4 Days in London (United Kingdom): Travel Diary
For several years I’ve wanted to go back to London, mainly to visit the Warner Bros Studio Harry Potter. But when we were nomads, spending a month in London seemed way too expensive, while going to London as residents in Lille seems more reasonable now. Despite the proximity to France, this is only my second time in London. The first time, I was an intern in Oslo and spent my Christmas holidays in London with my best friend. The contrast between Oslo and London was striking: compared to Norway, everything seemed affordable and the variety was immense. I brought back lots of English books (which cost a fortune in Oslo due to customs). Of course, 15 years separate these two experiences, and the London I knew the first time no longer exists.
Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Journal
The timing isn’t great because for almost our entire stay, the London Underground is on strike. It’s the first one in two years! This time, NO LINES are running. The Tube is completely shut down; there’s not even a minimum service. All we can do is walk or take the bus. The itinerary I had planned a month in advance had to be redone to work around this inconvenience, and I had to allow much more time for getting around.
Day 1: Museums and Bookshops
The Eurostar is 15 minutes late, and apparently that’s quite common, so if you book museum tours or timed entry slots, you need to factor that into your schedule. We leave our suitcase at the left luggage office at St Pancras station (£15 for 24h), but I think I should have used the Nannybag service that we’ve tried all over the world and which is three times cheaper.
The first stop was supposed to be the British Library, but the Treasures Gallery is closed for renovation. It houses a Gutenberg Bible, the manuscript of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and more.
The second stop was supposed to be the British Museum, but when I booked our tickets, I couldn’t get an entry before 11am, so I booked 12pm instead.
We walk to the National Gallery. No reservation needed here. Entry is free. We only have 1.5 hours before we need to head back to the British Museum, so we walk quickly and don’t have time to see all the rooms.
Here are the artworks I recognized and enjoyed.
The one I like the most is obviously “The Arnolfini Portrait” by Jan van Eyck. In person, the painting is even more beautiful, the colors more vibrant, and the details in the mirror are surgically precise. There are always lots of tourists around this painting because it’s one of the first you see when entering the museum.
It’s already time to go back to the British Museum. Entry is free, but you need to book online. We have the 12pm slot, but the person scanning the ticket doesn’t even check the time. We have a bag check that’s quite thorough and fast. My little bag of sausage gets through, though other larger food items have to be left here. Since we don’t have time for lunch, this little bag of sausage will serve as our snack.
I did a full sweep of the museum to see the twenty or so must-see items on the museum map. That still amounts to a 2-hour nonstop walk.
What fascinates me is the Rosetta Stone , of which we saw a replica at the Cairo Museum. But it’s much better to see it in person. The second thing is the Gilgamesh tablet, which is much smaller than I imagined. And the third thing is Room 2a, filled with gold objects (a donation from a member of the Rothschild family). I love that room so much that I went back a second time to look at absolutely every object.
We both have bad headaches and have to go outside to get some air. We have lunch right nearby, on the terrace of Menya Ramen House. The good news is that smokers are confined to a 1-meter-square area in the street like they’re lepers, so we’re never bothered by smoke on the street or even on the terrace.
I explore the neighborhood looking for secondhand bookshops. Some are antique shops, and I see the occasional second edition of The Lord of the Rings, the peacock edition of Pride & Prejudice, etc. There are just two places where I can buy something for myself:
- Any Amount of Books
- Henry Pordes
where they have a small collection of books for bibliophiles but affordable, from Folio Society, Franklin Library, Easton Press, etc. At Any Amount of Books, I jump for joy when I spot An Innkeeper’s Diary, a book with a very low market value but hilarious. It’s been on my wishlist in this edition for a long time. I open the book and see “£40”. Knowing the market value of this book (about £5), I look more carefully and notice that the £ forms a 4 with the 1. We ask the saleswoman for the price and it’s confirmed it’s actually £10. Phew, I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise.
