Yesterday we got the email that we have been dreading.  Our flight to Biarritz from Berlin has been cancelled. This is the place to fly into to get a shuttle to St. Jean to begin our trek.

This has huge implications for us.  Already we have been watching videos on how everything is changing on the Camino due to COVID and we have already been wondering if we can do this.  There are no communal areas.  There are many more rules in place. And just this week the area of Spain known as Galicia, a major portion of the Camino, went back into lockdown due to Corona.

And then our flight.  I went into “we can find a way to get there mode.” I started searching train routes (20 hours at least by train).  Not ideal with masks on and for our timelines.   I started looking up flights. Looks as though the airline we were going to fly on has cut this route completely.  Other airlines aren’t flying anywhere until at least September or the flights are hugely expensive.  I started looking up other routes to get there…fly to Madrid, train to St Jean…fly to Pamplona and walk from there….fly to Paris and then fly to Biarritz, shuttle to St. Jean…fly to Toulouse, and then train…you get the idea.  Each route I find there is some blockade.

Is this a sign its not our year?

I am yearning for the story, for the walking all day on the ancient path, and comparing this experience to the experience of the past.

I did what I always do when I am the most upset…I called my dad.

I told him what was up and then started spinning.  I had told Ana I needed time to process before making any decisions and she agreed but then here I was spinning. My dad looked at me and said, “Well, I think you need some time. No decisions yet. Let’s see how things start to play out.” I said, “Dad, I think I really wanted the story.” My dad and I are alike in this way. He smiled and said, “yeah, I would want that too but perhaps there is another story with this time.”

He’s right. Perhaps there is a different Camino.  We will still travel but it may be the routes in Germany.  We are taking a beat to regroup and we will figure this out too. Nothing is normal anymore. Nothing will pan out as we think it should or as we think it would.  And it will be another story.

Send us your good vibes as we think through it all.