Well of course everyone was courteous and hospitable...you were mostly in the south! As Fernando so astutely pointed out in the "Barcelona is Terrible" forum, people are just nicer down south.

Now, had you gone to the inhospitable north, you would have been met with a cold shoulder and harsh stares by everyone. In fact, I'm almost certain that, national origin and sexual orientation aside, you would have most certainly been a target for crime in the north, since they "don't take too kindly to them thar foreign types".

I'm sure glad you were able to avoid that added distress...

Hey, GG--
I got the leather belt from LLBean. It's much flatter than you might think (when I am pulling my regular black leather belt out of the closet, I often confuse the two), and holds just a bit of cash. I think it's great for a night out, as long as you're willing to run to the bathroom to get more money out, and don't mind handing origami-money to the bartender!

I carried a daypack with a zippered outer compartment and made the fatal error of relaxing diligence in our last few hours in Barcelona. Sometime in the 2.5 hours between the Miro museum and Barcelona airport, my camera was "removed" from the outer compartment. Since we went thru Metro Catalunya twice in that period with crowds of people behind me, our guess is the camera disappeared in the metro. Up to that point, I'd been careful to stow the camera in the main body of the pack which had a safety pin closing the 2 zipper heads. Better yet, would be a combination or keyed lock.

Thanks Tara! I'll have to check out LLBean for the belt...

Connie, I'm so sorry that you got 'hit' while in Barcelona. It's just a reminder that we should never be 'off guard'! I hope you didn't have too expensive a camera...

-GG

I just wanted to report that my stolen camera had a happy ending, of a sort. The camera was purchased with an American Express credit card and was still under credit card insurance since it was bought less than 60 days prior to the event. Of course the photos are gone, but now I can go shop for a replacement camera.

Madrid is my favorite city in all of Europe. The people are wonderful and the sites are awesome.

However, no matter where you go, big cities are going to have some crime. I grew up in NYC and I think Madrid/Barcelona are both very safe, you just need to "be aware" of where you are and the people around you.

In all of our trips to Spain, I've only had my pocket picked once (and I'd like to add it was one smooth job). In the Puerta del Sol, on a rainy night, someone managed to unsnap a large front pocket of my jacket and snatch my camera. Mind you, all of this took a matter of seconds, while my husband and I were crossing the street with 50 other people holding umbrellas.

The good news -- the camera was old and we'd just arrived in Madrid, so we didn't lose that many pictures.

Over the past two years, I've noticed more pickpockets on the subway, especially when you can't find a seat and must stand. Usually, these "hits" take place right before the doors open and passengers get off at a stop.

Last year, my husband was "set up" to have his backpack snatched, but we've learned what to watch for and usually do not stand side-by-side in the subway. I usually stand across from him and can watch what's going on and vice-versa.

Two guys were watching my husband way more than just "casual curiosity." When our stop came up one guy cut ahead of my husband and then dropped to his knee (as if he was lacing his shoes) within a second, the other guy pushed into my husband and almost knocked him over the guy bending down.

At that point, my husband was off-balance and the guy who had pushed into him acted like he was helping him up by the arm, but what he was really doing was getting ready to pull his backpack off. At that point, I pushed myself between them both and said a few choice sentiments in Spanish.

My advice, keep your money, credit cards and passport in a moneybelt at all times. Invest in a travel vest or jacket with internal pockets that zipper (not snap) to carry your camera, etc.
Travel Smith offers some really cool clothing items like this.

If you carry a backpack (and we usually do) only use it for items that can be easily replaced (water, food, wine and maps). Wear your backpack across both of your shoulders -- not slung over one (this habit dies hard for my husband and I).
On the subway, take your backpack off and hold it in front of you.

Lastly, be aware of "set-ups" that are orchestrated to distract you, if only for a few seconds (people pushing into you -- when there's not a crowd, several people crowding around you at a subway stop, etc.). Trust your instincts, if something feels wrong or strange, it probably is.

Enjoy and have a wonderful trip.