I’m a bit surprised at how well I know book prices, because I can look at the prices of other books (that I don’t want to buy) and estimate whether the price is fair or not; proof that I’ve spent WAY, WAY too much time on secondhand book selling sites 😀
I should have applied to Henry Pordes, whose owner is politely turning down a young girl’s application who doesn’t have much experience in a bookstore. She says she needs someone with a lot of experience; and in the second-hand book trade, that means being able to spot good deals; rare books, estimate a fair price based on the condition of the books; something that only an experienced bookseller or collector can do. She seems to source her books online because a passerby came into the shop to thank her for her purchases on eBay. This eBay seller receives books for free (donations from individuals). The most expensive ones are put up for sale online to have money to send to Africa, the cheaper books are sent to Africa. At Henry Pordes, I discover very beautiful books bound in quarter with parchment. The title is gilt on another leather, the rest of the decoration is done directly on the parchment. It’s something I can do myself with my illumination method. I wanted to bring one back to appreciate the technique, but I’m not ready to pay £115 for a poetry book I won’t read. Apparently, in this collection, there is the complete works of Shakespeare, which will be much more interesting, but surely not at the same price.
Throughout our stay in London, we’ll go to all the bookshops that are on our way and I must say I’m quite disappointed with the second-hand bookshops here. I find it hard to find classics. And when I do find them, they’re at antique dealer prices. Go anyway to Cecil Street, the antique dealers’ street for window shopping. There are first editions of Alice in Wonderland, Beatrix Potter, and lots of other beautiful things (miniature silver chairs, silver cutlery, old maps, etc.)
I go and see House of MinaLima, a couple of designers who worked on the Harry Potter series. If I understood correctly, they were responsible for all the paper decor elements for the films. Recently, they made very ornate “Mina Lima” Harry Potter books, decorated with 3D elements everywhere. Unfortunately, the contract for the remaining 4 books never materialized, leaving MinaLima in disarray and bibliophiles with an incomplete collection. The shop is very pretty but nothing interests me. I’m not that big a fan of Harry Potter and everything now seems very childish to me.
We have to go back to the station to pick up the suitcase before going to our Airbnb. We wait 30 minutes at a bus stop only to learn that the bus we want will not come (even though the waiting time is clearly displayed on the sign). The locals are getting impatient but don’t complain out loud like the French would. There’s just despair and disappointment in their eyes. We have to walk a bit further and are relieved to see that the number 27 bus, which drops us almost at the foot of our building, comes by. And regularly too!
Our Airbnb is tiny (25m²) but well furnished (kitchen + private bathroom) and well located (near Paddington Station and with plenty of restaurants around). I opt for a delicious dinner at the local Korean place, while JB settles for a Neapolitan pizza.
In the evening, we watch the first Harry Potter movie so that JB (who has neither read the books nor seen the films) has visual references to fully enjoy the Warner Bros tour the next day.
Day 2: Sherlock Holmes & Harry Potter
If the metro were working, we would have gone to the Victoria & Albert Museum instead. But since we’re still in the middle of a strike, I decide to replace the museum with the Sherlock Holmes Museum, served by bus 27 which we judge to be reliable and regular. Of course, the museum is located at 221B Baker Street. Everything is done to make you feel like it existed for real and that you’re admiring his actual furniture. I’m gaga over the Victorian period in England, so when I’m in a Victorian house decorated in the Victorian style, I’m over the moon! I carefully observe the furniture and I want exactly the same ones!!! I love it too much. On the first floor, there is a guide dressed as a maid to explain the layout of the rooms. On the upper floors, we visit freely and stay as long as we want. For this museum, it is not essential to book. The souvenir shop is well stocked but nothing particularly appeals to me.
I have time to go see Oxfam Marylebone. Oxfam is a chain of second-hand goods stores. You can find quite a few cashmeres but of questionable quality. Next door, Daunt Books Marylebone (recommended by a London expert) is full of books but new ones. But the bookshop is magnificent and worth a visit.
We walk in the rain (luckily we thought of our umbrellas) and we take shelter at Waterstones (Gower Street) because it’s still too early for lunch. Here in the basement, there is a huge collection of second-hand books but I find absolutely nothing. However, there is a “board games” and coffee area where you can sit and read for hours. We have lunch at Guilin Ramen House 桂小卤 where the lacquered duck rice is absolutely delicious, I highly recommend it!
