You go to a place for a visit and deep in your heart you think that this place can be your own home

Mehmet Murat ildan couldn't be more right. This is the guy I've stolen today's title from, he's a Turkish writer of novels and plays and I can only imagine he came to a place such as Zurich in order to write.

Getting the train into this beautiful country was probably the most mesmerising thing that has ever happened to me. You look out your window and you think you're seeing a TV screen. It can't be possible for that view to exist. As soon as I saw it I paused Netflix and stared out at the scenery before me. It was impossible to take your eyes off it. I know The Lord of the Rings was mainly inspired by the hills and lakes of Yorkshire but if Tolkien ever came to Switzerland he'd have a whole different wave of inspiration. In the distance you can see snow topped mountains where you can imagine the little hobbits and Gandalf going on the path along Caradhras! But up close, so close that if there were no walls on this train I'd be able to touch the clearest blue lake I've ever seen. Words honestly can't do it justice! I know it will be a very long time before a train journey will ever be the same again.

Once I step off the train, I walk out into the train station in Zurich and it's the greyest thing I've ever seen. It kind of reminds me of an old council state back home and I fear that I've left the wonderful scenery behind. Oh no I haven't! Once you take a right out of the main station doors you walk over a bridge and there once again you see the mountains. It's hard to escape from them but why would you want to? Just glimpsing around the city, it looks so clean and welcoming. The people around me are looking at their phones or staring mindlessly at the floor as they walk and I'm stood there thinking how can you not gawp at all the wonder that surrounds you right now? Then it dawns on me that they've probably grown up with this, and it's become their norm that no longer takes there breath away. I can't quite decide if this is a great or a sad thing.

Sad because it means something truly spectacular has no affect on the people that inhabit its land but great because it means that they've had the pleasure of gazing on nature in all its glory and it's just a part of them now. One thing is for sure though and that is me returning to Switzerland one day and for a whole lot longer than the three days I've been here. Not only to see what lies beyond Zurich walls but to do the things I couldn't because of this bloody sun burn!

So, let me fill you in. Yesterday I went on this long boat cruise around Lake Zurich. It was a steal at 18 Swiss Franc instead of 31 because I had an inter-railing ticket which means I got a discount - WINNING. With Zurich being an inland nation, and since I didn't really have a problem with the sun in Italy, I did not wear sunscreen cause why would you need it? I'll tell you why because otherwise you'll become 3 shades darker than a ripe tomato that's why! On the boat, I literally did nothing but sit in silence and gaze (again) at the wonder around me. And I wasn't the only one, other tourists didn't really feel the need to talk, the sights literally left you speechless. They supposedly also leave you with the inability of being able to tell when you're practically cooking yourself.

On one of the stops a family came aboard, a gay couple and their adorable daughter! As soon as one of the dads looked at me he said something in German-Swiss, then, after realising I was English, he said 'Do you want some screen? You're looking a little red.' I will regret this reply for the rest of my life as I responded with a 'No thank you,' after glancing down and thinking I'm not even slightly pink. But that little exchange opened up the door for their little girl, who was about two, to feed me chocolate biscuits for the remainder of the two hour trip back to the harbour. She literally was the sweetest thing. On the way back to Zurich I got hit by a little bit of inspiration so I dug out my notebook and pen to start jotting down some Haikus and poems about my experiences and of course the Lake. Here are some haikus I knocked up...

Snow-topped mountains sing

to the people down below.

Lake Zurich in Spring

A breeze on the lake,

A gush of wind through her hair.

Her body starts to ache.

I want to stay here,

where the water's blue and clear

-A pure atmosphere.

And during this time, every 10 minutes or so the little girl would tap me on my knee or pull my headphones out to present me with a little handful of square chocolate covered biscuits. Her dad thought she was annoying me but she wasn't but on one occasion he scooped her up to sit her on the ledge so she could see the swans flying by. A gust of wind blew past and with it took her hat into the lake! I've never seen a little girl so upset in my life! Luckily I had my laptop on me with some Disney films on it and she was happy once more to be watching Lilo & Stitch (although she nearly went for Lion King 2).

When we got back to Zurich we parted ways and I headed back to my hostel. One glimpse in the mirror and I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep. Just trying to take my t-shirt off was a siring pain I was all too familiar with - really really really bad sunburn. I gleamed! GLEAMED back at myself. So today - another scorching day in the Swiss capital- I've been running around the hostel in Louise's (cheers bro) strapless bikini top to the other guests' delight because it literally killed me to put anything on my shoulders. So I've been confined to these four walls and have missed out on hiking Uetliberg! But least that means I have a reason to come back and bring some proper hiking boots with me as opposed to my battered converses!