A Stroll in London

Today's itinerary is quite loose. Early in the morning, we first went to the must-visit spot for Harry Potter fans - Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station, as requested by Little Chen. However, the actual scene was quite different from what we imagined. It was just a wall with a sign of Platform 9 3/4, and a prop trolley underneath. Tourists could hold a magic wand and pose with the trolley for photos, but it costs 4 pounds for a posed photo. There was a long queue of people waiting to take photos and check in. The queue turned several corners, and the photographers were quite respectful to the Harry Potter fans, giving posing suggestions but not rushing them. So, it felt like it would take at least an hour to get to the front of the queue. Little Chen sensibly decided to give up queuing, found a corner, and took a few photos just for the sake of checking in. Old Chen wanted to go to the British Library to find the seat where Marx used to study, but he couldn't find it. However, we accidentally visited a free exhibition in the library. This is truly a sacred place. Inside, there are manuscripts by Da Vinci and Mozart, many versions of the Bible, and of course, artworks and prints from our great China. For example, there is a picture that is said to contain more than 3,000 poems. I don't understand it, but I can only think of the phrase 'impressive but incomprehensible'. There is also a Diamond Sutra written by a man named Wang Jie during the Xianfeng era. The small script is really good, like a print, but it feels slightly different from the version I recite. I also saw Mo Yan's 'Big Breasts and Wide Hips', a lead type printed thread-bound edition, the binding is very Republic of China style. Thinking about how human civilization was nurtured and formed in these manuscripts and paintings, I felt a deep respect. Buckingham Palace is a must-visit spot that I requested. The national flag was raised on the palace flagpole, indicating that the king is at home. I took a photo of the famous second-floor balcony through the openwork iron gate, and that was my check-in done. Compared to the building itself, I was more impressed by the ducks in the royal garden. These ducks, fed by tourists until they are fat and full, are the happiest creatures in the world. They don't have to use their brains or exert effort to survive, and they haven't seen the world, so they don't understand the life of their counterparts in Nanjing. They don't avoid people from Nanjing, but stare at you with round eyes. I feel like I could easily grab their necks and pick them up with a casual wave of my hand. The last stop of the day was the Tower of London. This building is really beautiful. We sat in a coffee shop under the bridge for a while, enduring the cold wind, and didn't leave until the lights came on. I have to praise the beauty of this city again. The ancient and modern buildings blend harmoniously together, allowing you to feel both the historical vicissitudes and modern fashion of the city. Apart from the high cost of living, this city is really likable.