Hi all-
So lots has happened since my last post- and yet still I haven´t written in a bit. This is not for lack of time, perhaps just lack of willingness to write down frustrating things because it makes them more true.
So, I went the next day (Monday) to the hospital in Glasgow to go get my foot looked at. What I hadn´t mentioned in my last post ( I don´t think) was that right before I went to Glasgow last weekend, I had visited the hospital in London and they were considering surgery on my foot if it wasn´t getting better by Monday- which is why I was sure to check in at the hospital in Glasgow. Anyways- though the Glasgow hospital did not reccomend surgery, they sort of shrugged their shoulders in such a way that I felt better going to seek additional advice. They reccommended that I go back to the Hospital of Tropical Diseases in London for better attention. Also- the only thing that they could think of doing was an MRI on the foot- which would be fine, except the healthcare system here (which I had until then been impressed with) would be unable to provide me with with an MRI for another 2 WEEKS!

So, I cut my stay in Glasgow tremendously short and flew out that evening- with just enough time to do three things: eat some vegetable pakora ( the ïndian¨appetizer that was apparently started in Glasgow), get a quick tour of Glasgow University (which is Gilly´s alma mater- and looks like Hogwarts), and have dinner with Gilly to try our best to catch up over some hagis.

Got back to London and crashed again with Kyle, and then another two nights with two other amazing people Heather and Maggie, and did little else but return to the hospital, and look for alternate housing (ie a sublet--- which is WAY expensive for an american in London). The MRI situation might not be so different here to be honest- but I am working on it, and I atleast felt I was in better care because the doctor I saw was the head of skin infection ( or something) at the hospital. I have to go back on Monday fort a biopsy.
Too much information, right? It is sort of ridiculous what a problem this has become. The doctor said I shoudl plan on either staying in the UK for at least another 3 weeks, or plan on going home for care- which means my entire intinerary is due for some re arranging. yucko

I am trying to roll with the punches- there are worse places to be stranded than London. I am still looking for a sublet, and I had a mini adventure looking at my first two places with the same woman and ended up spending about 3 .5 hours with her- but I am getting a little bit of a behind the scenes tour of London which is kind of cool.

ALSO- I am not actually currently in London. Kyle and I had planned on meeting in Barcelona this weekend anyways- and since I have nothing to do but wait for my appointment in London on Monday , we decieded to go still. I went a day early so as to be out of everyone´s hair in London- so I came in yesterday, and Kyle comes in tonight.

Barcelona is a great place to raise the spirits- I have to say. I love it. It is so beautiful and I had a blast just walking around today, down La Rambla , and through part of the old section of town. I stopped at a big market place today, and got a little over zealous when I bought a kilo of fresh figs ( I sort of forgot at kilo was over 2 pounds)- but it only cost about 3 dollars. Guess what I ate for dinner? haha

I also went to the Picasso Museum- which was pretty cool. It was in chronological order so you could see how he progressed throughout his career, which was pretty cool- especially because so much of it was not the geometric paintings that first come to mind. My favorite part was the two rooms devoted to his blue period. I walked in and I sort of got goosebumps- a rare reaction for me with fine art. It was amazing to see all these terribly evocative paintings in one room- paintings that I have heard so much about, but actually knew very little about.

I came back to the hostel after that- which is also in a pretty cool building. I can´t wait to see Gaudi´s architecture tomorrow.

As for my spanish- the 4 weeks I took this summer have pretty much completly escaped me- but it is fun to try my best.

Ok- well I am going to go see what there is to do at night here for a girl flying solo.

Miss you all!
http://rebeccasworldadventure.blogspot.com