A cat asleep on my shoulder in Istanbul
I picked a long stop in Istanbul so I could look around. Between meals and walks, a cat found its way onto my shoulder and went to sleep.
2026 · 9 STORIES
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Walking through cities, catching one train after another, and collecting stories from a winter away.
London → Birmingham → Liverpool → Manchester → Edinburgh
Start at the beginning. The stories are in the order they happened.
Five rounds of checks before the flight to London
It took several rounds of checks to get onto the flight and through the airport. By the time I reached my London hostel, I just wanted something hot to eat.
Ducking into supermarkets to warm up in London
I walked to Big Ben in the cold, stopping in supermarkets to warm up and taking my time through London.
Ice cream at zero degrees in Birmingham
After a morning walking around London, my bus took me to Birmingham, where I sat down with some ice cream in the freezing weather.
I slept through New Year’s Eve in Manchester
I stopped in Liverpool, then carried on to Manchester for New Year’s Eve. I slept right through the fireworks.
A New Year’s Day nap in Edinburgh
I left Manchester early on New Year’s Day. By the time I reached Edinburgh, a nap in the waiting area sounded better than more sightseeing.
Still on Jakarta time in Edinburgh
I was still on Jakarta time, even in Scotland. I didn’t head out until noon, when I finally walked over to the National Museum.
Back to London for the flight home
Flying out of Edinburgh was expensive, so I took an early train to London and started the long journey home there.
Charging my phone and nearly missing my flight in Chongqing
My phone died on the way to Britain. I was so busy charging it in Chongqing that I nearly left without my flight.