Rendezvous with the Thunersee.

Falling from the sky, cascading over the hills, meandering through the farms or relaxing within the shores, water has always fascinated me in all its natural forms. Roaring waves, dancing droplets and gushing streams always play new sonata every time I hear them.  

I have some fond memories about my association with water. The houseboat stay in the backwaters of Allepy was romantic, para sailing over the Arabian sea in Goa was adventurous, changing of small fishermen boats to reach the Janjira Fort in Alibagh was scary and many more.

The cruise over the Lake Thun was a new experience altogether.

After relaxing in our hotel room in Beatenberg for about an hour, Prasad, Arnav (my 18 months old son) and I reached Interlaken at 3.00pm. The brief showers had dipped the mercury levels to 17 degrees Celsius, the wind was carrying the chill and the sun was relaxing behind the clouds. We decided to cruise over the calm Thunsersee instead of taking a walk through the crowded streets of Interlaken. Luckily we reached the Interlaken west station in time to get the last cruise going to Thun. We were not sure if Arnav will enjoy the criuse for a long time so we decided to sail up to Speiz for 1 1/2 hours instead sailing the entire route up to Thun for 3 hours.

We boarded the Bubenberg near Interlaken west station and three cheerful sailors welcomed us on the ship. It was a small ship with a lounge, a play area for kids and a restaurant. The open decks at both the ends had comfortable seating arrangement. After taking a walk in the  aisle with us Arnav joined the kids in the play area. Prasad and I went on the deck where a group of Japanese passengers were taking each other's snaps in the scenic backdrop. Small  groups of other passengers were engaged in a quiet conversation in the restaurant.

The ship started its journey through a narrow canal with a backdrop of the Alps. The air above was refreshingly chilled and the water below was serene. The width of the canal did not reveal the grandeur of the lake where we were heading. Ducks and geese ushered the way through the sea green water. The sanctity of nature had already cast a spell on me. This was just the beginning.

As the narrow canal opened into the lake, the ascending ranges of hills shaped the horizon beyond the enormous lake. The ship was splashing myriads of water beads creating waves in the calm Thunersee as she made her way into the vastness.

After sailing for half an hour the ship stopped at Sudlauenen and some new passengers joined us. It was a very quiet place with a jetty and a humble shelter as a waiting area for the passengers. We visited this place again the next day to visit St. Beatus Caves which was an experience by itself. The stream of roaring water cascading through the caves dived into the lake to form a milky white waterfall. 

As we sailed the vista of the steep cliff along the edge of the lake was bisected by serpentine road which was hanging over the lake, zigzagging through the tunnels and cutting through the rocks. 

The angular layers of rock formation created an interesting pattern on the cliff.                          

The hamlets along the foothills were delight to the eyes. The double or triple storied houses spread on the slope of the foothills appeared as toy houses which accentuated the height of the mountain in the backdrop. The covered yachts along the edge of the lake were still draped in blue or white covers because of the heavy rains in the previous week.

It would have been nice to see some of the yachts out on the lake with there bright sails fluttering with the wind. Soon we reached the next stop at Merligen. 
From Merligen the ship started away from the shore across the vast lake. As we came in the middle of the lake, we were entranced by the eternity of the lake and the grandeur of the mountains.

After spending an hour on the deck I was feeling very cold and thought of relaxing in the lounge as the ship sailed  toward the next stop in Merligen.  Arnav was having a great time  running around on the deck and refused to come in with me, so Prasad agreed to look after him.  I went to the restaurant and ordered a cup of cappuccino. Neither the warmth of the lounge nor the aroma of the coffee could hold me inside and I was out on the deck again in 5 minutes. 

Just then the sun peeped from the clouds and shot the rays on the waves. The lake responded back by glittering. The combination of sun and wind was elating.

                                                      

The ship's next stop at Faulensee offered the same mesmerising views of the lush green pastures defined with cluster of tall coniferous trees. The houses hidden behind the trees revealed a palette of brown sloping roofs. After a halt of 5 minutes we headed to final stop at Spiez.

As we reached Spiez we were completely spellbound by the beauty and tranquil of The Thunersee. Just before entering the Spiez railway station to catch a train back to Interlaken I captured my last glance at the beautiful lake and an everlasting memory of this rendezvous in my camera.

View of Lake Thun and Spiez Castle from the entrance of Spiez railway station.