Bitter Wind Sweeps the World, Stealing a Fortnight of Leisure—A 15-Day UK Trip: Edinburgh, Scottish Highlands, York, Sheffield, Oxford, London

I. Preparations:

Origin: In mid-2019, I planned to go to Europe for the New Year. We had already traveled many times in Asia—Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan—and they had long lost their novelty. Europe was where my heart longed to go. Since I had never been to Europe, I was afraid my itinerary would not be thorough enough, so I dared not take my parents on a whim. I thought I would get familiar with it first and then take them for a leisurely trip later. As for my close girlfriends and friends, some were pregnant, some were spending the New Year with their parents. I couldn't find anyone, so I settled on a classmate I didn't know well. She wanted to go to the UK; I wanted to go to Spain. We couldn't agree, so we looked for a group tour covering both the UK and Spain. It was very expensive, required two visas, and I really dislike group tours, so we canceled it later. That classmate was very indecisive and conflicted. At first, she said her family wouldn't let her travel independently, then she said it was too expensive, then she said she could do independent travel. To accommodate her, I canceled the group tour three times, gave up on Spain as well, and finally settled on the UK, which she wanted. It turned out that travel companions are really important. If you feel uncomfortable before departure, it's better to just give up or change companions. I endured for a full 10 days on this 15-day trip before I exploded. I was truly pushed to my limit.

Flight + Hotel: I booked a package from Ctrip. The flights were with China Eastern Airlines. Later, after reading guides, I regretted not booking British Airways so I could continue shopping at Heathrow Airport. We booked four cities: Edinburgh, York, Oxford, and London. The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal was quite modern but had no electric kettle. In the coldest city of the entire trip, having no hot water was terrifying. The Macdonald Randolph Hotel in Oxford was the most comfortable hotel of the trip—spacious rooms and comfortable beds. Unfortunately, my classmate changed our Oxford itinerary to two full days at Bicester Village, and we had already bought round-trip train tickets, so we just crashed into bed upon returning to the hotel. What a pity.

Visa: We booked the flights first and then applied for the visa because Ctrip offered a refund on the visa fee if it was rejected. I don't know if it was Ctrip's problem or the visa center's problem, but the visa arrived only the day before our departure. Although they promised a refund, we had already bought train tickets and attraction tickets, and all other preparations were done. If the visa hadn't come through, it would have been a real downer. My plan was that arriving a few days late would be okay, even if we skipped one city. But my classmate said if we arrived late, she wouldn't go at all, which really worried me. I called Ctrip many times for help, but all they said was that we had to wait for the visa center. If it didn't come, they'd refund. I felt helpless. Fortunately, the visa arrived just before departure, and I managed to appease her. Later, I asked many people, and indeed UK visas are slow. They say 15 working days, and it's exactly 15, not a day earlier. They also deduct Christmas (2 days) and New Year's Day (1 day). In short, when the UK is on holiday, they are off; when China is on holiday, they are also off. Their efficiency is really frustrating.

Train Tickets: Transportation between UK cities is by train, so I bought tickets in advance on Trainline. I chose the Two Together Railcard discount. UK trains offer many types of discount cards, saving quite a bit of money. We brought photos to apply for the Two Together Railcard in the UK. The annual fee is £30, valid for one year, provided that the same two people travel together.

Various Transport Cards: The Oyster card can be bought directly at London Underground stations. It's very convenient, but you must use cash. There's a £5 deposit, which is refunded when you return the card. The card itself is not taken back but can no longer be used—just a souvenir. If you top up more than £10, you may need to refund at the counter, so it's better to top up small amounts. The daily cap is £7.2; beyond that, no more is deducted, depending on the zone. I stayed in Zone 1 in the city center, and each zone has a different cap. When I returned the card, the black attendant at the station asked which country I was from, and then said, "I'll give it to you as a gift." I was curious how he would have handled it if I had answered another country.

We didn't buy the Edinburgh or York Pass. I figured if we visited all the attractions, we wouldn't have enough time, and it would feel like just checking in. After calculating the admission fees for the must-see attractions, the pass didn't seem worthwhile.

