I read the item about the scourge of pickpockets abroad (Aug. ’14, pgs. 2, 67). When I was in London in July 2014, newspapers were rife with reports of well-organized gangs preying on people in all European cities.

I recall a trick attempted on my wife and me in Rome some years ago. An old lady surrounded by young kids overwhelmed us, throwing a large newspaper in our faces while her scrum of children tore at us, attempting to get into our pockets and handbags.

A letter writer...

An assist to travel clothing is my cheap clothing dryer. You’ll need an over-the-door clothes hanger holder that will take about four hangers; three or four plastic clothes hangers; a plastic garment bag, and a hair dryer (sometimes supplied by the hotel/B&B).

• Wash the clothing in a sink and rinse it well.

• Place the damp clothing in a towel, then roll up the towel and twist it to soak up the moisture. (A cotton towel works best.)

• Hang the item of clothing on...

Upon entering the Parsenath Jain Temple in Phalodi, Rajasthan, India, you climb stairs to the primary interior space on the first floor (what we would call the second story). Walls and columns are decorated with small pieces of Belgian glass. More stairs lead to the second floor from which you can look down onto the first and up to the high domed ceiling (pictured) over the atrium. The over-the-top mirrored splendor of the second floor is even more extraordinary than that of the first. We...