It’s already time to head to Euston station and catch the train to Warner Bros Studio. A friend told me to take public transport instead of opting for the bus from London to the studio, which is pricier and not any faster. So we take the train from Euston Station to Watford Junction. We’re told to pay by tapping our bank card at the barriers, just like you would with a transit card. It’s cheaper than buying specific tickets. Then, at Watford Junction, there’s a free shuttle from Warner Bros studio that drops us off right in front of the studio (it runs every 15 to 30 minutes). All in all, it still took us 1h30!
Warner Bros Studio Harry Potter
All 8 Harry Potter films were shot at this studio, so they had the bright idea of keeping as many sets and costumes as possible. Tickets are for a specific time slot, and you need to be there 20 minutes early, but if you arrive earlier or later, it’s not a big deal. It reminds us of Universal Studios in the US, but less festive. Visitors all seem completely exhausted too, what with the weather and the time it takes to get here.
We get access to several sets, but the ones that impress me the most are: Dumbledore’s office, the bank, the Dursleys’ house in full scale, and Hogwarts in miniature. It’s incredible to think we’re IN Harry Potter. All these full-scale elements make it feel like the wizarding world really exists and that we might soon run into a Death Eater. Many elements were mechanically operated in the film (the self-pressing iron, the vault doors, and the gates of Hogwarts), and we can also activate them by pressing a button. I think that thanks to the success of the books, they knew the films would bring in a lot of money, so the teams had the budget to make the films as appealing and realistic as possible. In front of each set, there’s a TV screen with English subtitles explaining the behind-the-scenes of that set. Those who don’t speak English can grab an audio guide in their language of choice.
JB, having a few references from watching the films, enjoys this a bit more than when we were at Universal.
The tour is very long and tiring for me since I’ve been walking non-stop for two days now. And my shoes, which aren’t exactly new (I bought them specifically for London and broke them in weeks before the visit), are hurting me. There’s a café in the middle of the tour where people stop to grab a Butterbeer. I’ve already had it at Universal and know it’s not for me—it’s extremely sweet.
We’ll leave without any souvenirs because nothing seems to be of great quality. Even the clothes are poorly made, with cheap fabrics. I can’t! But according to JB, the conversion rate must be over 50% (estimated by observing groups leaving with a shopping bag) with an average basket of £20. Near the exit, I grab a mediocre hot chocolate; my feet hurt and I’m exhausted. But I’m very happy I came—it’s been my dream for a few years now, and it’s finally come true.
We spend 2 hours on public transport to get back to London. We treat ourselves to roast duck at Phoenix Palace. It’s even more gourmet than our lunch.
Day 3: Oxford & Central London
No stress this morning because to get to Oxford, we just need to leave from Paddington Station, which is just a few meters from our place. However, I didn’t research ticket prices well, and when they tell us it’s £180 for a round trip for 2 people, we’re stunned and have to urgently search for a (slightly) cheaper solution. There are “all day” and “off-peak” fares, plus fast/slow trains, etc. We end up paying £47 each for the outward journey (full fare, fast train) because we absolutely need to be in front of Christchurch College before 10:30 am, and we return on a slower but cheaper train at £18/person. Not all options are available at the ticket machines. It’s on thetrainline.com that we found the most economical options.
Tickets for Christchurch College are only available on Friday of the week before, and you have to be careful because some time slots indicate partial closure. Tickets for the Bodleian Library are available a month in advance, so visiting both on the same day turns out to be a painful mission. Actually, we were supposed to be in Oxford on the first day, but since the university was half-closed to tourists, I had to pick another day. I couldn’t get both sites for the same day, so I prefer a visit to Christchurch College. Harry Potter drew a lot of inspiration from this university’s architecture. The ticket costs £18/person with an audio guide in multiple languages. You can visit for as long as you want, knowing that the dining hall is closed between 11:30 am and 2 pm.
The learning conditions at Oxford are truly ideal. Students live in the university or nearby, have meals served three times a day, and don’t have to worry about cleaning, laundry, or buying books—everything is provided. Their only mission is to study. On top of that, they benefit from almost individual attention through tutorials, where a professor personally mentors just one to three students. Studying at such a renowned institution, in the heart of centuries-old buildings, must be an absolutely unforgettable experience.