WiFi: I rented a WiFi device for the two of us to share. Before departure, she kept saying I needed to take care of her, and her family also asked me to look after her. I thought it was natural to help each other. I had traveled to many countries and cities, and even domestically I had never traveled separately. But later, her drama kept coming, and she even refused to share the WiFi with me. In anger, I activated China Mobile's international roaming. We went our separate ways, and it was much quieter.

China Eastern's airport WiFi pre-booking system had some issues, so I had to ask the flight attendants for the password onboard. I couldn't connect to WiFi on the outbound flight, but there was WiFi on the return flight, though it was unstable.

II. Departure: Starting the 15-Day UK Trip

Day 1, Wednesday, Jan 15: Edinburgh—Calton Hill, Scott Monument, Princes Street Gardens, St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh Old Town, Royal Mile

Our flight was early on the 15th, so I rushed home after work to grab my luggage and hurried to the airport. Fortunately, traffic was smooth, and the queues for luggage and security were short. I arrived early at my favorite duty-free shop, CDF. But since I had too many items stockpiled at home, I couldn't think of what to buy. However, my principle is that not buying at CDF is a loss—how could I pass it up? In the end, I forced myself to buy a few blushes and some serums.

After an 11-hour flight, we transferred in Amsterdam. The layover was 3-4 hours. The airport was shabby and not cheap, so we just bought coffee and rested. Then we flew another 1-2 hours and finally arrived at Edinburgh's Schiphol Airport? No, Edinburgh Airport. We took a bus to the hotel. Edinburgh's buses are a bit capricious. There's a stop button; you have to press it to get off, or the bus might keep going forever. When buying tickets, they don't give change. The driver prints a ticket, but you must insert coins—probably to save time. But we couldn't know the exact fare in advance, and we didn't have a bus card, so we relied on luck. Finding the exact amount from a pile of coins was too hard, so I asked the driver to pick the coins for me, saving some trouble. Not knowing the way, we got off one stop early. Although Edinburgh is small and walking is fine, we each had a 30-inch suitcase. The sloping streets of Edinburgh reminded me of Chongqing. Plus, the wind was howling that day, blowing off my hat and gloves. I couldn't take care of everything.

We walked and stopped, and Google Maps kept leading us on detours. When we finally saw the hotel, we were as excited as if we had seen our mother. The hotel had smart services, no toothbrush, slippers, kettle, etc. It was simple and clean. The front desk used a computer to assign us a room, which turned out to be the last room in the corridor. I heard that foreigners always give Chinese people the last room, so it felt like the room was pre-assigned but made to look random.

After a short rest, we went out. Edinburgh's attractions are concentrated; we walked from one to another. But the fierce wind made my long hair fly wildly, and the damp cold was worse than Shanghai. The wind pushed us along, and we hardly dared to take out our hands for photos. Every photo you see of the attractions was taken with true love. Calton Hill, Scott Monument, Princes Street Gardens, St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh Old Town, and the Royal Mile—we checked off every one. Since it was so cold, we decided to eat early and return to the hotel. So we went to the haunted restaurant, The Ghost Restaurant, for dinner.

I thought the haunted restaurant would require reservations and queuing, but it didn't. Maybe it was because it was winter and there were few people. The restaurant was dark, and the entrance didn't have the scary receptionist I'd seen online. It lacked atmosphere, feeling like an ordinary Western restaurant.

Since there were few people, I walked around taking photos, but the waiter looked unhappy. However, when he came to our table, he smiled. Was that "professional" or "chameleon"? The steak was burnt, not as tasty as advertised—overhyped. After dinner at around 18:00, Edinburgh was as dark as Shanghai's late night. Walking back on those streets was a bit scary for two girls. We hurried back to the hotel, ending a calm but cold first day.

Day 2, Thursday, Jan 16: Edinburgh—Edinburgh Castle, University of Edinburgh, Arthur's Seat, Palace of Holyroodhouse

We had pre-booked tickets for Edinburgh Castle with a time slot, entering at 9:30. We got up early and each dealt with our own work. Time zone differences are tough—when we woke up, it was 16:00 UK time, and back home it was almost end of work. We had to finish everything in two hours. We worked while washing up and doing makeup, then rushed out. Luckily Edinburgh is small and we walked everywhere, but Google Maps still messed us up, leading us around a garden. At least it was daytime, so no fear of ghosts. We asked a passerby and arrived just before opening. Edinburgh Castle seemed plain at first, but upon closer inspection, there were many hidden spots, definitely worth it.

