Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After passing William's Fort, the number of people on the road became sparse, and there were not many vehicles. Bai Yujing originally wanted to try taking the steam train from William's Fort, crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct, to experience the feeling of going to Hogwarts, as this section of the journey is indeed the real filming location from the Harry Potter movies where the main characters take the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
However, Emma told Bai Yujing that they could also take the train back from Mallaig, so Bai Yujing could only park at the stop near Glenfinnan Viaduct and enjoy the beautiful scenery here.
Emma informed Bai Yujing, "There’s a great viewpoint here to see the Viaduct, but if you want a clearer view, you have to go to the hillside on the other side of the bridge; that's also the best photography spot, but climbing up can be a bit challenging."
Bai Yujing didn't have many demands; just taking a couple of nice photos would suffice. Since Emma had been here before, she was quite familiar with the surroundings: "There’s a train at ten in the morning and another at three in the afternoon. It should be about time now; we can go and experience it."
Bai Yujing checked and saw that it was almost three o'clock in the afternoon. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go together."
"Woo woo!"
Just as they arrived at the viewpoint, they heard the distant whistle of a train. There were quite a few tourists here, most of them not particularly old, including many children who seemed to have come to see this train. The influence of Harry Potter in England is still significant.
The arrival of the train drew everyone's attention. Bai Yujing and Emma looked over as a red train appeared from afar, framed by deep green mountains and vast forests.
White smoke billowed from the top of the train as it passed over the tall bridge, perfectly recreating a scene from the movie.
"Is this the train that departs from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters? Its final destination is Hogwarts?" Bai Yujing hugged Emma and noticed a hint of longing in her eyes; for her, this was a childhood memory.
Emma shrugged helplessly: "I used to think so too, but unfortunately, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is at King's Cross Station in London. I visited it while studying there. This train's starting point and final destination are William's Fort and Mallaig."
"I think I just heard the sound of dreams shattering!"
The two watched as the train disappeared into the distance. Bai Yujing took advantage of this moment to snap a few photos to post on Weibo. It must be said that whether due to her soft writing style or her decent photography skills—or perhaps a bit of luck—Bai Yujing's Weibo popularity was rising quickly, with many people following her.
Originally just playing around with Weibo, Bai Yujing gradually became more serious about it, trying her best when writing and taking photos. She thought about completing this British trip.
Bai Yujing had just taken some pictures with her phone and posted an interactive Weibo post: "The train heading to Hogwarts from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters!"
As soon as she posted it, Bai Yujing saw replies coming in. It should have been around eight in the morning back home; everyone was probably just getting up for work. She didn’t expect anyone would still be paying attention to her.
Wumiao: "Why didn’t you get on? You could learn magic from then on, become a fire mage, join Team FFF, and reach the peak of life."
Bai Yujing was speechless and could only reply below: "......"
There were quite a few replies afterward, and Bai Yujing selected some of the more insightful ones to respond to.
Western Oil Boy: "Where is this place? It's quite beautiful!"
"This is the Columbia Finland Gorge. In Harry Potter, the bridge that the main character's train passes over while going to school is here."
Bai Yujing closed his phone and said to Emma, "Harry Potter's dreams have been shattered, but Gulliver's dreams are still alive. Don't be discouraged; let's set off together."
"You make a good point!"
At this, Emma was also full of enthusiasm. She had previously decided to turn the house left behind by the Leprechaun into a fairy tale house to keep in her room forever. She treasured every little thing inside, handling them with great care, afraid of damaging even the slightest detail, wrapping them securely and placing them in the trunk.
As they were nearing Sky Island, Bai Yujing saw an ancient castle again. To be honest, he had seen quite a few castles in the past two days, but he felt curious about each one. As a traveler, maintaining a sense of freshness is very important; it's a great phenomenon. If he were the decisive protagonist of a novel, his curiosity would likely lead him to set off a death flag in no time.
Ailendona Castle—just hearing the name felt beautiful, and it truly was. Ailendona Castle stood by the riverside at the foot of a mountain, surrounded by picturesque scenery. Looking at it made Bai Yujing feel as if he were witnessing the essence of nature.
