"She comes from a lake over there by the name of... Ness, yes, that's it, Loch Ness. You'll recognise her because she sticks her head up out of the water like so..."

OK, so this tour guide isn't actually saying that. Maybe. Probably. I was actually further away than the image suggests so I can't be sure. I was doing a shot down the side of the boat when I noticed her hand gestures and thought that that was what she could have been saying and swung to the left a bit hoping to pick up the gesture. Because let's be honest, the lake had the right look for it.

We had reached our last full day in Switzerland and indeed in Europe. Wow, that went fast. But then, so did the time afterwards. I am posting this in mid November, two months after our return. How that happened, I have no idea. The main indication that we have been back that long is that the wallet pain has finally started to subside. The credit card has one last bill on it from the trip, then that's it.

Anyway, this was our backup day for Jungfraujoch, which we didn't need. (Thankfully, for as you can see from this shot the weather had turned if not nasty, certainly gloomy and it was not the kind of day that you would want to be up in the clouds.) I had a range of Plan Bs for today but the one that we ended up going for was another sightseeing trip through the Swiss countryside.

Interlaken is so named because it sits between two lakes, Lake Thun (also known as the Thunersee) which runs to the north west and Lake Brienz (also known as the Brienzersee) which runs to the north east. The lakes are named after the towns which sit at the far end of each lake. The lakes themselves have a distinctive turquoise colour because of mineral deposits from the surrounding mountains. (Not really all that apparent in this shot, but it will be when I put up some others for the day.)

I had found that there was an historic paddle steamer (specifically the PS Lotschberg, aye, that be what we be on here, arrrr...) which was sailing the route between Brienz and Interlaken Ost. Yes, I'm sure many regular visitors know my feelings about boats but I made sure that the life jackets were in reach at all times. And I was sure that there were no sharks in the water. Plesiosaurs, maybe, but sharks, no. Also, as I was standing up at the bow with the ice cold relative wind blasting through my hair, I did indeed feel a bit like a cap'n of my own pirate ship, ye scurvy dogs. (I don't get out on the water much as you know, so don't judge.)

So weighing it up:
(a) This plan lets us see the lakeside country once by land (the train up) and once by water (the trip back on the Lotschberg);
(b) Both trips are covered by our Swiss Travel Passes which cost a bag of gold and so we may as well use them;
(c) It's the chance to travel on a 1914 vintage paddle wheeler, and that you don't get every day;
(d) The name "Brienz" made me think of Briene of Tarth;
(e) If the ship were to go down, I'd still be able to hitch a ride on Nessie back to Interlaken.
Yup, THIS is the plan for us.

It was cold and windy all the way, though a nice, hot coffee in the saloon half way through the trip was most welcome. It was also astonishingly beautiful countryside with picturesque towns (which sadly we had no time to explore) all the way up and all the way back.

It was, on balance, a pretty leisurely way to end the trip, but leisurely days have their place.