Permanent Tourist

WordPress development and photography by Mark Howells-Mead

Posts about Thunersee

Lake Thun (German: Thunersee) is an Alpine lake in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. It takes its name from the city of Thun, on its north western shore.

  • Low water levels in Gwatt

    Exceptionally low water levels at Lake Thun, as part of a four-year routine.

  • Second attempt

    The single arrival of the day from Merligen on the BLS winter cruise schedule. The captain had to reverse and re-dock at the ship jetty in Faulensee because he buggered up the approach.

  • Autumn: the most photogenic of seasons.

  • Red Mini Cooper

    A familiar array of “adventures” which I feel fortunate to regularly enjoy.

  • Finally, monsieur, a wafer-thin photograph to end the day.

  • An unfestive 1st August, barbecuing in a mountain valley and walking around a lovely lake near Gstaad.

  • Mineral blue

    The colour of the lake today was enough to draw me away from my work mid-afternoon.

  • The gradual arrival of autumn; clouds clinging to the mountains, fresher air and a wider variety of colours in the landscape. My favourite time of the year is coming.

  • May is a funny month for me. The countryside is green and lush, with lots of flowers in the meadows and a pleasant mix of cooling rain and warming sunshine, but I often feel a little frustration because the higher mountains are often still covered with slushy snow. This year, I’ve been spending a lot…

  • It seems to stick in my mind that by the time we get to January, we’re well into winter. But the snow and ice often doesn’t arrive where I live until January or February, although that doesn’t preclude it being pretty damned cold from time to time. January this year marked the arrival of my…

  • Dampfschiff Spiez passing Faulensee

    The steamship “Spiez” – known colloquially and diminutively as “Das Spiezerli” thanks to its small size – en route from Thun to Interlaken for the first time after nearly five years of restoration work.

  • The Branch at Weissenau

    If you find a natural feature, enjoy it while it lasts.

  • The memory moon

    When the full (-ish) moon rises above Interlaken at this time of year, it always reminds me of a photo my Dad took in south Wales many years ago, where the reflection wasn’t on a lake but on the smooth surface of the sea off the coast of Freshwater East.

  • I bought a bike because it’s fun, it will improve my fitness rapidly – thereby helping me to get ready for hiking season – and because it means that I don’t have to rely on public transport or on my car for my daily trip to work and back. It also allows me to enjoy…

  • Because I take so many photos, and because I like sharing photos online, I have to be critical of my results and only share the best. Mainly, so that people don’t get bored of seeing so much of my stuff.

  • A new perspective – Faulensee

    Short sequence of aerial views of Faulensee in Switzerland.

  • Spiez castle, photographed at dusk using a Mavic Air drone

    A quick tip on how to get better image results from your Mavic drone in low-light conditions.

  • Using a drone isn’t all about “aerial photography”, but, for me, about the ability to get better angles for photos which are otherwise out of reach.

  • After a lot of deliberation, a few months’ saving, and a lot of review videos and articles, I decided to buy a drone.

  • Forever young

    Forever young

    We’re incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful place, and incredibly lucky to be able to enjoy the sight of the Blümlisalp paddle steamer, which passes our home every day in summer, hooting loudly as it arrives at the landing quay in the village a few hundred metres away.