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London legends and our loonie Cultural pursuits here donit have to be expensive by Jane Stokes I l as a bikini îhry bold us ai the Musruen of London. A "leather bikini' 10 be exact, "probably worn by an enteetainer, or exotic dancer, in the lasI cen- tury AD." Evidence, wr att agrerd, thal somte of the more important thinga in soci- ety neyer change. The bikini, whrn worn correctly, would have bren "lied on each side by leather laces" and is just one revealing piere of Roman life tb be uneartbed sud excavated witbin the original, walled-rity of London. Very litîle of the actual walls have sur- vived Use limes however. But îbanks t0 the tirelens effort of the Museum of London, il is easy 10 envision that period of several hundred years in wbich bbe Roman capital, .L.ondoninium, was built: ita Forum, ils taw courts, laviab bathn and palaces, arcades sud shops, plus a 35,000-seat sesphitheatre disrovered only tbree years ago undee pre- sent-day Guildhall. And yet, since London bas faced sucb adversity in ita past, putting the pierra in bistoriral sequenre 00W requirea insight sud imagination. The rity was sarked sud absudoned afler the Romans left, and Usen during the Great Fiee of 1666, prartirally ail of London, including the distinrt, haîf- timbered homes of the Tudor limes, weoe bumned t0 the ground. Today - but only afler massive reronstruction l'ollowing the bombing of World War il Ibtis ancient city real-estale is a formidable finanrial rentre. Est of bere, follow Middlesex Stree inb the tively ethnir villages and the homt of Cockney rulture. Rollirking street mar keta attrarb the tournIss sud so docs the vas sud excellent rhoire in curry bouses, mid dle-estern, and kosher esteries - ail o wbirh are valid proot' that one ran atill ge a derent meal, abs derent price in London Affordabîr dining In fart, if you wanl even more choir head bark over t0 Tite Queenswsy, nort of Kensington Gardena off Bsyswate Road. Restaurant meals here, like all-yoi. cao-est Chinese, Thai, Indisu, Malsysiai Italian, German, Swias, English pub-foot French bistros and even Tex-Mex - ai prired moat reaaonably for London around $50 or sa for two. Affordable nighta The tree-linrd, Bayswater Road ares also known for reasonably-priced accon modation. Canadian tour operators ai ronstantly looking for ways t0 keep trav rosIs in line. This year for example, look bbe Air Transat Holidays Buying Gui( and aIl bbe botl options available in Il Greater London Ares. Note as well, Il increaaing number of weekly charters destinations aIl ovr Englaod, Scotland, treland and Wales. Here are some of their accommodation ideas: -The veey central, veey popular seas of Bayswatee, Bloomsbury, The West End, and South Kensington are ail on the pro- gram. Beat value options include: The Commodore Hotel, in the Bayswater sra, near t0 Oxford Street and Hyde Park, offering elegant rooma and continental breakfast; St. Gilea Hotel, in the West End Useatre district, near Covent Garden, offer- iog amail but comfortable rooms, with continental breakfast; The President Hotel, nese the British Museum i0 the Bloomsbuty ares is alan considered a "braI buy", and s0 is The Kensington Plaza Hotel in the upacale South Kensington ares, near Harroda. * Or, feomn the same brochure, identify and book the botl of your choice a la carre front a huge selection of one, two, Usree, and tbrer-plus star botls. - Apartment and Studio accommodation is deaigned t0 save on the coat of meals. Look ait the programn offeeed in London fromn $119 for a studio per night. Paris, Bruasels and the south of France are also featured fromn $116 pr studio, per night. Historie watkiog tours and Sunday mar- keta Today, the original Roman 00e-square- mile of London is called the City and includes auch laodmarks as The Old i Baitey, The Royal Exchange, The Stock Exchange, St. Paul's Cathedrat, The L Toseer of London, Tower Bridge and St. tKatberine's Dock. The nortbemr boundary -of the City is a street called London Wall. t While there, drap in 10 the Museum of - London bookahop, pick-up a self-guide f tour map and walk .1 where the Romans *watked, staeting right outaide the museuro e door. If you want 10 hl stay longer ai the museum, entrance tickets are around $7, or if you arrive lte on a Sunday aflern oon, il s often free. it Inftact Sunday isa splendid day in the City. The sîmosphere ta totally opposite the ispare from Monday t o Anus I-Friday when Ibis, one reof the moat important *Prnil et fiosucial centres in dise eSr at world, awells from srb le 5,000 reaidents, t0 *Waeplit le more than 300,000 le employees. Generally, TMN BEFORE YOU TRAVEL A tan is natural sunburn protection. 