Ailendona Castle indeed resembled a quiet and elegant woman standing by the riverbank. It was about ten miles from Sky Island, so most tourists visiting Sky Island would stop by here for a look. There were many visitors, and they had to queue up. Bai Yujing decided not to go inside; instead, he took a few photos outside before heading towards their final destination—Sky Island.
As they got closer to Sky Island, an endless expanse of ocean appeared before them. Sky Island's original name is Isle of Skye, which is in Gaelic—a native language of Scotland. Not many people speak it now, but it seemed to have been quite popular in the 19th century. However, Gaelic signs can often be seen in various places in Scotland as part of its local culture.
In Gaelic, "Skye" means "wings," which isn't closely related to "sky." However, as they approached, Bai Yujing suddenly understood the feelings of the translator back then.
This was an island that seemed to connect with the sea and sky, resembling a paradise independent from the world. From afar, it appeared to merge with Scotland's lower clouds and coastline, resembling a true Sky Island.
A large bridge spanned across both sides, with several boats on the water. Waves rolled in from unknown depths of the sea, bringing with them gusts of sea breeze. Clouds piled up layer upon layer and swayed with the wind like white strokes painted across the sky by a large brush.
Bai Yujing felt as if his heart was being purified. Crossing Skye Bridge into Sky Island, he could see seagulls skimming close to the water's surface, chasing after waves while sailboats and motorboats sailed across the sea.
"Can you sail a boat?" Emma noticed Bai Yujing's gaze and turned to ask.
Bai Yujing, having grown up inland, had only splashed around in lakes and rivers; he had never had the opportunity to sail a boat. "I haven't learned that; do you know how?"
Since Emma brought it up, it must be her strong suit.
"My mother grew up in a fishing family by the sea, so I have that gene too! Over these next few days, I can take you out to experience conquering the sea," Emma said proudly. When she talked about her mother, her smile changed completely but then dimmed slightly afterward.
Bai Yujing could only pat Emma on the shoulder. She had mentioned before that her mother had passed away, and Bai Yujing remembered it quite clearly.
There were two ways to enter Sky Island: one was to take a boat from the sea to the island, and the other was through the Sky Bridge. Kailijin Town was located not far from one end of the bridge. Cairnryan used to be the gateway to Sky Island, but now it was just a small border town of Sky Island, lacking the fame of the renowned Sky Island attraction, Portree.
This was a very tranquil little town, with various ancient buildings and cobblestone paths reflecting its historical depth. It was evident that everything was clean and spotless, and the air on the island was very fresh; however, there weren't many people in the town.
Emma felt a bit excited upon reaching their destination. After looking around, she said, "It seems this is our target. Where is the hotel you booked? Let's drop off our luggage first, and then we can come back here to take a look later. We can determine where the owner of the diary stayed based on it."
Bai Yujing nodded. Since they were already here, there was no need to rush. After checking her phone, she said, "The address should be near Deng Weigen Castle!"
Emma immediately replied, "That’s quite far away! But the environment there is nice, by the water and very quiet."
Along the Highway, they could see the beautiful scenery of Sky Island: rolling peaks and slopes interspersed with Mountain Valleys. Occasionally, they spotted white buildings dotting the landscape, with cows and sheep leisurely moving about, unafraid of vehicles.
After a long journey, when they finally reached their destination, there was no fatigue or rush because Bai Yujing and Emma had mostly enjoyed themselves along the way. Emma was a very opinionated girl who also considered others' feelings, while Bai Yujing had a gentle temperament and a humorous side. Through their interactions, they found that they got along quite well. As for what would happen next, neither of them had thought much about it; they decided to go with the flow.
After parking the car, Bai Yujing and Emma went together to check in at the hotel front desk, but Emma noticed something suspicious.
"Why is it a double room? Didn't you book two rooms?" Emma asked Bai Yujing playfully.
Bai Yujing shrugged. "I suddenly realized that two rooms would be too wasteful. This place allows free cancellation, so I changed it to one double room."
Comment 0 Comment Count