I heard this on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle... <BR>"Gee honey, why did they have to build the castle so near the railway line?" <BR>

Another good thing in the U K,museums and exhibits are free to those 60 and over. Also the senior rail card which gives 33% off rail tickets even the already discounted ones. Truly enjoyed these benefits .Joyce

Few more good things about living in UK. <BR> <BR>The broad sheet newspapers, radio 3 & 4, National theatre and B B C television channels.

I enjoyed Liverpool, not as ugly as people think. My friends were with Everyman' Theater. Alas they are now devorced

<BR>Some thought-provoking remarks from an American traveler to London, Amsterdam, and Italy:<BR><BR>It is obvious that our relatively young American society, in spite of the great freedoms and benefits that we do enjoy, is shallow, fast, dollar oriented, and greatly lacking in many, many deeper cultural aspects.<BR><BR>We don't seem, as do the Europeans (at least the French and Italians,) to ever really stop and enjoy the day, to "smell the roses." As in Mexico, many Europeans take daily "siestas." This is when they enjoy their big meal of the day and spend time with the family. Shops close. You can feel the pace of a place wind down for a few hours.<BR><BR>Our American value systems, especially our family value systems, seem to have greatly disintegrated, while in Europe they are still alive and kicking.<BR><BR>I am dismayed with our architecture and art. We are truly the "McDonald's" society. We realize that the comparison of our 225 year-old society with the thousand year cultures of Europe is unfair. However, the track we are on does not appear hopeful, and unfortunately, many Europeans tend to follow our lead.<BR><BR>Source: http://www.davidandcarol.com<BR>

It's nice to hear such a list of positives. We are a nation of grumblers and tend rather to enjoy mocking our institutions and being negative. For example everyone had a good time laughing at the Dome and almost ignoring other successful millennium projects. The trouble is is that the foreign press tends to take us at our word.