Bullfight

On Sunday, I got the early flight out of Barcelona (9:30 AM) and made it back to Madrid to go to the Bullfight at 5:30 PM -- after my siesta, of course. I had to go to a bullfight for my Hemingway in Spain class because we have to write a 3-4 page reflection on it because Hemingway wrote a book on the art of bullfighting during his time in Spain. Either way, I would have gone anyways because it is a Spanish art and tradition and something every person visiting Spain should experience at least once.

Anyways, the bullfight took place at the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, which is a famous bullring in Madrid. It is situated in the barrio of Guindalera in the district of Salamanca, and it was inaugurated on June 17, 1931. It has a seating capacity of 25,000 and is regarded as the home of bullfighting in Spain. The price of the seats depends upon how close they are to the "arena" and whether they are in the sun or the shade (the latter being more expensive). The bullfighting season starts in March and ends in December; bullfights are held every day during the San Isidro Fiesta, and every Sunday or holiday during the season. Bullfights start at 6 or 7pm and last for two to three hours.

The area around the ring was mobbed with people selling things and people heading for the fight. The bullfights was sold out and although there were tourists, there were also tons of locals. Before I went I didn't know much about bullfighting other than men wearing weird clothes. When I got to the bullfight, I found out it was not just one bull, it was six. For anyone who knows me, it didn't gross me out at all -- actually enjoyed it. A lot of the girls were grossed out and some of my friends even left early. With that being said, there was still the initial shock of killing the bull, never saw an animal killed before. As the bullfight went on, I started focusing less on the bull and more on what the matador was doing; the art and techniques of bullfighting. As the evening progressed, the crowd became more involved which helped make the fight a little more enjoyable. I'm not sure that I would ever go see one again, but I am glad that I went.