east coast of Australia, she would have just adored Perth with its almost-unbroken string of beautiful, white, sandy beaches. I scattered some of her ashes in the Indian Ocean here.
Zürich, Switzerland  47° 21' 49.65" N 8° 32' 42.7" E (Google Earth)*	6 July 2005	While on a brief stop in Zürich, on a day when the weather was terrible for a summer day, I went down to the Zürichsee (also known in English as the Lake of Zürich) and scattered some of Sandra's ashes in the lake. Apparently when the weather is nicer, you can see the Alps from there. In many respects, the Zürichsee is to Zürich what English Bay is to Vancouver. Sandra visited Zürich some years ago with her friend Kathy.
Stirling, Scotland  56° 7' 28.94" N 3° 56' 47.23" W (Google Earth)*	20 July 2005	On a visit to Stirling Castle, former seat of past Scottish royalty, I scattered some of Sandra's ashes amongst the flowers in the Bowling Green Gardens, a lovely setting within the walls of a spectacular and commanding castle on the River Forth.
Sudden Valley, Washington, United States of America  48° 43' 1.5" N 122° 18' 57.59" W (Google Earth)*	16 February 2006	Before we met, Sandra used to enjoy water skiing with family and friends on Lake Whatcom near Bellingham. On the third anniversary of her passing, my friend John (with whom Sandra quickly formed a strong bond when they met) and I scattered some of Sandra's ashes there.
Monaco-Ville, Monaco  43° 43' 55.06" N 7° 25' 36.97" E (Google Earth)*	18 July 2008	In a setting that Sandra would surely have described as "spectacular", I placed some of her ashes at the base of a tree in the gardens just down the hill from the Palais Princier (Prince's Palace) in Monaco.
Barcelona, Spain  41° 21' 22.67" N 2° 10' 37.57" E (Google Earth)	20 July 2008	On a beautiful Spanish evening I scattered some of Sandra's ashes in the harbour at Barcelona.
At sea, Mediterranean Sea  38° 45.86' N 7° 25.38' E (ship's navigation system)	21 July 2008	Using a stone collected in Barcelona, a single tissue, and a blade of grass plucked from a floral arrangement on the ship, I created a neat little package containing some of Sandra's ashes to be dropped into the Mediterranean Sea. (Sandra would have been impressed with my attempt to keep things environmentally-friendly.) At 17:14 local time (UTC plus two hours), somewhere southwest of the coast of Sardinia and approximately half way between the Balearic Islands and Tunis, I dropped her from the stern into the ship's wake, and watched as she sank.
Carthage, Tunisia  36° 51' 17.71" N 10° 20' 4.34" E (Google Earth)	22 July 2008	The ruins of the Antonine Baths in Carthage, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, seemed like a nice spot, so I scattered some of Sandra's ashes there.
Valletta, Malta  35° 53' 42.23" N 14° 30' 42.21" E (Google Earth)	23 July 2008	In Valletta, the capital of Malta, I buried some of Sandra's ashes in a nice flower bed in the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking Fort Lascaris, where there is a ceremonial firing of a cannon at noon each day.
Pompeii, Italy  40° 45' 0.87" N 14° 29' 12.21" E (Google Earth)	25 July 2008	As you will know if you knew Sandra, she had a great sense of humour and a sense of mischievousness. So what better place to scatter a few of her ashes -- among the excavated ruins of Pompeii -- than in a walled garden (although it may very well have been indoors during Pompeii's heyday) closed to the public right behind the famous Lupanar -- or brothel. A scattering always calls for a moment of reflection, but this one also called for a chuckle.
Rome, Italy  41° 53' 30.11" N 12° 29' 10.16" E (Google Earth)	27 July 2008	The ashes of the late partner of a good friend of mine, who also got to know Sandra briefly, are scattered among the foundation stones of the Temple of Vesta in the Forum of ancient Rome. Since Dave and Sandra formed a quick and close bond, it seemed fitting that some of her ashes be scattered nearby -- and they were, also among the same foundation stones, but in a slightly different place.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada  46° 30' 36.24" N 84° 20' 20.97" W (Google Earth)	17 August 2009	I was hoping to get to Midland on this trip, but a change of plans meant that Sault Ste. Marie was as close as I got. However, at least Sandra made it to Ontario, the province of her birth. Early in the morning I scattered some of her ashes on the north bank of the Saint Marys River, across the river from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in the United States.
