Aug 28: Off Again!
SuperTrip2_2026 Blog Post
2026_2 BLOG
8/28/20262 min read
Well, almost. In fact, we head to YYC on Tuesday, 1st September to start SuperTrip2 2026: Beautiful Big Birthday Trip 2 – the Sequel.
However, we are transitioning to a hotel tomorrow because while we are away the capable Solomon (our contractor) will be transforming our entryway, kitchen and guest bathroom. Instead of my usual “deep clean” rituals before each SuperTrip, we are actually emptying most/many of our cupboards, stacking most/many of our belongings in the den and our bedroom and generally clearing the decks for the work to come. Our place will be unliveable - until we get back for the big reveal. Hence, our early exit.
SuperTrip2 2026 is really 3 “NormalTrips” threaded together with some hanging out in London. It’s actually one of the most complicated trips we have attempted: 2 long haul flights; 6 short haul flights; 5 countries and a total of 27 different accommodation bookings! We also have 7 car transfers to navigate (so far, I’ve only booked 6 of those).
And yet, we are really rather blasé about it all. We both know that we can handle whatever the logistics throw at us. And, also, we have the resilience and confidence from repeated experience to know that being late, or being forced to reschedule or skip something is not a disaster, just an unexpected detour – and a funny story to be shared on our return. We’ve not even brought down our bags yet (which is maybe a little TOO blasé).
Carey has long wanted to experience Scotland. I have always resisted because British prices are simply so inflated. But, the Birthday Boy gets to call the shots and we can absorb a week of UK tourism. The Great Glen is one of the iconic landscapes of Britain, through the Highlands, past Loch Ness and up to the North Sea coast.
Sub-trip 2 is to revisit the short Camino Portuguese (from Oporto to Santiago) during what we hope will be a fine Fall (in contrast to the flooding, gales and Tropical Storm-lashed March experience we had last year). This time, we hope to be able to appreciate the gorgeous coastal vistas and saunteringly flat terrain.
Finally, Sub-trip 3 takes us to Istanbul.These are “European” days that are not part of the ETIAS “count”, freeing up Carey for longer stays next year.They are also days that are a very different kind of “European”.Both of us have been to Istanbul, but never together.I was there most recently (in 2013), but it’s still half a generation ago.Carey was there in the last millennium.It will be a proper “city break”, something we did a lot in the first decade of our relationship (our “pre-Camino era”), visiting almost 40 cities throughout Europe and the US together.Simply enjoying a city for its own sake (rather than as a staging post for a Camino) is something we are both looking forward to bringing back into our shared experience.
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Inspired by our 2024 Camino Francais, Karen has a periodic podcast called "I sent you a bloody boat", personal thoughts on faith by a person who believes in thinking. Also, known as "The Reluctant Christian". You can listen to it on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts at: