Nannys Final Goodbye

We had quite a nice apartment for our time in Scarborough, and made the most of it in the morning, as we enjoyed the view and a couple coffees, before heading to explore the towns historical castle. We had heard the stories from nanny about the castle that overlooked the city, one that she herself had never visited due to the proximity and visibility of the French coast during WW2 and then presumably because of safety afterward. Yet, when we arrived and spoke to a tour guide, he said that although it was likely closed during the world wars, it had been open for most of the 20th century. Perhaps nanny never thought to check after the war. After a nice walk to start the morning, the whole family went toward the coast for a photoshoot that Melissa had organised. Which is fitting given how shocking it is we all managed to make our way over.

As we explored the tiny coastal town you realised the impact someone can have on the world. 10 people had travelled all the way from Australia to a small coastal town to honour a an amazing woman, mother, and grandmother. Continuing in the tradition of remembrance, we took the rest of the family to visit nanny's parents grave. Once again relying on Chris's surprisingly impressive memory, he directed us to the exact location of the graves in a considerably large grave yard. Interesting what the mind remembers. We cleaned the gravestones, took a moment, and left a piece of nanny to rest with her parents.

The final part of our journey would be the most mournful. Parts of nanny had been laid along the beach at Mooloolaba, laid with her parents in Scarborough, and the final part of her journey were to end in the Yorkshire Moors. We drove through, admiring the views as she once did on her bike, and found a suitably quiet area that we could say our final goodbyes. I say "final goodbyes" for dramatic effect, she's far from gone as long as her memory lives on through all of us, which I know it will. We shared a brief word, and spread her ashes across the landscape. It was a moving and beautiful moment with the whole family. Miss you Nan.

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