Letter from Prague | All stories

Bond... James Bond... famous words of introduction: Daniel Craig - the sixth actor to portray Her Majesty's Greatest super spy turned down a request to say them at a press conference in Prague back in February - but soon audiences everywhere will hear the actor say them for the very first time in Casino Royale, the latest instalment, for the very first time. As it happens, in the Czech Republic the film premieres in Prague on November 16th - a day before the anniversary of the country's Velvet Revolution that marked the end of communism in Czechoslovakia.

Last Saturday, October 28th, was a special day in a number of ways. For some it was an election day. Although only for some; just 21 percent of eligible voters took part in the second round of the Senate elections. For others it was a day of remembrance - though not everyone was aware that last Saturday marked the 88th anniversary of an independent Czechoslovakia. But most people couldn't ignore the fact that the clocks went back again on Saturday night.

The story of my relationship with the Prague metro begins with a fine and ends with a frog. First, the fine.... After buying a ticket for the metro here you are required to swipe it through a validation machine. On the afternoon of my very first day in Prague I had the bad fortune to cross paths with a transit cop who chose to inspect my ticket among the dozens of passengers streaming out of a train. When I explained I had just arrived in the country that morning and wasn't familiar with the system, he replied that a warning about validation was

You may well ask why I always manage to dwell on this country's unfortunate past - the Communist era. The reason is that even sixteen years on, it still shapes almost everyone's attitudes. The older people one sees on trains or trams still have, a lot of them at any rate, that cowed, beaten look that one had to adopt then to survive. Look fresh and alive and you look challenging: and the System couldn't cope with challenge. Don't stand out from the crowd, or you'll be in trouble. Last Sunday I saw an old man cycling, right ahead of me - and suddenly

You may find this hard to believe but it is not only making money that requires intelligence - spending it does too. According to Future Foundation - a think tank specializing in consumer behavior - we all have a shopping IQ which can be measured with a simple formula.

A few nights ago, as I was walking by Narodni Trida in the centre of the city, which is a popular hang-out spot for the homeless, a loud conversation caught my attention. The couple had made themselves comfortable on the floor close to the entrance of the metro and were fighting over a blanket, or some kind of a rug. The fight began to escalate, swear words filled the air. Then, the woman got up and screamed: "you know what, with people like you among us, it's no wonder that City Hall wants to ship us all away overnight."

The incident happened in Prague's metro system, on the 'C' line. To be more specific, when the news hit the wires one Monday morning earlier this month, HE was already out there since Sunday, when the irresponsible pet owner forgot his slithering friend in the train wagon and exited the metro at Museum station.

I was trapped in this nightmare...Perhaps I'd seen too many Fellini movies. I was in a dining room...was I? - squeezing behind the seats of people eating...feasting. I'd adopted that sideways, crab-like creep that makes one believe one is paper-thin, but still I was passing uncomfortably close by these revellers...these strangers. Who were all these people? None of them seem to recognize me, or even acknowledge my existence. I felt I was intruding. No, it wasn't Fellini. Instead, more like something from that interminable film 'Last Year in

With the autumn approaching it will soon be time here in Prague for the annual Mind Sports Olympiad, held at the Tyrsuv Dum (Tyrs House) in Prague's Little Quarter. For anybody who likes games it's a great event, usually lasting several days, allowing visitors a chance to play all kinds of different titles belonging to the Paluba association run by dedicated and bright-minded individuals who, you guessed it, love games. Don't tell these guys games are for kids!

Though I would say I am reasonably familiar with Czech culture and history, I must admit that I often have to scratch my head a bit - and consult the internet - whenever we feature a new question in our Radio Prague monthly quiz. The subject of the most recent competition - the remarkable prize-winning tennis, ice hockey and football player Karel Kozeluh - was certainly somebody I should have been familiar with, and I learned about his amazing career with fascination.