I’ve taken some ribbing over the places we’ve featured in WCW’s travel column. Indeed, they have been swellegant places, but not exactly, um, places where you go if you’re on a tight budget. Now that the dollar has descended to the economic basement, we’ll make a slight change in direction and include a travel itinerary that reflects the fact we now pay double for everything in England and, in most of Europe for that matter. But, it won’t mean an end to glamour and pampering, no sleeping in hostels or one-star mystery hotels on B streets.

Choosing a hotel in a prime location is one way to stay on budget. Right, you’re thinking, so a place say, right near Harrod’s in the heart of London, like that’s going to be affordable. Well it is possible if you look at location and amenities a bit differently. The Lowndes Hotel, for example, is perfectly situated within a 15-minute walk to the hallowed Harrods’s (a potentially budget busting stop if ever there was one) or, if it’s more to your liking, the high art Harvey Nichols. Flying from Tampa to London via British Airways will get you into Gatwick Airport and from Gatwick you take the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station. The Lowndes is a quick hop from Victoria. Right there you’ve eliminated those ever so handy, but expensive cabs which can eat up hard earned spending money. The Lowndes is in swanky Belgravia, but just near Knightsbridge, home of some of London’s best shopping.

Another option is to utilize London’s extensive public transportation network. You can buy a single, simple, cheap travel pass in advance (for 1 day, 3 days or 7 days) that allows you to use most modes of public transport within the capital - the famous London Underground or tube as it’s called, the equally famous London red buses, the Docklands Light Railway and more.

But back to the Lowndes and that name. We threw the cabbies for a rare loop by calling it louwndez. After quizzing the hotel manager, then the marketing person and a few other staff, we came to realize it’s more like lonzs or lonndez. Located on Lowndes Street the hotel and nearby Lowndes Square all take their name from a gentleman called William Lowndes (1652-1724) who was Secretary to the Treasury of Great Britain under King William III and Queen Anne and served as an MP for George 1. He purchased the property he leased in Knightsbridge and gave it his family name.

Mr. Lowndes would be impressed by the variety of shopping in his former backyard. Nearby is Sloane Square, known years ago as one of Princess Diana’s haunts—so much so she and her buds were known as “Sloane Rangers.” Sloane Square has a Peter Jones department store, Gieves and Hawkes tailors, Links of London jewelers. Sloane Street has Tiffany and Co., Thomas Pink shirtmakers, Jimmy Choo, Harvey Nichols and more. Also in the Knightsbridge area: Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Kenneth Cole, Chanel, La Perla, Prada, Agent Provocateur, Chloé, Versace, Christian Dior, Hermès, Fortnum & Mason, Liberty and Selfridges.

The Lowndes Hotel lies right in the heart of historic, leafy Belgravia. Motcombe Street, just around the corner from the Lowndes, was for years a quiet street filled with art galleries and eccentric residents. Its cobbled road and understated cafes, boutiques and galleries have become very chic. A number of designers have opened stores here and Annick Goutal, the traditional French perfume company, recently opened its first London boutique at No. 20. Try joining local residents at the small intimate cafe Patisserie Valerie at No.17 for handmade cakes, truffles or continental breakfast.

And, if it’s museums and galleries that interest you, rather than shops, then a couple of tubes stops away in South Kensington you’ll find the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.

Diversions
Every heard of Bankside? Perhaps not, but it’s an area of London that runs along the Thames River on its southern bank. It stretches from Blackfriars Bridge to London Bridge and boasts some of London’s most iconic attractions including Shakespeare’s Globe, the Golden Hinde and Tate Modern. And, what’s more, the riverside walkway allows you to admire views of the City of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral on its opposite, northern shore, which is linked to Bankside by the Millennium Bridge, the newest bridge to be built across the river.

Book a half-day at least to tour Shakespeare’s Globe and the exhibition about Shakespeare’s life. As it has just started its 2008 season, also consider attending one of its productions (see end of this article for their schedule).

Opened in 1997, the present working reconstruction of the Globe Theatre is the legacy of filmmaker Sam Wanamaker. Sam was a native of the U.S., but had lived in the UK for many years. His first job in the theatre was acting in Shakespeare, ironically in a representative Globe which was one of the highlights of the Great Lakes’ World Fair in Cleveland.

After producing, directing, and acting in several Broadway plays, he moved to Hollywood where he directed and took roles in a number of films. He founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust, and International Shakespeare Globe Centre — the final attempt to build a faithful recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe close to its original Bankside location.

Thought by many to be an impossible and ill-conceived dream, Wanamaker persevered for over 20 years to reconstruct the Globe—overcoming one monumental obstacle after another. When his vision became reality in 1992, he could see his life had come full circle. He died in 1993.