Cologne, Germany  50° 56' 44.58" N 6° 57' 13.35" E (Google Earth)	19 August 2009	After dinner at an out-of-the-way restaurant in Cologne, I scattered some of Sandra's ashes under a big tree in the Dechant-Löbbel Platz outside the restaurant. Sandra loved German food, and we dined at the German Club in Vancouver on several occasions, so I'm sure she won't mind being stationed outside this place.
Antwerp, Belgium  51° 12' 43.19" N 4° 24' 47.35" E (Google Earth)	24 August 2009	Late in the evening I visited the Stadspark, close to the historic centre of Antwerp, where I scattered some of Sandra's ashes in a grassy area near a stream.
Mutianyu, China  40° 26' 34.69" N 116° 33' 25.77" E (Google Earth)	29 November 2009	Sandra's friend Nancy and I made our way by bus and taxi from Beijing to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. It was on this section of the wall, in 2002, that Nancy and her sister Patricia had their photograph taken with a sign they'd made, sending warm wishes back to Sandra in Vancouver. Nancy did the honours here, scattering some of Sandra's ashes on the sunny south side of the wall.
Nairobi, Kenya  1° 19' S 36° 56' E (airport database)	9 May 2010	I had about an eight-hour layover in Nairobi on the way from Lusaka to London, so I went through the formalities of entering the country on a ten-dollar transit visa to see what was beyond the enclosed space of the gate area of the airport. In front of the arrivals terminal I found a grassy area surrounded by flags. I scattered some of Sandra's ashes there among some bushes.
Dublin, Ireland  53° 26' N 6° 15' W (airport database)	12 May 2010	I had hoped that one day I'd be able to show Sandra where I'd spent three years at boarding school at Blackrock College, in the Blackrock suburb of Dublin. However, that never came to pass. On this day, as I walked with Sandra's ashes in my pocket to see my aunt and one of my cousins for dinner along a familiar route I had trodden many times over those three years, I came across Carysfort Park. As I stepped through the gate and surveyed the park, I said to myself, "You know what? This is the place." The sun was shining and, as in Amsterdam a little over six years earlier, there was a copse with one young tree not much more than a sapling. I scattered some of Sandra's ashes at the foot of that tree.
Little Beach, Maui, Hawai'i, United States of America  20° 38' 7.22" N 156° 27' 7.11" W (Google Earth)	17 August 2010	If you know something about Sandra, and you know something about the fabled Little Beach on Maui, you'll know why the combination is perfect. While watching yet another a glorious sunset, I scattered some of Sandra's ashes among the rocks at the north end of the beach, and watched as the waves slowly swept her away.
San Francisco, California, United States of America  37° 36' 57.45" N 122° 23' 24.33" W (Google Earth)	19 August 2010	I had a location in San Francisco picked out for Sandra in advance: Ghirardelli Square. What could be more perfect? Sandra, chocolate. Chocolate, Sandra. What I didn't realise is that the place isn't a leafy green square; it's a concrete jungle crawling with tourists. So having missed all of the decent opportunities by the end of our day-long visit, Sandra ended up at yet another airport -- her third, although the first (YXJ) was intentional.
Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa  34° 21' 25" S 18° 28' 26" E (sign at the Cape of Good Hope)	23 July 2011	Sandra's second trip to South Africa only came about at the last minute. In fact, I left home on short notice with a small container of her ashes with no particular destination in mind, and this spectacular location presented itself only by chance. Also due to a lack of planning, I didn't realise that I could easily get to the Cape of Good Hope -- the most south-westerly point in Africa -- and so some of Sandra's ashes were actually scattered at Cape Point, the location of a lighthouse up the hill from the Cape of Good Hope -- also known as the Cape of Storms. The winds on this particular day -- as they probably are on most days, actually -- may have been the strongest I have ever experienced, and they caused me to lose my balance on several occasions. But I managed to find a relatively sheltered nook for Sandra just below the Cape Point lighthouse, and scattered some of her ashes there among the shrubbery of the fynbos. I then ended up at the Cape of Good Hope a short while later, and scattered the remaining ashes that I had with me in the Atlantic Ocean.
