Europe Day 34: A Port in a Storm

Today I’m thankful for a port in a storm.

2023 Update: This post was only shared with a few friends at the time, but now that anything “interesting” would have since expired, I feel comfortable filling in some gaps that I had left open on the original 2017 version of the blog.

I walked from my hotel to the rental car agency, bought some breakfast, and then continued on to the car rental agency to pick up the car I had reserved. They asked for my drivers license, and I reached into my front pocket, and found … nothing. Gulp.

I eventually figured out that I had been pickpocketed in the few minutes between breakfast and rental car.

That … makes things complicated.

Some of you who know me from Minnesota back in the day know a certain very adventurous traveler in my circle of friends.

She had a similar adventure similar while traveling abroad some years ago. In telling her story, she gets to the part where she realizes what has been stolen and then she gets a big grin on her face and says, “That’s when the adventure began.”

Her indomitable spirit was a huge inspiration for me today as I’ve pieced together what it takes to get back on the road.

. . .

I mentioned a port in the storm. If one is going to be pickpocketed while traveling abroad, it’s best to do so when you happen to be nearby people you know. I’m tremendously grateful for the many forms of help Nancy and David have given me today, including the kind offer of a place to stay while I put the pieces back together.

I waited to say anything online until I could say this: I believe all the pieces are in order now such that I can resume the trip largely as planned tomorrow. I’ll be fitting what was a fairly easy three-day drive into two days, but aside from that, things are pretty much on plan.

Off to sleep now. I’ve got some miles to make tomorrow. Maybe even some photos if the new schedule permits.

. . .

2023 Update, Part 2: I did fill out a police report. One of the items on the form was a checkbox where I had to assert that I had been a victim of a theft. I wasn’t positive that it was a theft so I checked an “I don’t know” box. The officer who reviewed the form with me erased that and checked “yes.” When I shared that I wasn’t positive that it had been a theft, he stopped, looked me in the eye, and said, “They know how to do it.” Sadly, I never got any kind of call telling me the police had found anything.