I haven't really said much about it, but Galway is lovely. Ask anyone. The Irish recommend it to tourists and nationals alike. I like it because when I walk from campus to town along the canal, the ducks and the swans paddle beside me, their wakes weaving and their beady eyes never leaving...

On my last night in Prague I decided to go for a walk. I grabbed my ipod and wallet, stuck a city map coded in Czech in my back pocket, and left the hostel. I took the 133 bus along the Vltava and into the Old Town Square, where the Christmas Market was at its largest. I tried hot wine, and it was...