In reference to the letter titled “Initial Snag at Immigration” (May ’08, pg. 11), I offer comments on my experience having a passport that lists my first name only as an initial (W James Brasher).

Since this is my legal name (actually, the W should have a period after it; I don’t know why the passport agency has omitted it), it has been on my passport since I obtained my first one in the 1960s. In the interim, I have visited over 120 countries, with returns to the United States up to...

The letter about crime problems in Barcelona (May ’08, pg. 58) brought back an interesting (and embarrassing) memory from when I was there in September ’07, traveling alone and independently.

I almost memorize Rick Steves’ guidebooks before going to any city, since they always give me the info I need. He writes that you are more likely to be targeted for theft on the Ramblas in Barcelona than anywhere else in Europe. If you see people doing distracting things, you should put your...

We spent two weeks just walking around in Venice, Italy, in September-October ’07, not entering a single church or museum but going to a lot of dead ends and making sure we didn’t miss anything. It was rewarding and I would like to do it again.

Getting around Venice on foot is cheap and immediately available, but sometimes it’s a confusing time-waster because of the often missing and sometimes contradictory signage plus having to find a bridge to cross a canal.

To get where you...