Our day in Barcelona took an unexpected and traumatic turn. It started normally enough, with Joy and the kids heading off to shop in Barcelona, while I took a short drive to visit a neolithic underground mine site. Which was actually pretty impressive in the extent of its mine shafts. Unfortunately, it is not possible to go down into them, just have a short walk through a recreated section of the mine. Still, it is amazing to think of prehistoric people undertaking such a large mining industry.
Sadly, anything about it soon vanished from my mind. I decided to take a turn off on the way to the airport and have a quick look at a nature park on the coast and mouth of the Llobregat river, that sits right at the end of the airport runway. I got out, had a very quick look around and attended to a call of nature, marvelling at how noisy and close above me the taking off planes were. I was perhaps thirty metres from the car, but behind a tall stand of wild grass, when I heard two car doors close. I assumed another car had pulled into the carpark where there were at least five other cars parked. I wandered back to the car, unlocked it and got in. And noticed that there was glass on the passenger side floor, and that my phone was no longer attached to its charging cable. I looked around with dread and saw that the rear seats were down and all our luggage was gone. It was an impressive piece of work to clear out four suitcases and three backpacks from the boot, through the passenger side rear door in five minutes. I was without a phone and both our laptops, my camera and tablet, as well as all our clothes were gone. And we were about to catch a plane to Zagreb.
I could see no sign of the thieves and could see no point to trying to find them, so drove to the airport- literally two minutes away and informed the car hire company who were sympathetic but powerless to help beyond pointing me to the police station.
I now spent about an hour completing a police report and witnessing life at an airport police station. There was a teenage girl in handcuffs, multiple phone calls in english from other people who had been robbed; luggage, phone, passports and an Austrian family who came in just after me, their teenage daughter having also been robbed of her passport. Oh, and the weaponed up squads of police coming in and out. They really looked serious. Eyes everywhere and guns at the ready. It was actually pretty exciting being in there. But also stressful as the time for our zagreb plane was fast approaching. It is obvious that there are a lot of crimes in and around the airport, since the incident report sheet I had to fill in was in English and a translator is employed full time to expedite things. He told me the robbery was probably the work of an organsied crime gang- either South American or Eastern European. I wold have rather he said it was desperate, poor asylum seekers.
I eventually got out with a police report print out for the insurance and the four of us raced for the gate, with nothing but the clothes on our back. And to top it off, Joy's phone was almost flat and we had no idea of the address of our Zagreb accommodation. At least I knew my brother's address. Thankfully, the crew were very helpful and we landed with a fully charged phone. By the time we got to our apartment, Gavin had put a load of clothes in a bag and we now all had a change of clothes.
normality started to return.
Sadly, anything about it soon vanished from my mind. I decided to take a turn off on the way to the airport and have a quick look at a nature park on the coast and mouth of the Llobregat river, that sits right at the end of the airport runway. I got out, had a very quick look around and attended to a call of nature, marvelling at how noisy and close above me the taking off planes were. I was perhaps thirty metres from the car, but behind a tall stand of wild grass, when I heard two car doors close. I assumed another car had pulled into the carpark where there were at least five other cars parked. I wandered back to the car, unlocked it and got in. And noticed that there was glass on the passenger side floor, and that my phone was no longer attached to its charging cable. I looked around with dread and saw that the rear seats were down and all our luggage was gone. It was an impressive piece of work to clear out four suitcases and three backpacks from the boot, through the passenger side rear door in five minutes. I was without a phone and both our laptops, my camera and tablet, as well as all our clothes were gone. And we were about to catch a plane to Zagreb.
I could see no sign of the thieves and could see no point to trying to find them, so drove to the airport- literally two minutes away and informed the car hire company who were sympathetic but powerless to help beyond pointing me to the police station.
I now spent about an hour completing a police report and witnessing life at an airport police station. There was a teenage girl in handcuffs, multiple phone calls in english from other people who had been robbed; luggage, phone, passports and an Austrian family who came in just after me, their teenage daughter having also been robbed of her passport. Oh, and the weaponed up squads of police coming in and out. They really looked serious. Eyes everywhere and guns at the ready. It was actually pretty exciting being in there. But also stressful as the time for our zagreb plane was fast approaching. It is obvious that there are a lot of crimes in and around the airport, since the incident report sheet I had to fill in was in English and a translator is employed full time to expedite things. He told me the robbery was probably the work of an organsied crime gang- either South American or Eastern European. I wold have rather he said it was desperate, poor asylum seekers.
normality started to return.
Merda, is all I can say!
ReplyDeleteLet's talk when you are back in Oz, I have good news...
Oh no!! How awful. Where were Joy and the kids at this time? Are you now back home? How did you cope in Croatia? Hope you're all recovering from this horrible event.
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