18. Day 14 - Molinaseca to Trabadelo

Today got off to a great start - not. Our alarm wasn't set properly so we slept in - should have been ready at 8, woke at 8.15. Then I realised that I had lost two of our three credit/banking cards. Panic then 'oh well'. So Pat and Jenny waited patiently while we got our act together then we went for breakfast and finally got moving at 10.20. Should have been a fairly easy ride - 'pretty flat' we said. But we should have learned that The Camino is never pretty flat. However we had a pretty good first 15k then the rain started, we were on a muddy track and we had to walk a while.  But we made Cacabelos for a quick morning tea/lunch stop after a couple of hours. From then on it was a mixture of beautiful small villages, rolling hills and a couple of nasty long climbs along the way with the rain coming and going. So we covered another 41k in just over 3 hours on the bike, Had a five hour day, arriving here at Trabedelo at 3.30. There is only one other person staying at this small but amazing and memorable pension/b&b.
Tomorrow is THE BIG DAY. We have to take on O Cebriero and the weather doesn't look good. Rhon is having bike problems which we think we have fixed. But we are all determined to get over this biggest hurdle and longest day on our journey.
Barry forgot to mention that we were sitting having coffee this morning and who should come past? Yes, "the barrowman". Barry said to him as he passed on by without stopping "Ah, we beat you here" to which he replied "yes, but we haven't had the last word yet"!  I am thinking of starting an App for Lost & Found on the Camino. We have now left a trail of lost items in our wake! Some of it has lightened our load so has not been too devastating but when Barry lost his extra pair of bike shorts, I did insist on finding a bike shop and replacing them after he took me to dinner in his bathers! We did not have time to stop and explore any historical sites today but we did pass a very impressive and well preserved mediaeval Templar castle built during the Crusades. the countryside is very pretty again with many vineyards heavy with fruit waiting to be harvested. We had another fabulous Pilgrim meal tonight - homemade cauliflower soup, vegetarian lasagne and fresh fruit & yoghurt. With all the Pilgrim meals, bocadillos,  empanados, panne au chocolates, potatoes bravados, I will be the only Pilgrim to ride 800 kms and actually put on weight! Well it's lights out for me as I prepare for the biggest and most challenging day on the Camino tomorrow.