I have been off the grid for most of two weeks, but we have an excuse:

We were waylaid by thieves on our way out of Barcelona as Part 2 of travels with Leah’s parents, back on June 12. We lost thousands of dollars worth of technical gear, as well as cash that had been in backpacks, and the only key to the car.

It is a long story, if told correctly, and I am not ready to try that yet. Give me another week and I think it will be done.

Here are the issues, in short.

While on the road, a miscreant on a motorcycle pulled up next to our car and told us we had a flat tire in the right-rear location . Once we had gotten out of the way of traffic, and I went to seek help at a gas station, he pulled up next to us and said there was only gas there, no mechanic. He just happened to be a mechanic himself, on his lunch break, and could help us change the tire.

Wow, what a nice guy, was our reaction. But in the next 30 minutes the dark-clad and masked motorcyclist, with the help of at least one accomplice (not counting the one that initially stabbed the tire), maybe two, had managed to get us out of the car to help them while they took a purse and three backpacks. As well as all the electronics one would expect adults in the 21st century to have, making it a pirate’s bonanza.

We were not hurt, nor touched; it could have gone badly. But in the category of “no one hurt” … well, it was still a heavy blow.

Did I mention all the forms and documents and licenses that were inside the purses/packs? Including our only car key?

I will be back to finish this, sometime soon.