Mystery meets history as a bedraggled walking tour slogs through the rainy streets of Inspector Morse's Oxford. But ancient architecture, modern fiction and the undampened enthusiasm of the tour guide make the soaking worthwhile. Story

• A peek inside the Morse coda
  The Mystery! episode airing this month, based upon the most recent Inspector Morse novel, furthers our insight into the character's personality but lacks the finessing touch of his creator.

The value of staying put
Tired of the 10-cities-in-10-days package tours? Some travelers are finding comfort, flexibility and friendship with extended-stay options in European, Asian and South American locales.