Wieder allein - Erromardie - October 25th

After saying goodbye to Marci-Darci, we pack up in the drizzling rain and set off alone again. We make a stop at the outlet in Soorts-Hossegor to get the best latte of all time at Cafe Volt...mmmmhhhh...a feast! Then it's off to Intermarche and onwards! We decide to make another stop at Erromardie near Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny on Friday, and Jörni has wanted to ride the Rhune train up the 905m high mountain for years. We didn't manage to do it during all the MissionSurfs, so it's high time...after all, there were already no elks...if we now also skip the train...well then...good night!

In Erro, we park on the good old 52, right under the trees, and watch as the campers get stuck in the mud one after another...lovely! We eat sushi, have a beer, and somehow enjoy being alone again...after so much hustle and bustle! I go to bed early and Jörni counts a few shooting stars!

The sun greets us the next morning, and we quickly decide to do some laundry. The dog ran out of the bus again on Monday night...great...I immediately issued a swimming ban for the afternoon and evening. Only in the morning from now on...he can run around all day long, but no more nights in the bus!!!

So I start two washing machines and send Jörni to the shower with our carpet, Rei in the Tube, and the broom! He scrubs diligently and probably also showers with Rei in the Tube...! Everything is clean and tidy again...great! At 2pm, we set off on the 20-minute journey to Ascain, where the 95-year-old Rhune train starts. We actually wanted to take the train at 2:40pm...but...full! We start to get suspicious when we see the first cars parked on the side of the road, even though there are still about 250m to the train...! Apparently, we weren't the only ones who had the idea to enjoy the beautiful view on a sunny day.

Doesn't matter...we have time. We first have a coffee, have a piece of tortilla and a crepe (which didn't taste good by the way), and wait 40 minutes in the sun for the next train.

The Rhune train is a cog railway from 1924, an old wooden treasure! The journey time up to the top is about 35 minutes and feels like it's going vertically up 90 degrees...I reassure myself several times with Jörni if they have an emergency brake...if this thing goes off...then it's game over...it's no longer like a fairground...! But the treasure takes us safely to the top and we are rewarded with a fantastic view. We can see endlessly far and it is fantastic to see the familiar surroundings from a completely different perspective. In addition, we see a lot of griffon vultures circling above our heads! After a good half hour, we start our way down, after all, we only bought a one-way ticket. I actually thought of a nice hiking trail for the descent...but no...it goes straight down, over roots and stones...most of the time it feels like going straight down 90 degrees, just like the train going up! On the steep path, someone pushes their e-mountain bike past us...how can you even ride here...? We turn around one more time and can hardly believe that the old man has saddled up again and is pedaling up the wall, actually impossible...respect!

The descent takes two hours and I wonder why you only get stupid mugs and stuff in the souvenir shop at the bottom instead of two new knee joints...what should I do with a mug???

Quite exhausted but absolutely satisfied, we make our way back to the campsite. Even the dog, the old mountain goat, immediately makes himself comfortable in his spot and falls asleep. We have a delicious dinner, pack up the laundry, and go to bed early. It was beautiful and Jörni finally rode the Rhune train up the mountain...!