I’M IN LOVE WITH AN UNDERCOVER BARCELONA POLICEMAN

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Port of Barcelona, Spain

Aboard the Enchanted Princess

Sunny, 72F

 

This post is difficult to write because I must admit how I incredibly stupid I am, yet so blessed.

 

TK and I were ready at our hotel for our 10 a.m. taxi to take us to the port, but because of a marathon race through downtown Barcelona, the taxi was going to be delayed. We were sitting in the Hotel Gaudi lobby, and I had the brilliant idea of TK taking a photo of me in front of the Palace Guell doors across the street.  There was no traffic at all. Thinking the photo would look better without my purse, I laid the bag on the sidewalk. Photo taken, we went back inside the lobby to wait for the taxi.

 

I was happily reading my Grisham book and thought I should visit the restroom after waiting for a half hour and not knowing when we would be on board the ship.  When I came down the stairs after the RR visit, TK asked where my purse was-my reply was that it was right there. Just as we were making the realization that I did not have my purse, and that I left it on the sidewalk during the photo shoot, TK noticed a man outside the window with my purse on his shoulder. We rushed out, and the man, probably seeing my panic, told me he was an undercover cop (with a bike), but at that moment he was waiting for a police car so he could make a report. He seemed to be talking to another man, in Spanish of course, and at that time I did not know if that person was the thief or not.

 

The undercover policeman came inside the hotel and asked me what was in the purse. He allowed me to take out my wallet and show him my PA driver’s license. TK rushed up with my passport, which matched the license.  He asked me to count the money, about $500 in both dollars and euros. I also had 3 credit cards in the wallet. All this was in Spanish with the desk clerk translating. He asked if I had anything else valuable, like jewelry, etc. No, I did not.  He took photos of my money and my purse.

 

He began making the official report as I prayed and thanked God for my good fortune.  There was a large audience of cruisers watching the whole drama while they waited for their taxis.  I can accept that they probably thought “she sure is an idiot.”  That’s OK, because I agree.

 

I had to sign two documents – the official police report. I asked the desk clerk how the policeman figured out the purse was stolen.  I learned that this policeman saw a man with my purse around his neck under another bag around his neck. He was rifling through it. The policeman said he had been undercover in Barcelona for 15 years and knew something was up. I then asked how the policeman knew to come down our street right by our hotel—he said the man was running from the street that the hotel was on and he figured the owner of the purse was nearby.

 

TK told me that the police car hauled  away the man I saw—obviously the thief.

 

I had to admit to this policeman exactly what I had done—laid a purse on the sidewalk and left it there. Not once did he seem to wonder, “how stupid could anyone be?”  Plus, he was very very good looking.  And as an aside, he wasn't even on duty yet, this happened just before his shift.

 

About 2 hours later, as we were boarding the ship, I realized all my computer passwords were in my purse, as well as our Medallions for boarding the ship.  I am blessed.

 

THIS WAS SURE A LESSON LEARNED.  

 

This photo is worth $500 in euros and dollars, 3 charge cards, a driver's license,

all my computer passwords, and the Princess "medallion" that allows

access to everything on the ship.