After leaving the castle, we realized the haunted restaurant from last night was right next to it. We hadn't explored the Royal Mile much yesterday, so we walked along it today. There was a huge whisky experience center, which required an entrance fee. We saw several whisky centers along the way, not sure which was genuine.

We walked to the University of Edinburgh. The buildings were scattered around the streets. I had seen pictures of a large lawn and a castle, but what we found wasn't like that. So we asked a Chinese student, who said that was the Old College. Following the clues, we found it. There were few people, so we took plenty of photos and soaked in the university atmosphere.

We left only when we were starving. Lunch was at The Outsider. Their mussels were incredibly delicious, and after one plate I was full. But the young waiter was unfriendly. When we hesitated to order, he gave us a look and said he'd come back later. Then the owner came. After we ordered, the owner said the waiter had told him we had already ordered two expensive dishes. I was furious and told the owner we had not. If necessary, the waiter could come. Not sure how they resolved it, but it was settled. Later in the trip, we encountered unfair treatment from foreigners a few times, and I resolved each with my broken English. Never back down abroad; stand your ground!

Edinburgh's rain came suddenly. I thought it would be brief, but it kept drizzling all afternoon. The itinerary waited for no one, so we braved the rain to go to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Arthur's Seat. With two attractions in the afternoon, time was tight. We just checked off the palace and then walked to Arthur's Seat. The mountain path was muddy from the rain. Our shoes were splattered, and the slippery path made us nervous, so we turned back halfway.

The plan was to stroll on Victoria Street and find dinner, but the rain wouldn't stop, and it got heavier. We sheltered under eaves in a small alley, popping into a few shops. We saw Scottish shortbread. I thought we had many train rides ahead and could buy some in London, so I didn't. Later I learned this was the cheapest shortbread shop, but we had no time to go back. The rain was getting us down, so we gave up on Victoria Street and rushed to the nearby trendy restaurant Michael's Steak & Seafood for dinner. We ordered a seafood platter and two plates of oysters. Their mussels weren't as good as The Outsider, but the oysters were delicious—fresh and tender. The seasonings they offered were not for Chinese palates; a squeeze of lemon was perfect.

Day 3, Friday, Jan 17: Edinburgh—Edinburgh Zoo, National Museum of Scotland, The Elephant House Café

Edinburgh Zoo was so quiet. Apart from a class of middle school students on a spring (or winter?) outing and two tall, beautiful ladies with a baby, we saw almost no one. Few people and few animals—even the air felt desolate. The bone-chilling wind turned me into a sneezing machine. It felt like a fake zoo. The koalas and pandas were too shy to show their faces. There were also mixed real and fake animals, like real penguins next to Lego penguins. My classmate was too scared to go to the wild animal area. I thought they were far enough, so I was eager to go, but I saw not a single staff member, which was worrying, so I gave up. I prefer Chiang Mai's Night Safari. The close encounter with giraffes a year ago was unforgettable.

I kept sneezing and worried that a cold would ruin the entire UK trip. So I hurried back to the hotel to add clothes and take medicine. By then, we were familiar with Edinburgh's buses—how to buy tickets, how to get off, which stop.

After taking some Chinese miracle medicine, I recovered completely. In the afternoon, we visited the National Museum of Scotland. It had many exhibits and was free, so it felt worthwhile. But perhaps because it tried to cover too much—ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign all in one museum—it felt a bit cluttered. Some everyday items we use were also exhibited, and I didn't understand the point.

Tired, we went to The Elephant House Café, where J.K. Rowling used to write Harry Potter. We lined up and had coffee. The service wasn't great. When we ordered only one coffee each, the waitress looked unhappy, but we had just eaten delicious rabbit at The Outsider and couldn't handle dessert. After a short rest, we strolled a bit on Victoria Street and Princes Street, then returned to the hotel to adjust for jet lag. I admire us—we flew from night to day and started playing directly without rest, managing three full days.

