I don't believe the councils are responsible for salting people's paths and driveways.

I don't believe it is about perception. I believe it depends on whether you came from craphole or a nice area, just like anywhere in the world.

I confess to feeling occasionally jealous of my child who's packed up and moved to London. Last weekend Paris, before that Sardinia, lots of places one can visit from London.

Yes, I'm with you there.

Come on, great opportunities to travel the continent of North America from Canada, Pacific or Atlantic Coasts, Route 66, Caribean, Mexico. You too could travel to new and exciting locations from where you are, just do it! You still have a passport, you are allowed to come to Europe too.

Once you've seen one strip mall you've seen them all.

We're not hermits. This year we went riding at Bryce Canyon and on the North Antrim coast. Last year Arizona and Makinac Island. Still, from London one can easily visit Paris, from Toronto one can easily visit Buffalo NY or Erie PA. There's cause to look wistfully at London.

Ok if you just won the lottomax I guess.

Clearly you have not yet found out about internal travel costs There aint no Easy Jet over here Im afraid.

Oh dear. I foresee culture shock in your future.

Hahahahaha. That's the best laugh I've had for ages.

Some random dates on AC:

YYZ-LAX just under $600 return

LHR-LAX just over $700 return

So even if you want to visit places in the USA it's not much more expensive from LHR than YYZ (especially if you factor in the cost of a cab to YYZ).

Pah!

Buffalo NY to Salt Lake City UT, $439 return
Buffalo NY to New Orleans LA, $323 return

A couple of hours drive to Buffalo, a relaxing night in the Holiday Inn before an early departure. They'll even keep your car in the car park, free for hotel guests. Now we're talking

It may seem like it's easy to experience those trips, funds however tell a different story. There none of these fifty quid flights to a beach somewhere warm deals y'know Then there are no cheap hotels or B&B's, even camping isn't cheap really. I was just reading a UK magazine that says you can camp for four quid a night! Pah! No chance, unless your out in the bush with absolutely no facilities and then you get into back country passes and stuff.

London to Dubai for $550
London to Barcelona $86
London to Paris $100

And so on....

I miss that

"Oh, we just hop on the DLR and we're at the City airport. London's so much easier than Toronto that way".

Well, continue looking at London through rose tinted spectacles because - trust me, I lived there the past ten years - and it is not an easy place to live at all and is about to get a lot tougher. So, yes, accessibility to Yerp is great but what do you do when get home from your city break to a place that's crime ravaged, has shit public schools, high unemployment, inflation rising, and closing hospitals?

By the way, you can fly from Toronto to a world class city in NYC via Porter from the downtown airport. They recently had a 50% seat sale on all flights which we took advantage of.