9/27 Santo Domingo to Belorado

OK, not going to lie. Today was a slog. Only about 15 miles and 1400′ of climbing but all gentle slopes. Our mind is being pulled toward Burgos as a milestone, and we intend to spend an extra day there (“Cathedral and El Cid!” as my friend, Ben, put it). Today however was cooler (50-60), and a little rain off and on, but the wind… THE WIND! As a South Dakotan I feel any court in the land would qualify me as an expert witness on the wind. This was the kind of wind pantomimed by every French mime ever. The kind of wind that makes you stagger when you walk and widen your gait while nasal discharge dries on your cheek… The constant howl leads to a lot of shouting and “WHAT?” in reply. (Camille: “I said, ‘wipe your cheek!’”)

We took a couple block detour on our way out of Santo Domingo to walk by the ancient city walls. After 500+ years they still look pretty formidable to me and I am certain they were a welcome and reassuring sight for pilgrims of centuries past. Time hasn’t been too kind to them but after half a millennium time isn’t too kind to anything. The walls, however, got me thinking about shelter. I thought about my parents who provided a physical place for me but shelter in so many other ways. My church, my community, my family and friends… all a shelter of sorts. I know the word “sheltered” is often pejorative in context and certainly it’s possible to be too protected but who thrives without some?

With my parents and family, my church growing up, I was already ahead in so many ways, but I also had teachers like Mr Opbroek (HS biology), or Dr Johanna Bos (Seminary Hebrew), Dr Burton Cooper (theology), Fr. Samuel Webber, Dr John Thomas (Medical School Biochem)… my mother and father-in-law, partners in medical practices, friends from high school, college, residency, Max Gonzenbach… Camille… I have been so fortunate to have figurative walls around me on the way. I hope those “walls” in my life know how much they are appreciated.

There were little breaks in the wind today and these moments of shelter were quite welcome as they allowed us to collect ourselves for another coffee and chocolate croissant powered march into the teeth of the wind. We also found a little shelter in connecting with our fellow pilgrim, Laura, again. Sharing a laugh and a rotten walk with someone made shelter of a kind. Maybe we were for her as well? I hope so. She is walking, in part, to process a complicated relationship with her deceased mother who, because of mental health issues, was never able to be that shelter for her. But today, today we were a shelter for one another.

One of those Camino words is “albergue” which is a Spanish word that means “shelter” but it also means a lot more (do all Spanish words have double meanings?). Like “camino” means “the way” or “the path” and is understood in a larger sense as our own journey, “albergue” means shelter of any kind. Tonight we are staying in our first public albergue… So far we’ve had all private rooms. (Thinking about shelter of all kinds today – and how spoiled/sheltered we have been) So many people would love to have a clean, dry, comfortable space, so our stay tonight is NOT a hardship. We all need some albergue, but we are also, ourselves, an albergue. Today I am thinking of so many albergues I have been blessed with along the way. And so I raise a glass to all of you. I hope you can think of your own “albergues” you have encountered over the years.

Buen Camino.