Addendum

I love Europe except for its thieves.

Lindsey and I are having a perfectly lovely day on the beach in Barcelona—sea air, sunshine, a good book etc. etc. We both doze off for a bit and when we wake up, Lindsey’s bag, which contained her camera, some cash, our subway pass and our room keys, is history. After a few conversations with the sunbathers around us, we piece together what happened.

The beach is swarmed with vendors. Women offer massages and hair braiding and men peddle cheap beer, snacks, and gaudy sarongs. One of them notices that neither of us have moved for a while, and a couple of them begin circling us, making sure we’re asleep. Once they’re certain we’re both out, three men come by with sarongs, waving them in the faces of the people sitting around. One of the “masseuses” slips Lindsey’s purse into her bag while everyone’s vision is blocked. Lindsey’s carrying a small purse, but I have a large tote—not so easy to snag. So she kicks Lindsey, shouting that her purse has been stolen, waking both of us up. She and another woman are pointing across the beach, insisting that Lindsey chase down the culprit. Once Lindsey has taken off, the woman starts screaming at me to go help my friend. When it becomes clear that I am not leaving my bag alone with these people, they suddenly dissipate, completely gone from sight.

Luckily, nothing irreplaceable was taken, and Lindsey had wisely left her passport, credit cards, and the bulk of her cash back at the hostel. The irksome part is not what they got, but that they got it. I’m also highly irritated that none of the people in our vicinity thought to mention something, since they all admitted afterward to noticing the suspicious behavior.

After walking around two and a half miles back to the hostel (no subway card, no cash) we discover that two other girls staying here have been robbed today.