Day 4, Saturday, Jan 18: Scottish Highlands—Forth Bridge, Three Sisters Mountain, Loch Ness, Pittenweem Village

I had added an extra day in Edinburgh to explore the Highlands. At 6:30 AM, Edinburgh was as dark as 4:00 PM, with no one on the streets. Knowing we had over 7 hours of travel, I prepared Thai travel sickness medicine.

When we reached the Forth Bridge, it wasn't even dawn. In the UK, it gets light late and dark early. But compared to later London, the Highlands and Edinburgh had fairly clear skies. As we drove upward, the sky got brighter and the scenery more beautiful. We were overwhelmed by the beauty, but couldn't capture it well from the car.

The Highland deer were gentle, completely different from the "gangster" deer in Nara. They were more like domesticated deer—they ate if offered food, left quietly if not, and were somewhat shy. In Nara, deer would swarm as soon as they saw deer crackers. Often, a crowd of deer surrounded a person. Once, my drink was in a side pocket of my backpack. A "gangster" deer pulled it out with its mouth. If I hadn't noticed in time, it would have pulled out all the deer crackers. So I absolutely loved the Highland deer. When I fed them bread from my hand, they ate slowly and politely.

Three Sisters Mountain looked like three snowy peaks. Loch Ness had no monster, just cute ducks. We walked along the lake, enjoying the cool breeze to relieve motion sickness. After lunch, we drove two hours to the fairy-tale village of Pittenweem. Unfortunately, we misjudged the time. All the shops were closed. Even the famous ice cream was only available for takeaway. Considering the cold and our numb hands, we gave up.

The drive back took several hours. When we arrived safely, we couldn't wait to visit our old friend Michael's Steak & Seafood for oysters, to reward ourselves for the day's journey.

Day 5, Sunday, Jan 19: York—National Railway Museum, York Minster, York Chocolate Factory, York City Walls, Bettys Tea Room, The Shambles

We took the train to York. The night before, we had scouted the station and applied for the Two Together Railcard. In my research, many people rush to find the platform at the last minute, but you can check it directly on Trainline—very convenient.

I loved the feel of York. The city walls and the Minster each had their own beauty. The cold architecture seemed full of soul. Along the way, street musicians played and sang. Basking in the sun, enjoying the scenery and music, all worries seemed to melt away.

We had afternoon tea (and lunch) at Bettys Tea Room. The cake was average, but the tea was exquisite. The UK has a tea culture; almost everyone seems to have afternoon tea. An elderly man sat alone in Bettys, reading a newspaper and sipping tea for an afternoon, and no one thought it strange. I thought to myself: when I'm old, I want an independent, high-quality life—drinking tea, coffee, watching movies alone...

The National Railway Museum is near York Station, free, and you can spend a long time there. It's a paradise for train enthusiasts. If I had a son, he'd love it—boys love trains.

We checked off the York Chocolate Factory, but didn't have time to make chocolates. Just a quick look, then we went to find "Diagon Alley."

"Diagon Alley" is actually The Shambles, a very small street. When we arrived around 17:00, it was like 23:00 in Shanghai. Most shops were closed. We thought we were in the wrong place and asked a shopkeeper if this was Diagon Alley. He said seriously that Diagon Alley was an "inspiration," not a real street. I couldn't help but laugh at his earnestness. Of course, I knew it was an inspiration; I just wanted to confirm I was in the right spot. So I asked again if this was The Shambles, and he said yes. The Shambles at night, though crowded, felt a bit eerie. We tried to find a ghost tour but couldn't, so we went back disappointed.

Day 6, Monday, Jan 20: Sheffield—Chatsworth House

We caught an early train to Sheffield, then without even taking motion sickness pills, boarded the bumpy bus 218 for about an hour, just to see my dream Chatsworth House (Darcy's house). But to our dismay, the house and garden were closed for winter, reopening only in spring. How capricious the British are! We had planned to spend a whole day at Chatsworth. Our return train ticket was for the evening. I suggested visiting a llama farm, but predictably, she didn't want to move, only willing to walk around the area. So I accommodated her and we took photos around the estate. The scenery outside was beautiful; we could walk along the river and country paths for a long time. In the distance, many llamas and deer were grazing and strolling leisurely, basking in the sun. At Chatsworth—actually, throughout the UK—animals and humans coexist peacefully. Deer, parrots, ducks, llamas—they aren't afraid of people, and people don't deliberately scare them. We keep a safe distance and coexist. I wish I were a carefree little animal...

