There isn't much to report this week. Last Friday (about 9 days ago now) I slipped going down the stairs of my apartment and hurt my foot. After walking on it for almost a week, I gave in and went to the orthopedist on Thursday to make sure there were no broken bones. Luckily I didn't break anything so I don't have a cast, boot or crutches but I'm still hurting pretty bad. The doctor told me to stay off it the best I can and gave me some heavy-duty ibuprofen to help with the pain. Unfortunately, it's not easy to avoid walking in this city. The weather has been pretty great lately and it pains me to sit inside with ice on my foot while the whole world is out enjoying the sunshine. Especially since I only have four weeks (gasp!) left. I've been trying my best, but sometimes the weather and the lure of fun with friends gets the best of me. It's supposed to be rainy most of the day today... so maybe I'll actually stay home and not walk. In any case, it'll heal with time so it's okay.

Thursday was also Dia de San Jordi. He's on of the saints of Cataluna (the 'state' in which Barcelona is located) because of a legend in which he saved the princess from an evil dragon. When he saved her, her tears of joy mixed with the blood of the dragon and a red rose appeared. San Jordi gave the rose to the princess and began the tradition of giving roses to women on this day. Then, later in history Cervantes and Shakespeare both died around this time and it was named some sort of day to honor literature as well. So, now on Dia de San Jordi the men give the women a rose and the women give the men a book. Of course, many people don't follow this tradition too strictly because obviously women love books as well, but it's still an important day in Cataluna. All of the bookstores (of which there are gobs upon gobs in this city) set up tents outside on the sidewalks to sell their books and there are carts and tents set up to sell roses anywhere that the bookstores left space. Also, anyone with a balcony hangs the Catalan flag from it. The photo at the top is of our apartment building, just to give you an idea of what the city looked like that day.

Obviously with my foot the way it is we didn't do any traveling this weekend, so I don't have any new photos to share with you. This coming week I'll be traveling Thursday evening through Monday evening through southern Spain so when I get back I'll have TONS to post.

I missed a few calls after I'd already gone to sleep this week, they came up "Unknown" so I don't know who it was but I'm pretty sure it's somone who must've been calling my virtual U.S. number. Whoever it was can feel free to E-Mail me or call back, just remember that it's seven hours later here and after midnight I'm usually either asleep or trying to get to sleep. Calling before 5pm CST works a lot better for me.

More next week...