878-2324 550 Ontalo St. S. Open 7 da a week Mtlton <Pizza Hut Plaza) ltis chaotic with traffic, but on most Sunday mornings, you could literally walk right down the middle of central Lombard Street and Fenchurch Street, also known to be two of the oldest roads in Britain. And then again, you may have much more lfun at the markets. Head a little t'urther east and you're ait Petticoat Lane, the matin- arch of the Sunday markets with ils lively exchange of both cur- rent and dated household goodu, music, books and antiques, and plenty of lashion, including flamboyant clubwear and the latent in inside-out underwear. You'Il find genuine bargaina too, particularly in leather. So don't forget since Petticoat Lane merchandise is priced marginal- Iy higher than the lesser known Sunday marekets, be sure ta bar- gain them dlown. Who knows, you may go borne witb a really good deal on a leather bikini. *BILOXI MISSISSIPPIS $ Hoay nn.499/person May 12-15 $499pr0 Holidaynn... 99 per $Grand Casino s n $ $ Gulfport .... . 60/person $ Hilton Mall 878-8486* iadian Champion, Fniday, April 28, 2000 - 31 WE ALL TALKITHINK/DREAM/ PONDER ABOUT TRAVEL TO FAR-OFF DESTINATIONS, but ight here at home in Canada there are aa many interestmng points of isteresi as anywhere in the world. Prom the BEAUTIFUL- BREATH-TAKINO ROCKY SHORES 0F NEWFOUNDLAND, and ail the Atlantic region, on int QUEBEC witb its bistory, tu thse PRAtRIES and their offerngs, and ftnalty 10 the MANY SENSATIONS 0F OUR WEST COAST region - THERE IS SQ MUCH TO SEEP AND DO! 0f course, RIGHT HERE IN ONTARIO, there isa diversity of intereating sitea toi visit/atay - tenrais, amaîl town, big tows, citp, etc. environments - a variety to match the best! HAVINO JIS RTIND FROM A TRIP THROUGH MEXICO AND TH1E UNITED STATES, we cao vouch for the fact that as much as there ta to see and relate ton these JUNKETS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, we havesa tremendous amount t0 nifer rtght here a1 home - mayhe sot with the depth of hiatory, but every bit as exciting and intereating. While travel t0 those far-off destinations such as Astan sud former Soviet Union cousnres continues toi increase somewhat relative 10 the number of folks 00W able to travel (have the tite, and moncy!) an ton dees travel acrosa Canada. Tne slogan - YOURS TO DISCOVER (borrowed front Ontario) applies right here at home in Ontanio, and acensa ose great country. BRITISH CO FMZiXIN EXAMPLE of the diversity witbin our country, figlt tn their own province. Prom the statsred ROCKY MOUNTAINS toi the PACIFIC OCEAN, to valîcys of orchards, rural ares of amaîl towss sud cantle sud horse apreada, 10 the ctttes -VANCOUVER, VICTORIA - te ferry boat oides, the floral offeoinga the lit goca on sud on. STANLEY PARK, thse largest city park in North Amertea at 1001) acres right in dowatown Vancouver - a teat tu visit juat tinsee thse massive trees, to BUTCHART GARDENS, a mst-viait sn Vtctoria along with the histonc EMIPRESS ) HOTEL for afternoon tes - on sp Vancouver Island, or Use OKANAGAN In see the wincries, or salmon spawning in Use oivets - so mscb to are sud do. BOOK YOUR ALASKAN CRUISE NOW leave front Use PORT 0F VANCOUVER Ibis sumer, sud while yos are Usere plan an etaweek, or two, toi visit wbat B.C. has to0 offor before yos cntise or aflter pou returs. A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNIY which more sud more people are taking advantage of. FOUR NEW CRUISESHIPS Ibis year join the 250 or0s already aailing nul of Useoe - 50, DO IT NOW - GO - TH1E CRUISE TO ALASKA, sud Use many ports of caîl - a vety, vety memorable trip, sud lied mbt a viait 10 Beastiful BRITISH COLUMBIA - litnle else matches il. k- j 878S-2886 16 Martin Street (downtown) Also in Halton Hilîs and Oakville www.brucehood.com TA GWens &