and realized I know absolutely nothing about how the European power plug standards work. So you could just plug stuff into any part of that thing in any direction and it would charge? The idea that a power strip for a two-pronged standard would have 15 holes in it is very strange to me, but I can't put my finger on why...
The euro (not UK though) sockets are not polarised, so you can plug things in in either direction.
If the socket(plug is grounded, there are two grounded metal prongs in the socket (12 and 6 oclock), that connect to flats on the plug, so you get ground connection either way.
image A grounded plug can be inserted in a non-grounded socket (on the theory that the socket would not be in an area where grounding would be required.
A non-grounded plug (unless it's the flat plug, only to be used on double-isolated things) does not go into a grounded socket, on the theory that a non-grounded tool shouldn't be used in an environment where a grounded socket was required.
But now grounded sockets a required everywhere (at least in Sweden) on all new construction and major rework. Non-grounded round plugs are very rare to find on new goods - it's either grounded or double-isolated flat one...
All the socket are recessed so you can't get your fingers on the pins when they're making contact in the socket (though I still have a few sockets here from when the house was built in the 50s and they have only a very shallow recess...)
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