Afterward, mule teams come out to unceremoniously drag off the bull by the horns. This who cycle is repeated six times -- I lasted for four.
Sunday morning in Madrid witnesses the largest flea market in Spain (some say in the world but those in Paris seemed bigger to me). Madrid's Rastro market dates from the middle ages (most of the merchandise looked somewhat newer). Supposedly one starts bargaining here by offering a third of the marked price. It is for reasons such as this that I travel with a tiny suitcase.
Knowing I would answer to Veronica if I did not at least take a visit, I made my way to the Rastro area. Living in a condo full of stuff, I didn't see a need to acquire anything other than this picture (By the way, these people were not for sale, but I found some in Barcelona that were):
Next I made my way to the tourist office to find out if I could see a bull fight. I was directed to the remote suburbs as Madrid's major bull ring had no performances that day. Using the excellent Madrid subway, I was soon at small covered dome venue called Palacio Vistalegre.
I was a little torn about attending a bull fight as mother taught me long ago not to play with our food. (Hope you have sufficient stomach for these puns). However, it is the Spaniards' national pastime so if I expect them to sit through a baseball game when they come here, I must suffer as well.
I liked the bullfight more than I thought, even more than a baseball game. (Maybe baseball is too serious a business: if you can run a baseball team, you can do anything, even be a wartime president if you don't get stuck in a bush league like those in Florida.)
Unfortunately I arrived after the ceremonial opening parade where all of the participants (except the bulls) prance around the ring, including the three teams of bullfighters (which will later kill two bulls apiece).
The bullfight has three parts called tercios. First the bull is released and is lured in a circle around the ring by "peones" who wave capes and then run quite cowardly for the sidelines. This not only tires out the bull but also lets the matador size up his prey.
Next come two picadores on horses clad in heavy armor and wearing blinders since if the animals saw that the bull was going to gore them in the side, they would probably be long gone (if the term horse sense has any meaning). The armor is a recent (1930ish) innovation. Before that, they probably lost at least one horse for each bull. (The horses, waddling with their blinders and heavy steel are not very stylish -- unlike all the spandex-clad humans who participate clad in toreo-dior fashions.) The picadores stab the bull in the back with lances to begin the bloodletting.
The middle tercio (of which unfortunately I couldn't get a decent picture) shows the most human bravery as three banderilleros run up to the bull and stab him in the back with two darts apiece. These are rather daring fellows who run directly at the bull and then dance to the side while simultaneously stabbing him. One senses that the bull has a bit of a chance with these guys, but none of them got hurt while I was there.
Finally the matador emerges (as at the top of this page) and does the waving cape bit until the bull is so tired and bloodless that he more-or-less holds still while the matador puts a long steel sword in a small spot on his back (this blow is called the estocada). You can see such a sword in the picture below as the matador hands it back to an assistant while his peones use their capes to back the bull into a corner. If the bull takes his time falling, one of the peones will plunge a dagger into his brain.
If the arena management feels the bullfighter did a good job, they will give him part of the bull, usually one or both ears, but in rare cases (and perhaps this is why Spanish teenagers want to become matadors) a piece of tail. (Hope your internet purity filter is turned off).
Afterward, mule teams come out to unceremoniously drag off the bull by the horns. This who cycle is repeated six times -- I lasted for four.
The weather was beautiful after my opening day rain (and would stay dry and sunny for the rest of my trip). So it was back to central Madrid to wander the streets. Please join me by clicking here.
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