We took bus 218 back to Sheffield city center. We wanted a good meal to soothe our wounded hearts. We planned to walk to a restaurant for lamb spine hot pot. When we finally arrived, starving and exhausted, we saw a notice on the door: closed on Mondays. Oh s**t. The review app didn't mention that. So we went to another trendy restaurant, China Red, for Sichuan food. At 15:30, we finally had our lunch. Although it was Chinese food, it was nowhere near authentic Sichuan cuisine—just so-so. After eating, we had some time before our train, so we walked around the nearby commercial street. We both started feeling unwell, cold and feverish, as if catching a cold. We immediately suspected the food at China Red. We thought we could hold out until we got back to the hotel and sleep it off. But at the station, I couldn't hold it anymore and threw up badly. After cleaning up, I just caught the train. My classmate didn't feel like vomiting but was uncomfortable and remained so for days. It was truly a journey of misfortune in Sheffield!

Day 7, Tuesday, Jan 21: York—Clifford's Tower, York Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum, York Dungeon, The Shambles, Shambles Market

I had originally planned to visit Castle Howard (where Jay Chou got married), but I learned during research that the castle is closed in winter, only the garden is open. Considering the inconvenient transportation and that just the garden wasn't interesting, I gave up.

York, like Edinburgh, is small; you walk from one attraction to another. Clifford's Tower and York Castle Museum face each other, and the city walls are nearby.

Yorkshire Museum's garden is large, like a park, with many children playing.

The York Dungeon is a show with scary stories and interactions. Although I'm timid, I wanted to see it, but my classmate didn't dare. I had to give up.

By day, The Shambles has a different charm. I wandered and found many Harry Potter replicas for sale. Brooms and wands had signs saying "Muggles do not touch."

The Shambles Market next to it is also worth a visit. Many locals buy fruit and second-hand shoes there.

Day 8, Wednesday, Jan 22: Oxford—Bicester Village

We dragged our big suitcases to Oxford. I was glad I had restrained my shopping urge earlier, so I didn't need to switch to a smaller suitcase. But I knew Oxford would be different because of Bicester Village.

Originally, we planned to spend half a day exploring Oxford University today and go to Bicester tomorrow. But my classmate couldn't contain her shopping urge. She convinced me to move up the Bicester trip, saying if it wasn't worth it, we wouldn't go tomorrow. When we got there, it truly wasn't worth it. All the bags were last season's; none of the new styles I wanted were there. I couldn't buy anything, so we returned to the hotel.

Day 9, Thursday, Jan 23: Oxford—Bicester Village

Unexpectedly, my classmate changed her mind. She had said we wouldn't go to Bicester today and would return the train tickets, even if non-refundable, to visit Oxford University. But in the end, she decided to go again, browsing each store slowly to find good deals. To maintain itinerary stability, I accommodated her again, accompanying her from store to store. While she tried on clothes, I waited beside her. When it took too long, I went to nearby stores, but tried not to get separated. It was also to keep my promise to her parents to take good care of her.

I recommend a restaurant in Oxford: Cote Brasserie. It ranks low on review sites and isn't trendy, but it was surprisingly delicious and affordable. Few Chinese people go there. Following the principle of eating where locals eat, we tried it and enjoyed a proper two-hour French service. I highly recommend it. Compared to the trendy Bella Italia we ate at the day before, where even the steak was burnt and every swallow was an effort, Cote Brasserie was very honest.

Day 10, Friday, Jan 24: London—Burberry Factory Outlet, Oxford Street & Regent Street

We got up early, took the train to London, then transferred twice on the Tube. There were no elevators at the interchange, so we carried our half-human-height suitcases up and down stairs, on and off the Tube. Well, consider it a trial from heaven. Interesting enough, the train fare and Tube fare were both included in the ticket? Amazing.

