"It was a Hobbit hole, and that means comfort..."

In May, my daughter Clara and I had a lovely trip to New Zealand (and back again). We didn't have many days, but we satisfied our Lord of the Rings longings to see Hobbiton and the Wēta Studios. It was truly delightful, and we were particularly surprised to find Hobbiton so rural and uncommercialized. The landscape and widflowers were spectacular. So were the sheep.

The Hobbit holes were just as expected: well-stocked larders, nice sturdy writing tables, plentiful cookbooks and recipes, lots of pipes and tobacco, Shire-themed Scrabble boards, and all the other necessities.

We ate lunch in the party tent next to the famous Party Tree, sampled ale and ginger beer at the Green Dragon, saw Sam and Bilbo/Frodo's houses, conducted experiments in scale, and much more.