Just a note: catalan is not a dialect of other language. Catalan was the only language spoken in Catalonia long ago, but it has been forbidden during pretty long periods. My mother tongue is spanish, but because both my father and my mother came from other parts of Spain. All my friends who have parents born here (more or less the half), have catalan as their mother tongue.

Oh, and sorry if you had problems with robbers. Unfortunately, thieves only choose tourists as target, because they are pretty sure that almost nobody goes to the police. :-(