Neither my husband nor I were raised in a family that vacationed in Europe. We didn't do "semesters abroad" or take a year off to "see the continent". We were working class kids - the first generation in our families to go to college.  The only way Jim got to travel during his young adulthood was courtesy of Uncle Sam - and belive me, during the sixties, Viet Nam was not a vacation hotspot.

So flash forward a few decades... I'm sitting in our home office one Thursday night catching up on email and reading some websites. I notice that American Airlines is advertising a last-minute special to London; less than $500 per person round trip, including hotel and one meal - unreal.

I shout to Jim who is watching the news in the other room, "Hey honey, want to go to London on Monday?". 

After I fill him in on the details, he responds, "Sounds fun"; and we spend the next hour talking about all the sights in and around London that we've always wanted to see.

A few mouse clicks later, we were on our way...

Everytime we travel at budget prices, we're skeptical; but there was no catch. At that time American Airlines had one flight a day from Winston-Salem, North Carolina to London - they liked to keep it full. They also had a contract with Thistle Hotels in London.

We flew all night and arrived in Gatwick at dawn. We hopped on a train to Victoria Station and walked from there to our hotel, just two blocks from Buckingham Palace. It took us about 10 minutes to check-in, drop off our bags, put our backpacks, ask directions of the concierge and head toward the Thames River. Destination - Greenwich, England.

Just minutes from the hotel, we saw Buckingham Palace, walked by the Royal Band's practice yard and enjoyed private concert, turned a corner and saw the tower that houses Big Ben, and arrived at the Thames River.

Along the way, we passed double-decker busses, signs pointing to the London Underground subway system, Bobbies in uniform, and bright red phone booths.

We were intrigued by the London Eye (not enough to purchase a ticket); but it does dominate the waterfront. We also found out that the Eye is owned by British Airways and nets more annual revenue than the airline.

It was a short trip - just three days. We each had our list of "must-see" places; so there wasn't a minute to spare.

Our trip down the Thames River was wonderful - cruising past several centuries of treasures - from Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to ultramodern penthouses with 2 million pound price-tags.

We drifted under six or seven bridges - can't remember them all now - but the tower bridge was spectacular. A little further downstream we saw the new London City Hall. We heard that they'd held a contest to come up with a name for the silver bullet-shaped building. The winning entry was, (drum roll)... City Hall.

We turned the bend and knew we were in Greenwich as the masts of the Cuttysark came into view. What a shame that the fine ship has since burned. We were so excited to see the Royal Observatory, stand on the Prime Meridian, and visit the Maritime College. Jim's favorite was the Museum of Time. For anyone who has read the book, "Longitude", the museum has special significance.

We rounded out our day with a walk past Buckingham Palace and some shopping at Harrad's Department Store. We had dinner in the hotel dining room and fell into a deep, jet-lagged sleep that night.

We spent our second morning in London at Westminster Abbey. We could easily have spent several days on the grounds. We were fascinated to see the tombs of Kings and Queens, as well as famous people from history and literature; such as Chaucer, Sir Issac Newton, and Charles Darwin.

For lunch we visited a London Pub and fell in love with meat pies and ploughman's lunches (basically a tray with cheeses, breads and a pickle - the most economical meal you'll ever find in London). After eating, we watched the changing of the guard and then hung out for a while in Trafalgar Square.

We spent our afternoon at the tower of London. Our guide was a delightful English gentleman who provided a great history lesson. We saw the crown jewels, suits of armor, torture devices, and all sorts of guys in costume (beefeaters, etc). Our second day was capped off with another pub dinner - this time at the Bag O Nails where Paul McCartney first met Linda.

Bright and early the next day, we headed out across the moors outside London. First stop... Stonehenge. Nature provided us with a dramatic arrival - thick fog until we were right on top of the massive stone structure. The atmosphere was everything we thought it would be. It is much more interesting to learn about history by walking through it.

Speaking of history, our next stop was the town of Bath. Before touring the ancient Roman city, we enjoyed a lunch of Fish and Chips in a pub (there seems to be a theme here). We we marveled at the buildings and statues that were built during the Roman empire. We walked down to the Avon River and watched the narrow river boats. That would be a fun vacation someday - traveling Europe on a chartered narrow boat.

Back in London, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day in an Irish Pub. The place was so packed that Jim didn't think we'd even make it through the door. All it took was a toast to the Irish people and we were not only seated, but treated to mugs of ale.

Before we knew it, we were back on a jet heading West toward the U.S. with memories to last a lifetime. We also brought back a lust for travel and the knowledge that you can go anywhere in the world on a working man's budget. You just have to keep your eyes open for bargains and be flexible about your travel dates. 

P.S. The bargains are still out there.  I just saw a London travel package for $179 including airfare from Washington DC and three nights in a hotel. (www.travelzoon.com). Get out there and GO!!!