I wasn't aware that the tix were already bought. Edinburgh is indeed gorgeous - but then, so is 'the beautiful English countryside'!

I hope you see my point - frequent changes of lodging and travel to and from them consumes valuable vacation time.

There really isn't a central area to see all the places you want to see. canterbury is one direction form London and Bath/Windsor/Oxford are the opposite direction.

BUT - taking advantage of accommodations in London is a definite consideration. To maximize the time in London, I'd go ahead and stay 7 days there ( or at least 6 days). That would give you "bang for the buck" w/ your budget.

You could do Day trips to:
• Canterbury/Dover as one (looooong) day trip. I'd skip Leeds Castle altogether - you are going to see better several places along your route.
• HCP/Kew - May is wonderful at both places
• Oxford -- yeah I KNOW, before I said not to :) . But it is a quick bus or train journey.

You could even fit in an evening walk or play after HCP/Kew.

Then on day 8 head out to Heathrow to collect you car. See Windsor that morning since it is only 7 miles from LHR.

After Windsor drive over to Bath and spend that afternoon and the next morning. Leave after lunch time and head up into the Cotswolds for at least 2 nights - 3 would be better.

Then early AM head north to the Lakes for one night. You'd could be there before lunch time and have that day and the next 1/2 a day before driving north to Scotland.

This will give you 3 nights in Edinburgh -- OR -- you could do 1 night along Hadrian's wall and 2 nights in Edinburgh.

If you decide to do less time in London (and give up the free accommodations) add a night to the Lakes.

Thank you so much. You understand what my dilemma is. With free accomodations, it makes it hard to turn down.

I needed a workable plan and now I have a place to start.

Thanks for all of your help.

Another option:

First week - London (with daytrips)
Second week - Scotland (including Edinburgh)

You're likely to get some inclement weather wherever you go (more likely in Scotland I believe) at that time of year and you should factor that into the equation...

I note you have the Jewish Museum on your list. Now I'm not Jewish, but the bint is (it's a goy meets girl story), and I have to say it's about the dullest place I've ever been.

What's more it's a major trek (schlep?)out to Golders Green

Also it's shut for refurbishment at the moment.

C W - tell me about the flamingos at Golders Green - i am thinking of tubing out there just to see them - are they always there? Just a few or a whole flock?

cheers

It's just a childrens zoo - not work the trek. You can see flamingos in St James' Park if you're that interested (along with pelicans and other things that shouldn't really be in london).

Don't mess with London pelicans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNNl_...1&index=16

Yes we are Jewish, and my husband's parents were married in the Bevis Marks synagogue. He wants to look at the records there. His family has lived in London for centuries. I want them to fit into our schedule not the other way around.

We just want to arrange a time to see everyone. He also has an old fiend who lives in Golda's Green. They have just reconnected on the internet. I haven't met him, so we have to do that too.

That explains why we want to do that part of London for sure.

It isn't an old fiend...it really is an old friend. What a typo!!!

You do know that Bevis Marks is in the East End not Golders Green?

CW - but i have a gorgeous London Transport poster on my wall that has an idyllic picture of pink flamingos with the wors

"Flamingos by Tube"

gotta go see those birds

St James' Park is running alive with the big pink buggers. You don't need to schlep out to N3 for them.

Spoil sport - i would assume Golders Green has some in and of itself to recommend it?

I vie it as a busy traffic juncture however and not much else?

I would not expect much Green there however. I stayed once in Tufnell Park just down a bit and that area was rather blah IMO and think G G more of the same

It's a jewish area - so if you like bagels and salt beef and the like you'll be OK.

There's the aforementioned Jewish Museum, but if you're not of the hebrew persuasion it's mighty dull.

It gets very busy at night with every jewish teenager in North London descending on the area to try and get off with one another.

I am aware they are not in the same place, but the friend lives in the area and we'll be there.

I'll read up about the Jewish Museum and rethink that. I know we want to to to the Synagogue.

As I said, Bevis Marks is in Whitechapel (and worth a visit - I think it's the oldest synogogue in Britain - it's pretty damned old anyway). It has a restaurant attached to it which gets reviews from amazing to amazingly awful - it seems to be a Marmite sort of place.

I have no idea when the jewish museum is re-opening.

A marmite sort of place...that sounds tasty. We have friends who went to London and brought us back some. They thought we would be so happy. I think it's still in the pantry...if we ever have a major snow storm in Atlanta, we can always have that on bread if we have bread.

"Marmite" is just British shorthand for "you'll either love it or hate it". Marmite does rather split opinion you see....

Split opinion on Marmite?

Now if a typical B&B is typical - the Marmite jar on the breakfast table last year at my Eltham B&B looked like it had not been touched since the last millenium - and mainly Brits stay there.

I've seen this in many B&Bs - Marmite jar out their because it has to be but few takers.

That said i always bring back a jar of Marmite (or Tesco's off brand) for my relatives who rather like it - mainly for its veet-a-mins they say - like yeast.

The thing with Marmite is ... it is packed full of B vitamins.

Alcohol (the misuse of) depletes the body of B vitamins, and also prevents the body absorbing them properly.

Marmite is therefore an excellent remedy for the imbibing of too much alcohol. A good slice of Marmite on toast after a heavy night does help you feel better in the morning (before the greasy fry-up that is!).

I once went on a ski holiday without the jar of Marmite. On my immediate return home I found myself at midnight eating spoons of the stuff straight from the jar LOL! God knows I must have used up some of those B vits that week!

It has never happened since, and while I have a daily dose of Marmite each morning on toast, I couldn't even begin to think of eating it from the jar, but now when we go skiing I take the Marmite with me, and receive lots of envious looks at breakfast time in hotel dining rooms!

Not meaning to hijack this thread teach 905, but I live in the beautiful southern Cotswolds, and if I can be of any help when you refine your itinerary, then I'd be only too happy to. Most visitors to the Cotswolds go way north of where I am, so I cannot really be of much help, unless you come south to the Tetbury, Cirencester or Stroud area.