My sisters-in-law, although wearing 'pagnes' or long skirts, often go about topless in their family courtyard in the intense heat, and nobody bats an eyelid (about 60 people live there) Boobs are totally uninteresting to men in W Africa. Nevertheless these women would never in a million years fail to cover up all but their faces and hands when going to the mosque.

I really admire Joanna Lumley. She has a programme on at the moment about her travels along the Silk Road, and my goodness she's respectful of local dress codes and unfailingly polite and gracious. She makes a point in thanking people for small services and complimenting everyone she meets. I like her such a lot - she's a model of how one should behave when a visitor abroad.