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Sunday 2nd June
What a place we have got to, must be close to heaven after all our travels.
Just in time, particularly for Dick, as he has brought some bug with him which is confining him to the bathroom for most of the next 2 days just dozing between visits.
We walked into the town about 5 minutes away & crossed to the narrow island in the river but then had to return. Jane was smart enough to take a walk away from the unit to buy some supplies.
Monday 3rd June
d*** seemed worse than ever, so Jane abandoned him & explored some more of Thun.
No more to be said.
Tuesday 4th June
Jane's birthday, which d*** was determined to spoil.
She went out & caught the ferry, on the Thunersee, 18km to Interlaken, as she had seen that one could travel free on one's birthday after showing proof with her passport. Not only was it free, she travelled First Class on the steamer & took some great shots of the lake side. She returned with a new pair of shoes of most unusual design, well satisfied.
d*** lolled at home & in the afternoon, accompanied her across & up to the Schloss, the castle which dominates the town. We descended, had a beer in one of the squares & dined at the restaurant next to the river.
Wednesday 5th June
With d*** almost back to normal, we went into town to inspect the street market, which in contrast to English markets, seemed quite sedate. On the way we passed a turbine house which uses diverted river water to generate power. The cobbled street in which the market was run is about 700m in length & mostly they sell either clothing or cheeses, vegetables & fruit. At the end of the street we crossed from the island via an old covered weir & explored more of the old quarter.
We ascended a covered set of stairs & came to the old church. This gothic structure still has frescoes in the porch but the austere interior is quite beautiful with modern wooden pews & a fine carved pulpit.
Leaving the church, we walked down a cobbled lane that wound down through the gate in the wall to the river again. On the way we had a magnificent view of the Thunersee, on its way towards Interlaken & the snow covered mountains. Just a picture post card shot.
After lunch we covered more of the town & returned after another expedition to Aldi. With luck we should be able to withstand quite a lengthy siege, now.
Thursday 6th June
Woke up to find that the mountains had disappeared under clouds & the temperature had dropped. The unit maintains its temperature well with excellent insulation so, after we had a late breakfast we trotted into town at quite a pace as it was cool & damp. First we visited the station where a smart rail person answered our questions re our final trip to Basel Airport next week, on his tablet. In perfect English, he explained the timetable & the fare structure, particularly the need to book online for the best fare.
We walked across to the quay for the lake steamer & then along past a magnificent paddle steamer readying to go. Jane had seen a fine house & a little church from the ferry, so we walked on towards the mouth of the lake & the steamer glided by. We found the Scherzligen church & went inside & although austere it was wonderful. The interior had been covered in murals probably from the 13th or 14th century & these had presumably been whitewashed over later, in the Reformation & rediscovered far more recently. Although they are very faded, they are quite lively scenes full of biblical stories & below are the pews mounted on big beams in a most unusual manner.
Just past the church is a lovely park of a big 19th century house, now a hotel, in the grounds of which lies the Thun Panorama, an extraordinary 360° painting of Thun in 1814 by Marquard Wocher, showing Thun as seen from a roof in the town. The 14m diameter painting took 5 years to complete & is mounted in a circular tower 14m in diameter & about 9m in height. The restored work is fascinating with a good audio guide explaining all aspects.
We retreated to the town rapidly as it was quite sharpish 13°C, had lunch and a well earned rest.
A great day in a lovely town.
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