These Island nations and their people have populated, nurtured and inspired the United States since its beginning. The Atlantic is more a thoroughfare than an obstacle between us, and common language and shared history make the ties even stronger. It's little wonder that Americans who explore the Emerald Isle of St. Patrick and the far reaches of Great Britain soon find themselves quite at home. Variety is the key to the longstanding appeal of the United Kingdom. The towns and villages of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland offer charm and beauty, and their cities offer culture and entertainment. London is the most popular city outside North America for American visitors. The spectacle of English tradition and pageantry; the conviviality of a pub; the beauty of Scotland's lochs; and the brooding castles of Wales-all are facets that make for a memorable visit.

The East Country is a veritable garden and is steeped in history. Dover has its famous Cliffs, Canterbury is the main religious location of England, while the whole of the coast and in Kent one finds some of the most famously manicured gardens of all.

The North Country offers marvelous landscapes and architecture. The Lake District is a 32-square-mile national park, offering changing views of mountains, lakes and valleys. The Bronte sisters set Withering Heights and Jane Eyre in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. The Gothic cathedral in York and the Romanesque cathedral in Durham are among Britain's most magnificent. Other major cities are Liverpool, home of the Beatles; and Manchester, Britain's second-largest city, best known for its libraries and thriving arts scene.

The West Country also is well served in literature. Chawton in Hampshire is where Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice. Agatha Christie lived in South Devon and wrote two novels at the Burgh Island Hotel. Dorset became part of Thomas Hardy's fictional shire, Wessex, and Salisbury is where Anthony Trollope got the idea for his Barchester novels. Wild Dartmoor National Park is the setting for the great Sherlock Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and the ruins of the abbey in Glastonbury reputedly contain the remains of King Arthur. The little fishing villages around Cornwall are Daphne du Maurier country. Also in the West Country are Bath, famous for its natural hot springs, Roman remains and Georgian architecture; and Plymouth, starting-point for such voyagers as the Pilgrims and Francis Drake.

Scotland offers highlands (Ben Nevis at 4,000 feet is the tallest point in the British Isles), lochs (including Loch Ness of monster fame) and the romantic appeal of ancient gardens and castles.

Wales is a land where song and music are well appreciated. Attend a local choir concert or informal rehearsal, or perhaps an eisteddfod (musical festival). Folk dancing, carnivals, amateur theater and operatics and tasty food are other Welsh traditions.

Northern Ireland offers such attractions as the Giant's Causeway near Ballycastle huge volcanic rock columns-and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, outside Belfast.

Check our "Rhapsodies" for quick city visits' rates. Rhapsodies are 2 or 3 nights program in major cities with hotel accommodation selected by central location and value. usually, a city tour is also included. Use them as they are for a single city visit or combine them for a more complete program. To check rates, select the date of your stay from the calendar that will appear.