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I went to the bull rings & the bull ring museum in Spanish cities; however, I just could not go see a bull fight. Allan did see a bull fight.
Bullfighting has certainly been a popular sport in Spain for thousands of years. Recently, the people in Spain are not as interested in the sport. Once it was considered a contest of art & great skill, but that is no longer an opinion of the majority. Others, and me included, feel that it is a cruel sport because it involves killing the bull.
In Spain, bullfighting is called corridas or "corrida de toros", which means "running, or fiesta of the bulls".
It looks to me that part of the flair of bullfighting comes from the clothing. The matador costume is called traje de luces or "suit of lights". I was "floored" to find out that these costumes can cost as much as $10,000.
Bullrings are all over Spain. We saw the ones in Seville, Madrid, and Ronda. In the Ronda Bullfighting Museum, we learned that the origins of the corrida de toros are traced back to the Bronze Age in Crete! At one time, seeing young boys test their worth by throwing themselves onto the horns of pasturing bulls was outlawed, but it was restored again by the Moors during their occupation.
Bullfighting is most popular among older people; some of the younger people think the bull suffers a slow, painful death, only for the viewers' entertainment. Animal protection groups are trying to have it banned in Spain, Mexico, Portugal, & Peru.
Allan says that the bullfight is complex: it begins with a parade & ceremony. The matador is the focal point. He has assistants called banderilleros [on foot] and picadores[on horseback]. The bull is taunted with capes and long sticks. The finale involves the matador doing intricate maneuvers with cape and sword. The matador aims for the spot between the bull's shoulders, plunging his sword in. (ugh)
The crowd cheers "Ole! and throws flowers into the ring. But, unless the matador fights well and with dignity, there will be no cheers. One thing is for sure: many matadors are wealthy celebrities in Spain
It would seem that the "equipment" you need is your enthusiasm. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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 Bullfighting
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Spain has qualified for nine World Cup Finals at least. It's the leading spectator sport in Spain. Most games for the Spanish League are played on Sundays from September to May. Two of the most famous teams are Read Madrid and FC Barcelona. The towns have enormous stadiums and more than 100,000 fans turn out to watch their team play. Yes, the Spanish are passionate about their Soccer teams.
Jai Alai is a ball game invented in Basque; it is one of the fastest games in the world. In the rallies between players, the ball may travel at a speed of 150 miles (241 km) per hour. It's a type of handball played on a large court. Opposing individuals or teams alternately bounce a small, hard ball against one, two, or three walls and catch it upon its return. The court is called fronton [it's a rectangle with solid walls on 3 sides and a wire screen on the 4th side. The ball is caught and thrown with a glove-shaped wicker basket that is strapped to the player's wrist.
Bullfighting is a Spanish tradition. More and more Spaniards are opposing bullfighting on the grounds of its cruelty; however, it remains second only to soccer as Spain's most popular pastime.
Fans applaud not only the bravery of the bullfighters but the artistry as well. It's the ultimate test of a person's intelligence and will against the formidable strength of the bull. We found that most Spanish cities have at least 1 bullring. Madrid and Seville are considered the top venues.
Golf has become increasingly popular in Spain and can be played throughout the year. If you are interested in golf, there are several golf vacation packages available at reasonable rates. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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 The Retiro Park by SirRichard
Metro: Retiro Leave a Comment Theme: Hiking
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 Soccer by SirRichard
The main teams are:
- Real Madrid (Madrid)
- FC Barcelona (Barcelona)
- Valencia CF (Valencia)
- Athletic de Bilbao (Bilbao)
- Atletico de Madrid (Madrid)
- Betis (Sevilla)
Of all these the Real Madrid is the most well known abroad and many tourits come to see the team play at his stadium Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
The Barça is the popular name of the main Barcelona team, whose stadium Camp Nou is also often visited.
If you have a chance, having a drink at a bar during an important match (Champions League, National Team matches...) is a true experience, is interesting to see how passionatley this sport is live in Spain, people shout, insult, jump, cry... Leave a Comment Theme: Sports Watching
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 Catching the Atlantic breeze by AKtravelersLeave a Comment Theme: Surfing
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 Plaza de Toros Sevilla by AKtravelers
Predictably, only us guys went to the event while the women did, well, we don't know what they did. The bullfights are held at 8 p.m. on Sunday and nothing else is open then -- we were hoping they'd get the shopping out of their system. We bought tickets on the shady side (a must) despite the extra cost, and we saw three torreadors fight two bulls a piece. The fans sitting next to us explained to us everything that was going on. There is a lot of ritual to a bullfight!
So, before getting too judgemental about the sport, go see it for yourself.
Bring binoculars, since the bullrings can be big. If you don't get a seat in the shade, prepare to sweat. Leave a Comment Theme: OtherDirections: Every city of any size has a bullring. The oldest is in Rhonda and the most famous is in Sevilla, where we went.
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 Can you do this? by AKtravelers
A pink cape for the beginning of the fight and a red cape for the end of the fight. A sword is necessary to administer the final kill. An elaborate wardrobe, complete with tight pants and a hat, is required. I would think a protective cup would also be useful. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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 by acemjLeave a Comment Theme: Other
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 by traveldave
The bullfight is an elaborate spectacle which not only involves the matador, but also his team which includes mounted picadores and banderilleros, whose job it is to plant pairs of darts, or banderillos, into the bull's neck to weaken it for the matador. Three matadors alternate in the fighting of six bulls. The senior matador fights the first and third bull, the second matador fights the second and fifth bulls, and the third matador fights the third and sixth bulls.
The bullfight results in the death of the bull, which can be disturbing to some people who do not appreciate the importance of the sport to the Spanish. Leave a Comment Theme: Sports WatchingDirections: Las Ventas Bullring is located at Calle Alcalá 237, in the eastern part of Madrid.
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Nothing like being on vacation putting on weight eating rich foods! I thought I would at least try to stay in shape some of the time while on my 3 week vacation in Spain so I started visiting a Spanish runner's forum asking for advice about where to run in the cities I was visiting. I got some good feedback and discovered places on my own as well. Running in other places is so special because any distance runner or avid walker will tell you you see more by foot than, taxi, train or bus. You notice the little things and make memories while you relax, clear your mind and tone and strengthen your body and immune system - important because your new vacation diet and exposure to germs and stress make you so vulnerable to sickness while traveling.
It was a bit of a pain to pack the extras I needed for running, but running has thankfully little equipment necessary making it a very good activity while traveling. I just packed my running shoes, my running belt (for putting my cell phone and a little money to buy water), a pair of running shorts and a singlet or quick dry tank top and running socks.
I carry the mobile phone in case of emergency, injury or worse. The emergency number in Spain is 112. In the rural area I ran, I chose the route because there was a grocery store to buy water half way between and a police station in case of emergency.
In places like Malaga and Costa del Sol the Paseo Maritimos, the promenades along the beaches are good places to run, particularly if you are alone because they are always full of people. Malaga has a distance marked, dirt/sand path on the beach as well, which is easier on runner's joints than the sidewalk. In Granada, the Parque de Garcia Lorca is a beautiful place for a casual run, it's not too big for longer distances but pretty and has nice paths a lot of joggers and exercisers to keep you company. Theme: Other
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