While telling you that the original theatre was destroyed in 1613 during a production of King Henry VIII, your informative tour guide takes you inside the Globe itself and up to sit in the galleries. Cannon fire used in that production set fire to the original straw roof, burning the theatre to the ground. The theatre was rebuilt with a slate roof, and survived until it was demolished by Parliament in 1642 under pressure from the Puritans who felt all theatre was synonymous with sin and debauchery.

Whether you sit in the galleries or stand informally as a groundling, being in this “wooden O” is a surreal experience. There is a definite feeling of being transported to a different time. Elizabethan playhouses aimed to symbolize the world and the universe. Thus, the theatre is round, like the world, and on the canopy above the stage is painted the 12 signs of the zodiac with the sun in the middle. Hell lies beneath the stage. In Elizabethan England most people believed that this was an accurate description of the universe. While you can tour the Globe year round, the 2008 theatre season runs to September 3.

Leaving the Globe and turning right will take you to the Borough Market—London’s finest gourmet outdoor food market. Located under a network of railway viaducts, it is an earthy, unpretentious market where you can see exotic items for sale from rabbits to geese to eels and wild boar. Do some take away (what we call takeout) and you’ll get a good bargain and lots of free atmosphere.

If you turn left out of the Globe you’ll walk past Tate Modern and no doubt see some fabulous street performers, or arts and crafts on sale. Stare long enough at the human “statues” and you may just see one blink, but they are pretty darn convincing until they do. And slightly further along the river from Bankside you can take a river cruise or maybe ride the British Airways Millenium London Eye—a huge, modern Ferris wheel. Both will afford you great views of London and are a real value for the money.

City Cruises operates sightseeing cruises on London’s River Thames all year round and were winners of the 2007 best river and canal boat operator. Take a trip from Bankside down to the World Heritage site of Greenwich and back. Historic Greenwich is the home of time itself. The impressive Naval College and Seamen’s Hospital are now the main campus of Greenwich College and Trinity College of Music, but you can still visit the Painted Hall—probably the finest dining hall in the Western world—and Chapel for free. Or maybe visit Greenwich Observatory, established by King Charles II in 1675 to study astronomy and as a means of fixing longitude. Night or day the London Eye offers spectacular views across London and its famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.


More London for Free
If you like art, culture and history, you can see six of the world’s greatest art collections for free. The British Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Britain and Tate Modern, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery. At the National Portrait Gallery (just off Trafalgar Square). Hurry to catch the free exhibition “Brilliant Women – 18th Century Bluestockings” which ends mid-June. In a time when the “fairer sex” was expected stick to traditionally “feminine activities,” rather than study and discuss politics and education, these women weren’t just brilliant, they were exceptional. Portraits include artist Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807), historian Catharine Macaulay (1731-91) and early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97). “American Scene: Prints from Hopper to Pollock” is at the British Museum until September 7, 2008.

For a few days in 1666, London was literally the world’s hottest city. Now, a major new exhibition at the Museum of London digs through the ashes to bring the true story of the Great Fire of London. “London’s Burning: Great Fire of London.” With the help of interactive displays and fascinating archaeological finds, you’ll be transported back to September 2, 1666. It was on this day that a fire at Thomas Farriner’s bakery in Pudding Lane rapidly spiraled out of control. The fire ravaged 80 percent of London, destroying around 13,200 buildings. It runs until December 31, 2009.

Plus, you can enjoy free lunchtime concerts every Monday at the Royal Opera House. Concerts take place in the elegant Crush Room. Tickets are free, but must be reserved. We did mention the importance of hotel amenities, something that usually gets lopped off if one is belt-tightening. The beauty of this stay is that you’re able to access and use the features of the Lowndes’ more well to do sister hotel, the Carlton Tower. Guests at Lowndes need only walk one street over to enter the rarified air of the Carlton Tower where business types are hammering out who knows what kind of business deals fueled by who knows what kind of expense account. Head to the 9th floor and enter the spa and sink into their chlorine-free aluminum pool, or bubbly Jacuzzi, or wet and dry saunas. And, if you want to break the spell and check email, the Carlton Tower has one of the nicest and least problematic businesses centers to get it over with. Better still, it comes with your stay, gratis. Check out the Champagne bar called Gilt—it’s a budget buster but very intimate and sexy. The Lowndes was refurbished in 2006. Gone is its well-worn dowager look replaced with a clean, contemporary look made up of an earth tone color scheme and contemporary fixtures.

Both the Lowndes and the Carlton Tower are owned by Jumeirah and again we had a spirited discussion with staff on the correct pronunciation, losing this debate as well as we guessed Ju-my-rah which we were told, most Americans say, making it sound vaguely like Aunt Jemima. It’s actually Jumerra, or was it Jumirra? In any event, it makes for good elevator chat with any and all. Jumeirah also owns the Essex House in New York City and the distinctive Burj Al Arab in Dubai, so you’re in very swanky company.

