Prague -- some more thoughts

Last year my sister was studying in Prague for a term. By now, she has graduated¹, has her diploma, and is now upstairs studying job offers. But anyway, last May, my parents and me took a train to Prague to visit her. I already wrote on that topic back then, but didn't get around to writing and posting the two additional installments I had planned. So, I thought I'd add a few more short comments here, just to annoy Wolf :-)

Okay, one thing I think needs mentioning is that Prague is a big city. So, just like Rome, it's a place with a big number of pickpockets. Take along only bags and pockets that have zippers to close them, and a flap that goes over that and closes it. If you have valuables in your inside jacket pocket, make sure it can be closed with a zipper and also keep your jacket closed.

Many people who are warned of pickpockets just keep their hand over their bags, thinking that will fend off pickpockets. It won't. The most common trick of pickpockets is to run into someone, and when they raise their hands to protect themselves, auickly snatch your wallet from your bag.

In the subway in Prague (which is very good, along with their tram system, and for people from western countries ridiculously cheap, even though Prague as the capital is one of the most expensive cities in the Czech Republic), we even were present when two girls got their wallets stolen from their belt pockets. I say 'were present', because I simply saw them enter, and noticed their screams when, after a few stops, both of them noticed they were standing there with wide-open empty pockets.

But don't get me wrong. It's a great country. Everybody is very forthcoming and nice, and the local food there is great (of course, I've never been in need of a diet...). Okay, typical Czech food is basically very similar to German/Austrian food (which can be easily explained if you look at your history textbook): They have lots of Schnitzels and knoedels, and of course it's the country where you get the real Budweiser and the original Pilsener.

Prague in particular is a very beautiful city (and you've probably seen it stand in for Victorian London in numerous movies), with historic cobblestone, a river, lots of trees, a great Opera/Theatre, lots of used book stores, and also many beautiful women in short skirts...

So, if you come to Europe, be sure to pay Prague a visit. After you visit Heidelberg, of course ...

¹) Anybody looking for a computational linguist with Mac, Linux and Windows experience that would make a great technical writer and is fluent in German and English, and also quite decent in French, Latin and Swedish, also learned Czech and Japanese, and taught a computer how to take part in 'Who wants to be a Millionaire'?