Oops, a few of my edits did not make it in. I meant to add that I found the people in the UK very friendly and helpful, particularly those in Wales. It's not that Italians are unfriendly--I think the language barrier made it a little more difficult to express.

>>Picture 35 also made me smile as the blue door was the way to my classroom.<<

How cool is that? I loved Oxford and would like to spend more time there someday.

Thanks for the compliments; Mr. Pickle took most of our pictures, and I'm glad you liked them.

Lee Ann

Tough to go wrong with either, but if the bottom line is cost, then I'd say Italy.

Just because both the pound and the dollar are high vs. the USD doesn't really tell you anything . . . for the simple reason that the UK was clearly more expensive than Italy before the current escalations.

Ranking expensive destination is more than just an exchange rate ...