Prince or Pauper?
A noble dad and his boys tour dear London on a budget fit for a beggar
That's soon down to 38.60 after a refreshment pit stop: a coffee for me, a Coke for Christian. Dominic--bless 'im--says he's not thirsty.
On to the (thankfully) free British Museum. I'm stung by a twinge of guilt as we skulk past the huge sign begging for donations. The classically designed museum is a cavernous repository of art and antiquities from cultures living and dead. For two hours, my sons are awed by the collection of hieroglyphic-covered Egyptian relics and silent, bandaged mummies. But it's getting to be lunchtime, and we're hungry.
And I know there's a budget-blowing land mine yet to negotiate. Even free museums have gift shops strategically placed near exits. As we browse, a new chorus of gimmes erupts from my kids. Dominic has his eye on a 3-D book about the pyramids. And I like the Rosetta stone T-shirt. But each item is--gulp--around $38. With two meals still to eat, we can't be tempted. I usher them out empty-handed, feeling very Scrooge-like.
England's fish-and-chip shops can be budget, if not diet, friendly. We head for nearby Fryer's Delight, which earned praise on some websites and is, the Web reviewers say, mercifully cheap.
A 15-minute hike later, we arrive famished and tired. I pick up a menu and immediately realize I've goofed. The "takeaway" price for an order of cod 'n chips is indeed a reasonable 3.90 pounds. But the table-service price is 6 pounds. I'm about to suggest we carry out and head several blocks to pretty Bloomsbury Square to dine al fresco, but one look at my boys tells me that if they have to walk before eating, I'll face a mutiny.
So I cough up 17.50 pounds for two orders of cod (the boys split a piece of fish), an order of chips for Dominic, three drinks, and a tip. I've just 21.10 pounds to cover dinner. The deep-fried cod leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and not just because of the grease.
Our final destination is Kensington Gardens, a green urban oasis. We head to the massive playground in the shadow of 17th-century Kensington Palace, where the late Princess Diana lived. The playground's main draw--other than its free admission--is a large wooden pirate ship docked in a huge sand pit. Christian and Dominic, however, spend more time cavorting on a wood and rope obstacle course.
We've had a great day and covered a wide swath of London, and now we're weary and--yes--hungry. If we can manage to eat a full dinner on 21 pounds, we'll meet our challenge. We amble out of the park, down Kensington High Street to Giraffe, one of a small chain of eateries featuring world foods and music. The boys order from the kids' menu: crunchy chicken nuggets and a Mango Mama smoothie for Christian; pasta and a hot chocolate for Dominic. I opt for the cheapest main course I can find, the vegetable curry, about $14, and a $5.50 Red Stripe beer. As I eat, I calculate that the bill should come to just under 21 pounds. We did it!
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