London

I've been using London as a base for a few leisurely daytrips - by boat along the muddy Thames to Greenwich and by train to impressive Windsor Castle and the glorious spires of Oxford.

Back here I've seen performances at both Theatre Royals. At the Haymarket a dramatic new musical, Marguerite, updates the Traviata story to Paris during the Nazi occupation. At Drury Lane a spectacular production of the Lord of the Rings is genuinely enthralling. (Sample dialogue from Rosie to Sam: "Who's this Galadriel woman then? And what's she doing giving you presents?")

London is living up to its reputation as the city with the highest cost of living in the world. A single journey on the tube costs £4 (about NZ$10) - fifty times as much as in Mexico City! A multi-day travelcard helps me zip all over the city. At least the British Government provides free entry to most of the museums and galleries.