Tuesday, April 13, 2010
My First Bullfight!
Yesterday I went to my first Bullfight! Oh what an experience. When my mom was here she and I went to the bullfighting museum and got a little taste of what a bullfight was all about. I feel as though this prepared me a little bit for what was in store. I also had a general idea of how they are run. Some of my friends that I went with were not as familiar with what happens. They found out at the bullfight that yes, the bull is killed. We sat fairly close, probably 10 rows up and were definitely in the action! I was on the edge of my seat several times because the bull would just nearly catch the matador! Here is how it works:
(warning this might be a little gory!!)
Spanish-style bullfighting is called "corrida de toros" -literally "race of bulls". In a traditional corrida, three matadores("killers"), each fight two bulls and each goes twice to total six bulls. Each matador has six assistants — two picadores ("lancers") mounted on horseback, three banderilleros ("flagmen") - who known as toreros ("bullfighters")
Each fight is highly ritualized, with three distinct stages, the start of each is announced by a trumpet sound. The toreros enter the ring in a parade, called the paseíllo, accompanied by band music (all looking cute in their sparkly and colorful outfits, funny hats and black flats).
The bull enters the ring. This is the first stage, the tercio de varas("the lancing third"), and the matador first confronts the bull with the capote(cape), observing the behaviour of the bull while performing a tanda ("series of passes") to impress the crowd.
Next, a picador enters the arena on horseback armed with a vara ("lance"). To protect the horse from the bull's horns, the horse is surrounded by a peto — a protective mattress-like covering. At this point, the picador stabs just behind the neck, weakening the neck muscles. If the picador is successful, the bull will hold its head and horns lower during the following stages of the fight. This makes the bull's charges less dangerous, enabling the matador to perform.
In the next stage, the tercio de banderillas ("the third of flags"), the three banderilleros each attempt to plant two banderillas, sticks into the bull's shoulders.
In the final stage, the tercio de muerte ("the third of death"), the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape, and a sword. The matador uses his cape to attract the bull in a series of passes which serve the dual purpose of wearing the animal down for kill and producing a beautiful display(Bulls are actually colorblind so they are not phased by the "red" of the cape! it's actually the movements). The stage ends with a final series of passes in which the matador with a muleta attempts to maneuver the bull into a position to stab it between the shoulder blades and through the heart.
If the matador did well, the crowd petitions the president to award the matador an ear of the bull by waving white handkerchiefs (we saw this happen twice!). If his performance was exceptional, he is award two, and sometimes a tail. After the performance the matador takes a "victory lap." During this lap, when the crowd often threw articles of clothing (handkercheifs, jackets) at the Matador to show their admiration.
It was tough to watch the first round even though I knew what to expect. The rounds after that I could watch a little better. I am glad that I went to the bullfight. It was definitely a cultural experience! Would I do it again? hmmm.....
(warning this might be a little gory!!)
Spanish-style bullfighting is called "corrida de toros" -literally "race of bulls". In a traditional corrida, three matadores("killers"), each fight two bulls and each goes twice to total six bulls. Each matador has six assistants — two picadores ("lancers") mounted on horseback, three banderilleros ("flagmen") - who known as toreros ("bullfighters")
Each fight is highly ritualized, with three distinct stages, the start of each is announced by a trumpet sound. The toreros enter the ring in a parade, called the paseíllo, accompanied by band music (all looking cute in their sparkly and colorful outfits, funny hats and black flats).
The bull enters the ring. This is the first stage, the tercio de varas("the lancing third"), and the matador first confronts the bull with the capote(cape), observing the behaviour of the bull while performing a tanda ("series of passes") to impress the crowd.
Next, a picador enters the arena on horseback armed with a vara ("lance"). To protect the horse from the bull's horns, the horse is surrounded by a peto — a protective mattress-like covering. At this point, the picador stabs just behind the neck, weakening the neck muscles. If the picador is successful, the bull will hold its head and horns lower during the following stages of the fight. This makes the bull's charges less dangerous, enabling the matador to perform.
In the next stage, the tercio de banderillas ("the third of flags"), the three banderilleros each attempt to plant two banderillas, sticks into the bull's shoulders.
In the final stage, the tercio de muerte ("the third of death"), the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape, and a sword. The matador uses his cape to attract the bull in a series of passes which serve the dual purpose of wearing the animal down for kill and producing a beautiful display(Bulls are actually colorblind so they are not phased by the "red" of the cape! it's actually the movements). The stage ends with a final series of passes in which the matador with a muleta attempts to maneuver the bull into a position to stab it between the shoulder blades and through the heart.