Honestly, after visiting Christ Church College, I feel really bad about myself. I know I will never be part of that prestigious Oxford alumni network. Even if I had the means to study there (£35,000/year for international students), I doubt I would have been admitted anyway. Getting into a school like Oxford requires not only immense hard work but also a solid share of innate talent, because you’re moving in circles reserved for an elite (a BBC program more or less concluded the same thing by studying the case of Vanessa Mae (nature vs. nurture)). I had very favorable study conditions too, but that wasn’t enough. This thought plunges me into a deep sense of inferiority: I see myself as mediocre, never enough, never up to par. In my head, I list my skills and come to: I’m passable at everything but brilliant at nothing.
The only time I was considered some kind of prodigy was in music – but that field didn’t interest me, and society didn’t need it. The real trap, when you have an easy knack for things, is that you expect to find that same natural talent in other areas. And when it doesn’t come, you feel useless, inadequate, miserable. Conversely, someone without a particular gift knows they have to work hard, clock in their 10,000 hours of effort, and can take real pride in it. Sometimes it’s even hard to tell if a field feels “easy” because you have a natural talent for it or simply because it’s objectively simple. I still don’t know if marketing really is one of my innate abilities, or if it was just an objectively easy subject for everyone.
A friend who often ranked near the bottom of the class didn’t have the same childhood as me, who was at the top. For me, scoring a 14/20 was humiliating, while for her, that same 14/20 was a real victory. Top-of-the-class students never truly feel good enough, never smart enough, because there are always prodigies who are even more intelligent, faster, more gifted – especially in the immediate family. It’s entirely possible that some Oxford grads envy those who graduated from private schools in Switzerland 😀
This visit also made me understand why some parents push their children to achieve the dreams they themselves couldn’t. If I had a child and saw Oxford’s facilities, I think I’d want them to study there too 😀
No point in trying to reason with me. People like me need to feel worthless to move forward; otherwise, we won’t get far.
As if in response to my reaction, I reread a few weeks later in Alexandra David-Néel’s “The Secret Teachings of Tibetan Buddhists” the following passage: “No special feeling towards anything is prescribed in the secret teachings. The Master expects the pupil who has examined the subjects to which his attention was drawn to find reasons for serene indifference in them. If he cannot deny himself a role in the play — comedy or drama — of the world, he at least understands that it’s all just a game. If it falls to him to play a king, a famous man, a great scholar, he does not take pride in it; if he must play a poor wretch, an ignoramus, he feels no shame. He knows these differences exist only on the stage, and once the play is over, the actors will be stripped of the rags in which they appeared.”“
Fortunately, an excellent Indian restaurant in Oxford (Dishoom Permit Room Oxford) manages to lift my spirits. We go for several small tapas-style portions, and it’s the best Indian food of our lives!
I buy a tea towel with the Oxford map. To torture myself, I’ll look at it regularly hahaha. I finish with a bubble tea (sugar is the best remedy for depression) and we brave the rain to head back to London.
JB asks if I plan to go to Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, etc. I say “no” because I already visited them last time. JB, who has been to London several times, has also seen them multiple times, but never the Changing of the Guard (which I didn’t find memorable anyway). To make him happy, we head to Buckingham Palace. The vibe is still off for me; I don’t get good vibes. We then walk to Westminster Abbey, still a very meh atmosphere. We attend the service, which fortunately has more music than prayers. Institutions like that have their own choir, and the kids rehearse day and night. It’s very, very pretty, but acoustically it’s not the best. We then wait for Big Ben’s bells before being nosy at the Downing Street barriers. Piccadilly is much smaller than I remember. A bit further, guys in suits pile onto the pavement in a one-meter-wide rectangle along the pub walls, shouting in each other’s faces. You can’t hear anything, you can’t understand anything, but there you go, everyone’s holding a beer. Happy hour.
So that’s a very touristy part of the city, but once again, the vibe is just not cool. I don’t find London cool; I find the city dull, very expensive, full of desperate faces. Money is needed everywhere. Whether it’s the tube, tea, exorbitant housing, or exorbitant electricity. Those I know who don’t work in finance are flatmates and have a less pleasant life than in Paris (if you consider life in Paris pleasant). The self-made folks in finance face so many closed doors because of their social status that they try to do their social climber by sending their children to private schools to be with the elite; in exchange, the financial pressure is enormous because this picnic at the Duchess What’s-Her-Name requires that the children more or less know how to ride horses… ah!! People are badly dressed, badly groomed. Beauty disappears from the streets, only the shadow of a glorious past remains in such and such a historic building, on the shelf of such and such a bookstore. What soft power does the UK have left?
