5 Things you MUST do in Barcelona #5 - Avoid getting pickpocketed

That's right, f*ck you pickpockets, I was in Barcelona for A WEEK AND YOU DIDN'T GET MY PROPERTY. I had that shit nailed DOWN all week.

Mainly because I carried what I needed in my bra, so they'd have to be pretty amazing at stealing for me not to notice THAT happening.

I've got everything I need and you can't get it thieves!

Seriously though, I'm sure it has a high volume of theft, but the reputation Barcelona has is incredible. I got bored of the amount of people who mentioned it when I said I was going there. No reputation a country has would ever stop me from going there.

Apart from Somalia.

And maybe the Congo.

Possibly also Afghanistan too.

BUT ANYWAY. Please don't ever be put off by Barcelona's reputation. Six of us were there together for a week and we didn't have a single incident.

And yes, we did leave the apartment in that week thank you very much.

I have a few suggestions on how you can avoid being targeted in BCN:

1. If you wear a bra, just pop your camera down the sides, but maybe invest in a case if you sweat a lot. If you're a man, I recommend a strapless bra to avoid embarrassment.

2. If you INSIST on carrying things around, get yourself the tattiest looking bag possible so that it doesn't look like it has anything of value in there. One with an over the body strap and a zip is good too.

3. For the love of God keep an eye on your bag at all times. Sounds obvious doesn't it? But you'd be amazed at how quickly people let their guard down as you walk around the city. Street theatres are a hot spot and I saw how easy it would be to swipe a bag or a phone. I didn't do any swiping though guv'.

4. Don't fall for any obvious tricks. My Dad was in BCN on the metro a few years ago and the guy in front of him on the escalator dropped his ticket, my Dad (being the awesome guy he is) bent down to help and the guy behind him jumped him and tried to steal his camera bag - he was working with the fakester who 'dropped' his ticket (I'm still looking for him....) Anyway, long story short my Auntie jumped on this guy and he ran off which was a really stupid thing to do but that's what the heat of the moment will do to you...

Yes there are nasty people in Barcelona and yes crime seems to be fairly high yadayadayada, but I don't know of a single place in the world where this isn't the case. The fact that it's in the press so much can only be a good thing as hopefully something will change as a result.

In the event that it does happen to you though, do me a favour and don't fight back like my Auntie. Everything but your life can be replaced. Maybe not your photos but you can look at mine on Facebook if you like!