Apart from a few underwater embankment cafes like C'est La Vie and trendy Kampa Park, the capital basically escaped unscathed. Patrons of Nils Jebens' next-door restaurant, Cihelna, a magnet for movie stars shooting in Prague, could even be seen sitting out on the riverside terrace, which is a crucial meter or two higher than Kampa Park's.

Pavel Verner of Právo argues that with all the hoopla about the revisions to the Criminal Code, no one has yet included a provision properly punishing those who jeopardize public safety. His case in point: two men caught dismantling emergency flood barriers to sell for scrap metal.

Some choose to just steer clear of rising rivers, like the crew of Bond flick Casino Royale, sighted practicing their gambling at Banco Casino Friday night. Make that baccarat believable now ...

Others choose to deal with different issues. U.S. Ambassador William Cabannis said, while urging better visa access for Czechs, that estimates of "hundreds of thousands" of them living illegally in the United States was probably bunk.