When I first came to London, I was impressed: finally a country where the mother tongue is English, I was thrilled by places I had only seen on TV, the festive side of Christmas, the huge shopping offers on Boxing Day, and compared to Oslo where nothing happened, London was paradise. But now, everything is online; I can access any book in English anywhere in the world; I even found a middleman who can forward packages received in the UK. Clothes made in the UK are no longer the best in the world. Their itchy wool won’t be as good as a pashmina. It’s a shame I didn’t have time to go to Savile Row; it would have given me a bit more appreciation for London. I’ve spent enough time in Australia and the USA to no longer be impressed by English-speaking countries. In short, I think London is overrated and this is probably the last time I go there.
There’s only one store that brought the sparkle back to my eyes: Liberty. The building is old and very pretty, and they sell liberty fabrics in all materials, especially silk!!! Expect to pay £65 to £80 per meter for silk, and there are remnants for £15. I didn’t buy anything because liberty isn’t my favorite pattern, but I really enjoy being surrounded by so many beautiful fabrics. There’s a section dedicated to William Morris patterns. The porcelain is very poor quality, but for William Morris fans, at least it’s made in the UK. On the 3rd floor, there’s a section of rare & old books. You can find lots of classics there, priced higher than average – except for one book that was underpriced (£95 instead of £120), but I didn’t take it either because I’m not big on poetry. It’s still there if you’re interested.
JB and I are having dinner in a packed Indian canteen. We can barely find room to sit, but the prices beat any competition: £16 for a huge platter (vegan though) enough for two people.
It’s barely 8:30 PM, but London has turned into Jack the Ripper’s London. People switch to “maximum protection” mode and hurry home because shadows walking unsteadily invade the streets, even in the very center. We come across a young woman being harassed by a guy in his sixties: “What do you mean you don’t know where XYZ street is” at an intersection. She responds timidly, “I’m not from here”. Another young woman nearby runs off at full speed to avoid being interrogated about Google Maps. It’s distrust everywhere. At 8:30 PM!!!!!
Day 4: Windsor Castle and V&A Museum
Today is our last day in London. We drop our suitcase off at a Nannybag luggage storage near Paddington station, then we go to see billionaires aka the royal family. We visit Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth II’s headquarters. Expect to pay around £14/person for transport.
Buckingham Palace is open to tourists in the summer as well, but I’m more drawn to Windsor Castle. As soon as there’s money galore, you can feel that the vibes are more cheerful. There’s an atmosphere of “we’re so great, we’re so powerful”… in every corner of the castle. We each have an audio guide. You can choose to visit St George’s Chapel first or the state apartments first. I choose to visit the chapel because the sun is out and the stained glass will be prettier. I’m very surprised that I already know the history of all the kings and queens mentioned in the audio guide, proof that I watch WAY WAY too many HBO series and read too many novels by Ken Follett & Philippa Gregory. You can also see a black slab where Queen Elizabeth II is buried with her family. I’m very pleased to see that Henry VIII, who wanted a monument dedicated to his glory, ended up being put in a corner like a regular king for tourists like me to walk over.
Before the state apartments, it’s the highlight of the whole visit: Queen Mary’s doll’s house. It’s a miniature dollhouse, designed to showcase English craftsmanship after the First World War. Everything is functional: running water (hot and cold), the elevator, the electricity… The dollhouse itself has its own dollhouse hahaha. The library is filled with 170 handwritten books made by real English authors and bound carefully in parchment or morocco leather. An architect oversaw the project, with hundreds of artisans – and prestigious houses, some of which still exist today. I like this house so much that we went around twice to spot the details. And I left with a metal tin depicting the house plus a book about it 😀
The State Apartments are comparable to Versailles, perhaps even richer, since some rooms are still used by the royal family for official receptions. It’s fascinating to be in a place where objects have been accumulating for over nine centuries. You feel an energy that is both powerful and positive. I tell myself that if the UK were ever to go through a major crisis, all you’d have to do is bring heads of state here so they’d immediately change their perception: the soft power generated by such a story and by the aura of such a building is absolutely undeniable. That’s why France still holds on to its July 14th parade, its Elysée, and other symbols of a former empire.