Our Pullman Hotel was near King's Cross Station. After dropping off our luggage, we went out to eat. It was New Year's Eve, so we wanted a good meal. We found a fried chicken restaurant popular with Chinese: Nando's. It was interesting—after queuing for a seat, you had to queue again to order. After a flurry of actions, we finally had our New Year's Eve dinner. Not as sumptuous as at home, but celebrating the New Year abroad had its own flavor.

In the afternoon, we planned to go to the Burberry Factory Outlet. I wanted to first see Platform 9¾ at King's Cross, but my classmate said we'd have plenty of chances later and persuaded me to skip it. The Burberry outlet wasn't that cheap. We spent the afternoon and each bought a coat.

Next on the itinerary was Fortnum & Mason. But my classmate's princess syndrome flared up again—she refused to go, insisting on shopping on Oxford Street for luxury goods. We had agreed to do shopping on the same day, and I had shown her the itinerary, which she approved. But after arriving, she changed her mind about what she liked. Since we had only one WiFi device and I didn't want a scene, I compromised again. I accompanied her until the stores closed before returning to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, I told her about the next day's plan as usual. She said she wanted to change everything because she hadn't shopped enough on Oxford Street and wanted to spend another whole day there. No matter how I reasoned, I couldn't convince her. I asked about the WiFi; she said if I didn't accompany her, I couldn't have it, or I could drop her off on Oxford Street and take the WiFi. I said let's wake up early so I could drop her off and still make my schedule. She said she wanted to sleep in—the stores wouldn't open early anyway—and she refused to take the Tube; she wanted to walk. At that point, I didn't want to argue. I had made a wrong decision by agreeing to accompany such a selfish person who never considers others. I had to pay for my choice. So I silently called China Mobile to activate roaming. I didn't bother asking for the WiFi fee I had already paid her. For the remaining days, I traveled alone. Different paths, no need to force cooperation.

Day 11, Saturday, Jan 25: London—National Gallery, Charing Cross Road, Borough Market, Notting Hill

I spent the morning at the National Gallery appreciating paintings. I never thought I'd one day see Van Gogh and Monet's works up close, and for free! I kept watching until my legs were numb, forgetting who I was, forgetting time, forgetting everything. When I came out, I realized I hadn't had lunch. I planned to go to Borough Market for good food, but I got lost looking for Charing Cross Road. My stomach ached, so I gave up and headed straight to Borough Market.

On weekends, Borough Market is full of delicious food. Many stalls sold cheese and sauces, but I didn't buy any because they'd be hard to carry. So many choices. I followed the locals' queues and had mushroom, cheese, and quinoa rice, and a delicious cake (name unknown).

London has many weekend markets. Notting Hill Market is one, but it was hard to find. Along the way, I saw colorful houses and brightly painted restaurants, but couldn't find the market in pictures. The navigation led me farther off. A small path didn't look like it led to a market, so I stopped a girl to ask. Coincidentally, she was also looking for Notting Hill Market via navigation. We went together. She said she was French, had been in London for a year but hadn't explored much. Her company had few people, so she had few friends. I was surprised—such a beautiful and outgoing girl saying she was lonely, and not exploring in a year challenged my stereotype of foreigners. She wanted to post a photo on Instagram, so I took multiple photos of her posing in front of the colorful houses. Although we didn't reach Notting Hill Market before it closed because of the photos, I was glad to meet such a lovely girl. See you again, hopefully!

Day 12, Sunday, Jan 26: London—Tower of London, Tower Bridge, British Museum, Covent Garden, Platform 9¾

Tower Bridge is just a bridge. Though impressive, we have many such bridges in China, so I didn't spend time on it. But the Tower of London was stunning. Don't be fooled by its plain name—it's a large complex similar to Edinburgh Castle, with many small buildings to explore. Great value; I recommend taking time to appreciate it.

The British Museum is also a treasure. Compared to the free National Museum of Scotland, this one is very professional. It doesn't mix things from different eras and regions indiscriminately; it's organized by country and region, allowing you to appreciate each culture. I always try to understand local culture when visiting a country, so museums are a must. Although I like shopping, pure shopping trips make me feel shallow. Since I'm here, I should learn something. That said, the British Museum is huge. Wandering from one hall to another, I often thought, "Who am I? Where am I?" Finally, I found the exit.

