There was a woman with a baby stroller, but no baby in it.

Ah ha! That's why strollers have to be folded on Strasbourg buses (unless they're really empty). All those years, I got used to folding the stroller and popping the baby in a carrier. I just thought it was a space issue.

Big, big gypsy problem here in Strasbourg (even closer to Eastern Europe, more room for camps).

I just want to remind people that the passport is their big prize. When I was a Flight Attendant, they read us the riot act. If our passport was stolen, and we were somewhere that we didn't need it (like walking around on a layover) we were in trouble. If it were stolen, say, en route to the airport, that was a different matter. Cash is cash. Credit cards can be blocked but a passport is valuable on the Black Market.

Use the safes at the hotels or whatever but don't walk around Paris or similar with it in your bag.

Funny story; in Madrid, my purse was actually sliced in a market. There was a huge crowd and I could barely pass. When we got out of the crowd, I had to laugh. My wallet was in an inside pocket in my jacket and my passport at my sister's apartment. All I had in my purse was a not-very-expense camera, lipstick, kleenex, etc. They didn't even bother to take anything. All that work for nothing! It has been pointed out to me that there was a knife so close... but as you all know, these people know what they're doing and I doubt I was in any danger.

I repaired the gash just to show it off and tell the story!