Guided to follow the herd...

I have always enjoyed meeting the various animal along the Camino,  no more than one morning on the Camino Primitivo last year. 

I'd set out early from the albergue on about the forth day of the Camino Primitivo, having checked the guide the night before so that I knew roughly where the early morning path was  going to take me. It had warned that the first part as along asphalt road for a few kilometres. Now, unlike some of the pilgrims I met on the Primitivo last year, walking on asphalt doesn't really bother me, s all around there are sights to be seen to take my mind off what's under foot. 

The guide had said that after a few kilometres of climbing on the road there would be a fork in the road and soon after a path up into the hills. 

Climbing the hills first thing in the morning can always be a challenge, but usually one gladly taken as I always know that a gift of beauty along the way will be mine, often at the top of said climb. 

After having walked what I considered to be the distance as described in the guide I found no fork in the road, nor a turning off. I carried on some way further wondering if I'd missed the fork and the turning. In the mornings I enjoy the quiet and often turn inward, so can be less aware of the markers.

Still further on I cursed myself. I was sure I had missed the marker for the turning up into the hills. I was wondering whether to turn back, or try to push into the hills and find the way which I thought I had missed. 'If only there was someone here to check with' I thought to myself. Then turning a bend in the road I came across a herd of cows wandering slowly up the hill. No word of a lie i was sure one of them said 'follow us'. So that's just what I did, although feeling slightly foolish for doing so.

A short distance along the road the cows turned off into the hills. I continued to follow, until they lead me to what looked like a dead end in the greenery 

 Again I almost lost faith that I was on the right path. until I noticed that just ahead there was a wooden marker and as I got closer I could see more clearly that it had a yellow arrow on it. The cows had lead me to the right place.  

Thanking the herd for their help - yes I did really say thank you - I was grateful to know I was on the right path - I continued up into the hills, which turned out to be as beautiful as I had hoped. The path rose gently for most of the way along a well marked route.  The sun shone through the trees as I climbed and another wonderful day on the Camino was well under way.