It started raining, and I had no umbrella. I jogged and managed to see Covent Garden Market before it closed. Since all shops closed at 18:00 on Sundays, I didn't have time for dinner and just grabbed a trendy ice cream from Venchi to stave off hunger. Covent Garden is large, with shops on both sides—cosmetics, food—and stalls in the middle selling flowers, plants, and portraits. It looked familiar; then I realized it was exactly like Shanghai's Anyi Night Market. No wonder I felt Anyi Night Market was odd—night markets should be like Shanghai's Pengpu Night Market, Harbin's Shida Night Market, or Taiwan's Hualien Night Market—crowded with food stalls. Instead, Anyi had flowers and plants. It was imitating Covent Garden.

Since the rain lightened and all shops were closed on Sunday, I went to see Platform 9¾. I'm not a die-hard Harry Potter fan, but I've seen all the movies. I had to check out the famous Platform 9¾. It's at King's Cross Station but not on the actual platform—it's in a corner of the hall for fans to queue for photos. There were many fans; the line would take at least half an hour. No one could hold my bag and lend me a Harry Potter scarf for photos, so I just took a quick picture and left.

Day 13, Monday, Jan 27: London—Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, River Thames, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Victoria Memorial, Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Her Majesty's Theatre

I got up early and went to Westminster Abbey. With the audio guide in Chinese, I walked slowly, absorbing British history and culture. There were many tourists; some small halls were packed, so I could only glance around. Not great value.

Then I walked to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The parliament building was under renovation, so I couldn't get a good photo.

By the River Thames, I enjoyed the breeze and the view of the London Eye. So pleasant.

Then I went to Trafalgar Square, saw Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. The palace was not open to the public at that time, so I could only take a photo from a distance.

I didn't miss the scenery along the way: a green field, a running track with many runners, a fearless little parrot. I wished I were as free as that parrot.

It was still early. After a stroll on Oxford Street and a quick meal, I walked to Her Majesty's Theatre to watch the long-admired opera "The Phantom of the Opera." The stage design was perfect. Truly an opera you must see once in a lifetime.

Day 14, Tuesday, Jan 28: London—Westfield London Shopping Centre, Oxford Street

On the last day, I arranged shopping and tax refund. For the past few days, I asked at Selfridges every day for a specific bag, and they always said no. Today I went to Westfield. The SA said they had one—the last in London—so I quickly bought it and had a happy lunch. I wanted to try the trendy T4 milk tea, which was near the passage from the mall to the Tube, but seeing my big shopping bag, I gave up.

In the afternoon, I went back to Selfridges to do the tax refund. I asked the SA again if they had the bag, thinking, "Please say no, so my long trip to Westfield was worth it, and I won't miss Selfridges' multi-buy refund promotion." To my surprise, the SA asked me to wait and soon brought out the same bag I had bought in the morning. I could see flames in my eyes—how dishonest was that SA at Westfield? She said it was the last in London!

The tax refund queue at Selfridges was long, especially in the afternoon. They refund first, freezing your Huabei account as collateral. It took almost two months to unfreeze. The promised points never came. British efficiency... Compared to my friend who later went to Spain, I was envious.

Day 15, Wednesday, Jan 29: London to Shanghai

Today's itinerary was just flying. But I kept humming the song "Fei Fei Fei" (Fly Fly Fly) from somewhere...

We took the train to the airport. We arrived too early to check in. The tax refund queue wasn't too long, but it took forever because the guy stamping documents chatted for a full 10 minutes per person. They did random checks, but if you said the items were in your luggage, they didn't open them. After the chat, you could get a refund either in cash or by credit card—no choice. The longest credit card refund took a full two months.

Our flight was back to China, so everyone wore masks. I'm used to wearing a mask when not wearing makeup, so I had brought one and used it. Masks were sold out everywhere in the UK, including the airport. I heard you could buy them at hardware stores, but they were rationed. Fortunately, our flight was safe. I watched four movies and was home, ending a journey that, although solitary in the end, was still enjoyable.