Shuswap River, British Columbia, Canada  50° 36' 42.21" N 118° 45' 47.99" W (Google Earth)	27 August 2011	For some reason it took years, but Sandra's close friend Kathy finally had the opportunity to scatter some of Sandra's ashes. She chose to do so on the bank of the Shuswap River, about thirty kilometres east-north-east (true) of Enderby near where the river meets Mabel Lake, at the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre. Sandra, Kathy and Kathy's husband Matt had spent a nice day there in the river some years ago, as we did on this day too.
Lake Laberge, Yukon, Canada  61° 4' 38.57" N 135° 11' 53.03" W (Google Earth)	23 March 2012	There are strange things done in the midnight sun     By the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales     That would make your blood run cold; The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,     But the queerest they ever did see Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge     I cremated Sam McGee. —The Cremation of Sam McGee (refrain), by Robert Service Sandra loved this poem, and loved it even more when I read it to her. (Sadly, her copy of the book disappeared when I packed up and moved out of our place after she died.) So on a visit to Whitehorse it seemed that some of Sandra's own cremated remains were destined to join those of the fictional Sam McGee "on the marge of Lake Lebarge" (as Service spells it in his poem for alliterative effect), which is only about a half hour drive north of the city. I scattered some of her ashes on the frozen surface, just off the west shore ("marge") of the lake, across from Richthofen Island. (Interestingly, the island was named in 1883 by an American after the uncle of the future Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. the Red Baron, World War I ace.) So far this is the most northerly scattering of Sandra's ashes.
Valle Scura, Italy  44° 30' 23.82" N 8° 34' 39.35" E (Universal Transverse Mercator [UTM] conversion to latitude and longitude)	9 April 2012	If possible, I like to pick locations that had or might have had some meaning to Sandra, or that have meaning in retrospect. Sometimes, to be honest, I might choose a location simply because it's convenient, my options are restricted, or because of local sensitivities. However, the overall premise, as stated at the top of this page, is that Sandra loved to travel, and so she continues to go places and, in a way, live on in our memories because of the new places that she visits and I document. But on this occasion she was part of one of my own expeditions to a place that has some meaning to me. This was a trip to north-western Italy, to the crash site of a Royal Air Force Spitfire that was shot down by German forces during World War II. The pilot of that aircraft -- Ian Smith, future prime minister of Rhodesia -- managed to bail out before the crash. He was sheltered by locals, and also participated in activities with the "partisani" (the Italian resistance movement), before managing to escape to Allied-controlled France. I am indebted to locals in the area, whose personal mission it is to discover these crash sites, for their assistance with my own mission. At the crash site, in the Valle Scura (dark or obscured valley) of the Ligurian Alps, north-north-west of Urbe (in the Province of Savona, Liguria region), I scattered some of Sandra's ashes.
Midland, Ontario, Canada	TBA	Future scattering. Sandra's family had a cottage on Georgian Bay in Ontario where she spent many of her formative years. I plan to find it and scatter some ashes there.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada	TBA	Future scattering. One of my favourite places to relax, and a place that Sandra visited with her friend Marie shortly before we started dating.
Garibaldi Lake, British Columbia, Canada	TBA	Future scattering. Every summer for quite a few years, Sandra and her friend Vicki would hike up to Garibaldi Lake. The last time she did it was with me in 1999; after that hip and back injuries sustained at work, and eventually the cancer, prevented her from going on this annual pilgrimage.
Ruby Lake, British Columbia, Canada	TBA	Future scattering. The last holiday Sandra took, in September 2002, was her reward to herself when she completed her initial six months of chemotherapy. We stayed at Ruby Lake, and took a day cruise up to Chatterbox Falls further up the British Columbia coast. Sandra and I spent some very special time together on a small island in the lake after swimming over to it.
Curaçao, Bermuda, Barbados, Greece, Israel, Cultus Lake (BC, Canada), Hawai'i (Punchbowl Cemetery, Honolulu)	TBA	Future scatterings. These are all places that Sandra has visited. It's an ambitious list, but maybe one day she'll go back to all of them.
* Coordinates marked with an asterisk are approximate -- as close as I can get with Google Earth. Entering these coordinates into Google Earth might not yield the exact location of the scattering.