I just spent four days in London with my son and we spent $2500. I'm going to guess about $3000 for your trip as it sounds like you had a party of three. I was taken aback by how expensive things were with the dollar down. If the prices were in dollars they would have been about right, but adding 70 percent made them very high. A crummy Mexican dinner was $50; two panini and two waters at a serve-yourself cafe in Nottinghill were $30. The things we found to be better deals were our fine meals - $85 for lunch that included caprese salads, chestnut gnocchi and a chocolate souffle that was to die for at a wonderful Italian restaurant in Mayfair - and hemp clothes.

I'm back next week for two days with my husband. I just can't wait to spend $10 for a hot chocolate and a cookie again.



[This message has been edited by letiole (edited Nov 30, 2003).]