Bullfights
Bullfights are an integral part of many fiestas. In the south, especially, any village that can afford it will put on a corrida for an afternoon, while in big cities like Madrid or Sevilla, the main festival times are accompanied by a week-long (or more) season of prestige fights. Los Toros , as Spaniards refer to bullfighting, is big business. It is said that 150,000 people are involved, in some way, in the industry, and the top performers, the matadores , are major earners, on a par with the country's biggest pop stars. There is some opposition to the activity from animal welfare groups but it is not widespread: if Spaniards tell you that bullfighting is controversial, they are likely to be referring to practices in the trade. In recent years, bullfighting critics (who you will find on the arts and not the sports pages of the newspapers) have been expressing their perennial outrage at the widespread but illegal shaving of bulls' horns prior to the corrida . Bulls' horns are as sensitive as fingernails, and filing them a few millimetres deters the animal from charging; they affect the bull's balance, too, further reducing the danger for the matador . Notwithstanding such abuse (and there is plenty more), Los Toros remain popular throughout the country. To aficionados (a word that implies more knowledge and appreciation than "fan"), the bulls are a culture and a ritual - one in which the emphasis is on the way man and bull "perform" together - in which the arte is at issue rather than the cruelty. If pressed on the issue of the slaughter of an animal, they generally fail to understand. Fighting bulls are, they will tell you, bred for the industry; they live a reasonable life before they are killed, and, if the bullfight went, so too would the bulls. If you spend any time at all in Spain during the season (which runs from March to October), you will encounter Los Toros on a bar TV - and that will probably make up your mind whether to attend a corrida . If you decide to go, try to see a big, prestigious event, where star performers are likely to despatch the bulls with "art" and a successful, "clean" kill. There are few sights worse than a matador making a prolonged and messy kill, while the audience whistles and chucks cushions over the barrera . If you have the chance to see one, the most exciting and skilful events are those featuring mounted matadores , or rejoneadores ; this is the oldest form of corrida , developed in Andalucia in the seventeenth century. Established and popular matadores include the veteran Enrique Ponce, Cesar Rincon, Victor Mendes, Joselito, Litri, David "El Rey" Silveti and Jose Maria Manzanares. Two newer stars are Sevilla's golden boy, Antonio Bareas, and the 18-year-old prodigy Julian "El Juli" Lopez. Cristina Sanchez, the first woman to make it into the top flight for many decades, retired in 1999, blaming sexist organizers, crowds and fellow matadores - many of whom refused to appear on the same bill as a woman. A complete guide to bullfighting with exhaustive links can be found at www.mundo-taurino.org .
spain-EATINGamanda says "when you go to spain you have to be epected to eat a continental original BIG breakfast, a light lunch and dinner at a late time and i mean late!!!" Peace HoCharles Darwin III says "Beans Beans there good for your heart the more you eat the more you fart!" We the Knights...Knights of Columbus says "i totally disagree with Mr. Darwin. i belive it is cabbage that dust makes the human body release excess gas or as Mr. Darwin says "fart". i totally disagree and demand a throw down right now!" It is onCharles Darwin III says "I respectfully disagree with the Knights of Columbus.I accept the "throwdown" officiated by the KFC.We must meet at the town hall in Grenage, England" (.)(.)Charles Darwin III says "Oh and say hi to your babies momma for me please.and goodbye" Tis it thou my saucey fellowTribonious says "put a screw in it. you men are far too immature and thus leaves me to belive the Knights of Columbus(founded in 1882) will not only throw down but as (.)(.) said "take you babies momma". hm? such a saucey fellow. i cannot belive this ransomness. tis thou dissare to throw down with KFC i shall join as well and make allies with the wetbacks. and yes peace ho.
- your beloved tribonious" The WETBACKS!Charles Darwin III says "Thats absoulutly absurd! the Wetbacks ! My only allie is my faithful horse Homburdeous. He alone will assist me in the capture of the K F C.
Babies Momma
CDIII" WE The Knights...(again)Knights of Columbus says "how dare thou mistake my name K OF!!! C no KFC. we art thou no familar with the blacks. we do no crave cheap chicken from ally ways en thou ghetto. HOW DARE YOU. the wetbacks have always been our saucey fellows. how dare tis i waste my time with you sauceless fellows and thust do bust a load in your babbie mommas face. thust ending the war.
peace ho hombre." Important... Please ReadAdministrator says "This forum was created in order to inform potential travelers about Spain. It is obvious from previous entries that some people are using this forum for the wrong reasons. We respectfully ask that you refrain from using profanity and this site and most importantly, stay on topic and discuss only things that will be useful. Keep your personal affairs out of our website.
-The Administration-" ITS GOOD FOR YOUBEER AND WEED says "I LIKE TO DRINK BEER AND SMOKE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF WEED!" IM SOO HOTHOT GUY says "IM THE KIND OF GUY THAT MAKES ALL THE FAT GIRLS HUNGRY!" Midgets with BIG nosesFTM says "My tip is to watch of for the midgets with noses bigger then their bodies, they can be quite frightening and scary, just ask darwin he should know all about them! Quite scary indeedddd...." Daves MomScuba Steve says "I once went to daves house
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bc im high" im a birdScuba steve says "i can fly
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