London, England

What does a cheapskate do in London when she's already been twice? We went to see Buckingham Palace (free), the Victoria and Albert Museum's fashion collection (free and excellent), the British Museum (free, Rosetta Stone, Elgin marbles; Roman Britain exhibit closed until 2007), Picadilly Circus (free), Covent Garden (free), and the Museum of London (free). The Museum of London was our last museum of the day, so we were quite tired, but these Roman balances caught my science-teacher eye. Students: the left-hand one is an equal arm balance; the right-hand one is an unequal arm balance. The museum also has a beautiful Roman mosaic floor.

Expensive but Historic: My third visit to London, England We flew from Newcastle to London Heathrow. I found a cheap flight on British Airways online (£26.50 [$48.80] each, cheaper than the train). We took the subway from Heathrow to Paddington. Our hotel was the Quality Crown Hotel Paddington.
	After my long trip and mix of places to stay, I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. For £101 [$186] a night (including cold breakfast and tax), we got a small, cold room (delightful!! The A/C worked so well!!) that was non-smoking. It had a nice bed, desk, TV, trouser press, view of the street, closet, and clean, small bathroom (shower only). Check-in was very quick. We were again on the first floor (lovely, as we didn't need to use the elevator).
Our first night, we walked to Hyde Park. On my first trip, I had walked the length of the park, but the Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain (pictured at right) was new (only since 2004). It is very high-tech, modern, and pretty!

What does a cheapskate do in London when she's already been twice? We went to see Buckingham Palace (free), the Victoria and Albert Museum's fashion collection (free and excellent), the British Museum (free, Rosetta Stone, Elgin marbles; Roman Britain exhibit closed until 2007), Picadilly Circus (free), Covent Garden (free), and the Museum of London (free). The Museum of London was our last museum of the day, so we were quite tired, but these Roman balances caught my science-teacher eye. Students: the left-hand one is an equal arm balance; the right-hand one is an unequal arm balance. The museum also has a beautiful Roman mosaic floor.
	Our last stop in London was the Leadenhall Market. It was (supposedly) used in the filming of the first Harry Potter movie. It was pretty on its own: a glass-roofed, Victorian painted market building.
Notes on London:
While single journeys on the Tube have really gone up in price in the past three years (now £3 or £4 each), Travelcard prices are about the same. The lazy London postcard was still around! We last spotted it in the summer of 2001, when my sister and I sent one to our brother. We bought 12 of them this year for £1 (making them 15 cents each) at a souvenir shop on the way to Buckingham Palace. It makes me smile and think of my sister every time: "I've acquired a husband!"	There was a McDonald's next to our hotel! Paddington Station had two grocery stores (Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer), plus a Boots (their meal deals are great: about £3 [$5.50] for a sandwich, drink, and dessert). There was also a Subway and a Burger King across from our hotel. Postcard stamps to the US are now 50 pence (90 cents). There was also a post office next to our hotel!