This makes me reflect on the importance of generational wealth from a financial perspective. Coming from a self-made family, the only generational wealth I had access to, if you can call it that, was my grandfather’s library. Hating books damaged by drool and with yellowed paper from libraries, I actually only had access to the great classics through that collection. My grandfather, a great bibliophile, owned quality editions, not leather-bound because we didn’t have money, but with fairly white and thick paper. Today, I know that my niece will benefit not only from my own library, but also from my jewelry. She’s already spotted what attracts her… actually, all of my jewelry!! 😀
You can’t take photos inside, so I’ll let you discover them either on Google Images or by going there yourself.
V&A Museum
We take a long time to get back to Paddington because we take the Elizabeth Line instead of a GWR. Arriving at Paddington, it’s pouring rain and we hide in an Indian restaurant (another one!) that’s not too bad and not vegan. I’m at the end of my rope because I have PMS but I still decide to walk to the Victoria & Albert Museum. I should have taken the subway but I didn’t know that this metro line was no longer affected by the strike. My bad.
For several years, I’ve been developing an obsession with William Morris. I know that the Victoria & Albert Museum has a huge collection of William Morris’s works (in archives); since I don’t think I’ll come back to London, it’s now or never. I brave the fatigue and the rain and arrive at the museum almost limping because my feet hurt. JB puts our suitcase in the museum’s cloakroom (£5).
The museum is immense and I don’t know where the works of William Morris, the founder of the Arts & Crafts movement, are. I ask around and I’m advised to explore room 123 on the 3rd floor & the surrounding rooms. I find here and there a Morris & Co carpet, then a Morris & Co wallpaper. And there in room 123 I see a corner dedicated to my idol: carpets, curtains, stained glass, furniture, books, tiles… basically a large part of what he accomplished in his life. To learn more about William Morris, read my other article. I’m disappointed not to see his book, The Kelmscott Chaucer, the most beautiful printed book in the world, but there was a test print of one page of that book and it’s just as beautiful as in my imagination. The hand-printed wallpapers & fabrics are super sharp. I think current digital prints are beautiful but can never have the same quality as mechanical printing. That’s why Hermès scarves still use the so-called Lyon printing.
On the ground floor, I find a dining room decorated by William Morris when he was young. I enjoyed a hot chocolate there, on a tray with his pattern. The walls are textured (plaster), the stained glass is absolutely magnificent, the lines super fine and precise.
In the souvenir shop, William Morris’s patterns are printed on silk scarves. I think he would have liked that. He was for beauty, it would have saddened him that his designs were printed on polyester. The V&A Museum souvenir shop is the classiest of museums. After all, it’s a museum of decorative arts, thankfully the shop lives up to it. I would have liked to explore more (especially the current Cartier exhibition) but time is short and I have a bad stomach ache, so we hurry to take the metro and head to the station.
A King’s Cross, I try to find platform 9 3/4 but actually, between platforms 9 and 10, there’s no wall. 10 meters away, there’s a Harry Potter souvenir shop and a wall where people queue to have their photo taken by a professional photographer.
We return to Lille late from St Pancras. It’s cold and rainy. It seems the London weather followed us. I’m glad to get home, to take off these shoes that hurt me. My Lille apartment seems huge compared to our London Airbnb – I’m maybe too old for small spaces 😀
Part 2: Practical Tips
- London has become cashless. Come with an international card like Revolut or Boursobank to pay everything in pounds without fees.
- Remember to book in advance:
- Warner Bros Studio
- Christchurch College (tickets on sale every Friday for the following week)
- British Museum (free entry but you need to book online)
- Budget:
- Eurostar: €140/person round trip
- Airbnb: €120/night
- Windsor Palace: £31/person
- Christchurch College: £18/person
- Restaurant: between £16 – £22/person + 12% service charge. You can ask for free “tap water” at the restaurant
- Bus/metro: about £3 per trip, we pay with our bank cards because there is a daily spending limit
- London – Oxford: from £36/person round trip
- London – Watford Junction: about 14€/person round trip
- The museums are free
- Luggage storage: £5 with nannybag