Accommodations
Lowndes Hotel
21 Lowndes Street, Knightsbridge
www.jumeirahlowndeshotel.com

The hotel has 87 rooms, including 14 suites with a dedicated all-suite 6th floor. It’s within 5 minutes of Knightsbridge and Sloane Square Underground stations, providing links to all of central London. Heathrow airport is 15 miles away. Rooms include: personal mini bar, LCD Screen TV with satellite and cable channels, high speed internet access, individually-controlled air conditioning, Temple Spa toiletries and amenities, luxury towels and bathrobes and a tea and coffee maker. Guests enjoy unlimited access to The Peak Health Club & Spa on the ninth floor at their sister hotel, the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, adjacent to the hotel. Here you can exercise with panoramic views of the city as a backdrop, swim in the 20-metre pool set amidst a tropical water garden, or indulge in an array of beauty treatments. Sports and fitness facilities also include an aerobics studio, personal training with fitness assessments and massage including Swedish, therapeutic, sports and deep muscle.

Many of the treatments offered by The Peak are selected from Sisley and Pevonia therapy treatments. Their Guest Room is the least expensive room and offers views of Lowndes Square or the Halkin Arcade courtyard. For a sample trip July 4-11, Expedia, and Travelocity showed rates of $512 for weekend days and $729 per weekday. Rooms next in size are the Deluxe Room that has a private balcony followed by the Junior Suite which has a lounge area, an Executive Suite that has a separate lounge area with a double sofa bed and some with a balcony. The Luxury Suite comes with two bathrooms and a separate lounge area with a double sofa bed.

Dining
The Mimosa Bar & Restaurant at the Lowndes serves three meals a day and has a small but cozy bar. In nice weather, the restaurant opens up and out on to the sidewalk. They serve “Modern European“ cuisine.

Getting Around
You can buy London Travel Cards in advance at www.visitbritaindirect.com. An adult visitor travel card for central London (zones 1-2) 7 days costs $46.


Attractions
Shakespeare’s Globe
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside
www.shakespeares-globe.org Open year round, Shakespeare's Globe has a comprehensive exhibition devoted to exploring the working life of Shakespeare and his contemporaries in London. The exhibition experience includes a guided tour of the Globe Theatre, with tours beginning every 15-30 minutes. Guides are knowledgeable and give spirited presentations. Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition is open daily May to September 9 a.m. 5 p.m.; October to April from 10 a.m, to 5 p.m.

Admission includes a guided tour of the Theatre. There’s also a Globe shop and a café and restaurant both open year round. Adults $18; children $13.

The Globe’s 2008 theatre season
Opening on April 23, Shakespeare’s birthday, the season features four Shakespeare plays – King Lear directed by the Globe’s Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Christopher Luscombe and designed by Janet Bird (the creative team behind the Globe’s 2006 production of The Comedy of Errors) and Timon of Athens directed by Lucy Bailey and designed by William Dudley (who directed and designed the Globe’s production of Titus Andronicus in 2006).

The season also includes two new commissions. The Frontline by Ché Walker, winner of the 2003 George Devine Award, is set on a Saturday night outside Camden tube and presents a modern, vigorous tale of London life on the edge. Liberty by the poet Glyn Maxwell, whose Lifeblood was voted best play by the British Theatre Guide in 2005, is an adaptation of Anatole France’s 1912 novel Les Dieux ont Soif. Liberty, set at the height of the “Reign of Terror,” tells the gripping story of Gamelin, a Revolutionary magistrate who turns from being a radical idealist to a fanatical apologist for state violence, and the effect on the lives of the girl he loves, his best friend and the people they know. This will be a co-production with Lifeblood Theatre Company and directed by Guy Retallack. The season closes on September 3. Tickets for plays cost $10 for groundlings and go up to $66 for the best gallery seats. Buy them online at www.shakespearesglobe.org.

The Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
www.boroughmarket.org.uk Open Thursdays, 11a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Great noshing, earthy sightseeing and fun people watching. Explore the little side streets for additional pubs and cafes.

Things to Do
• City Cruise Thames Boat trips. From Bankside to Greenwich (round trip) the cost is $20 adults; $10 children. A Red Rover ticket (hop on/off at any pier all day long) costs $21 adults; $11 children. www.citycruises.com

• British Airways Millenium London Eye Adult $31; child (under 16) $15. www.londoneye.com

• The National Portrait Gallery: “Brilliant Women – 18th Century Bluestockings”until June 15. www.npg.org.uk

• The British Museum: “American Scene: From Hopper to Pollock.” www.britishmuseum.org

• The Museum of London: “London’s Burning-the Great Fire of London.” www.museumoflondon.org.uk

• The Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden. Music starts at 1p.m. www.info.royaloperahouse.org

• Greenwich: www.greenwich-guide.org.uk.

Story: Louise Bruderle and Sue Barratt