I have 2 5k runs planned for my 8 day trip to the UK. Today was the third day in the UK and still unable to sleep in the morning, I decided to complete the first run. I woke up at 6am, washed up briefly, put on my trainers and set off.
In the morning, there were very few pedestrians and occasionally I saw a morning jogger. Along the road were small villas with neat little gardens and dedicated parking spaces. The sun was so bright, shining on the red brick walls and roofs, like a fairy tale depicting a state of untouched life.
I passed a street park, small, with 24-hour shops still open. The streets are not wide, just enough to have the atmosphere of life. It reminded me of Chengdu, with its beautiful Jinsha environment and none of the streets are spacious, the feeling of life is particularly spot on and the atmosphere of smoke and fire is particularly strong.
In our hearts, spiritual romanticism and realism in life co-exist, one cannot be without the other. I looked around, light on my feet, not intimidated, not worried by the unfamiliarity of the terrain in a foreign country, more calm and peaceful from the dopamine released by the exercise.
Our itinerary is from London all the way north and today we plan to visit Windsor Castle in the morning and Bicester in the afternoon for shopping.
Discipline is always good on Sounders trips, and the tour leader and guide don’t stress about it, and as a result, someone was late this morning, and half an hour late at that. When we arrived at Windsor Castle, there was a long queue outside the castle and the guards kept directing traffic, which took us an hour just to get through.
Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world, with its magnificent battlements and towers. It was used for solemn state occasions and was one of the main places of residence for Queen Elizabeth, who grew up as a child.
If the Queen lived here, you will see the royal flag flying over the Round Tower. You can take a free guided tour, which runs in 30-minute shifts, or hire a multi-lingual audio guide to see the sumptuous rooms and the beautiful chapel. Of course, if a particular room happens to be in use, access is forbidden.
Windsor Castle was founded by William the Conqueror in 1070 AD. Successive monarchs have rebuilt, renovated and restored the palace. Henry II replaced the wooden piles with stone towers in 1165 and rebuilt the facade; Charles II built the palace in the Baroque style; George IV introduced the Gothic style; and Queen Victoria built the beautiful chapel in memory of her beloved husband. All of these styles look like one to me, the look of British royalty, and there are no words to describe it.
We toured the castle with the crowds and followed them out of the castle again. No photos are allowed inside. The audio tour we used was basically all wrong and all I can say is that I have been to Windsor Castle.
If I had to describe Windsor Castle, I would still use the word “fairy tale”, it is a huge castle. Queen Elizabeth grew up here and had more than just a valuable castle, the Queen had all this power and wealth. To our eyes, it’s such an intoxicating thing, to have everything we mere mortals want at our fingertips. But I also know that no one can ever achieve perfection; perfection exists in the desire for what we cannot obtain.
Many ordinary people, like myself, flocked to the Queen’s house to visit the life we could not come close to. We joke about having to receive the Queen and our hearts are content.
I walk around Windsor Castle and always see a little girl in a princess dress, running freely around the castle, a beautiful image. But the Queen, now, is worried about leaving the European Union.
The Queen’s anguish is beyond my understanding. The purpose of travelling is to see myself, and I see myself. The world is only a lonely one, facing this simple and complex world.
The place for lunch was near the castle, we turned a corner and there it was, a Chinese restaurant. Most restaurants in the UK do not allow alcohol and if you do, the service charge is very high. We were a group of people who sold wine, sold wine! We also only drink the wine we bring abroad. The service charge for a bottle of wine is RMB 200+, which is about the same price as our wine.
During our lunch break, we passed a large garden (Alexandra gardens) with lots of people playing football. Coming out of the unreachable, dream-like Windsor Castle, we saw such a grounded, commonplace park. Suddenly relaxed, we took a break along the way and snapped a few photos here and there.
Windsor Castle, in too much of a hurry.