If the matador did well, the crowd petitions the president to award the matador an ear of the bull by waving white handkerchiefs (we saw this happen twice!). If his performance was exceptional, he is award two, and sometimes a tail. After the performance the matador takes a "victory lap." During this lap, when the crowd often threw articles of clothing (handkercheifs, jackets) at the Matador to show their admiration.
It was tough to watch the first round even though I knew what to expect. The rounds after that I could watch a little better. I am glad that I went to the bullfight. It was definitely a cultural experience! Would I do it again? hmmm.....
More Canary Island Pictures..
"" nudey beach in Maspalomas!
^^ "Siam Park" water park
^^Gorgeous view in Los GigantesCanary Islands!
Sorry this is taking me forever to update on my Semana Santa/ Spring Break II! Things have been a little loco in Sevilla!
Anyways, back to the Canary Islands!
After spending a quick two nights in London we were off to the Canary Islands. Talk about opposite extremes! The Canary Islands are off the coast of Africa/Morocco but still part of Spain. They are actually the southernmost part of Spain and played a big role in Christopher Columbus’ explorations to the new world. Unfortunately, this trip we were not there to seek out to much history, mostly sun and some great sites!
The first four nights of the trip we stayed on the southwest side of Tenerife. It was absolutely gorgeous! We were really lucky this trip and happened to land a condo with a great pool facility right on the beach. Well I guess not the beach; there are more cliffs in Tenerife than beach, so more like cliffs with a gorgeous view. We had a kitchen for the first time in four months and we were super excited to get to the grocery store and cook what we were in the mood for.
The first night in Tenerife we were exhausted from flying so we mostly spent it hanging out in the condo and grabbing a quick bite to eat. The condo that we were staying in had the Disney Channel in English! We didn’t even care what was on we were just so excited to watch something in English!
The following day we spent lying by the pool. It was great and the weather was hot, hot, hot. After a late lunch we decided to go out and explore a little bit of the area we were in. Right down the street was a town called Los Gigantes. This town is named after Los Gigantes Cliffs that are located there. It was gorgeous! We walked up and down the streets for a while and got some great views of the cliffs. Due to the large amounts of rain that southern Spain has had over the past few months the beach near the cliffs had been washed out and was closed off for the time being. This was a bummer because it offers one of the best views of the cliffs. We did get some great views by wandering through the streets however. When it was nearing sunset we found a great little spot to grab a pina colada and enjoy the beautiful sunset over the water. After this we were off to find a great place to eat. Of course we opted for Mexican!
Thursday was a day that I had been looking forward to for a while. I had done plenty of research on the island before visiting and found out that they have a GREAT new water park for a GREAT price, “Siam Park”. The plans for Thursday were to head to the water park. We had so much fun here and saw some interesting people. The rides were great. One of my favorites was a nearly straight down slide that takes you through a shark tank! I was so proud of myself for doing this. We noticed that it must be a little freaky because there were not many people in line and the only ones that were in line were men. We looked a little out of place I guess! They also had a huge lazy river that went through a tunnel in the shark tank. This was probably the prettiest water park that I have been to. It was located right near the beach and you could see the ocean right off the edge of the park. The natural areas were gorgeous and they did a great job not making it look cheap. Everything was over the top and matched perfect for the Canary Islands. After a long day at the water park we headed home to cook in our little kitchen J
Friday was our day to explore the beach. We spent the first part of the day near the pool because we did not want to get to hot sitting on the beach. Later in the afternoon after lunch we headed to a beach near our hotel. It was tiny because most of the coastline of the Island is cliffs. And there were a ton of people! We also had our first experience with a European/topless beach. This was interesting….sorry I don’t have many pictures!-we were not too sure of the etiquette? Anyways..the beach was so HOT! The sand on the beach is black due to the volcanic ash/rock on the island. This definitely intensified the beach. It was probably over 100 degrees. I am so glad we had not gone to the beach earlier because I am sure it was much hotter. There is actually a rule at the beach that requires you to wear “sand shoes”/sandals so that you do not burn your feet. While at this beach we saw a lot of interesting people as well as a shark spotting! What a day. After a few hours of heat on the beach we headed back to the condo to re coop. This was our last evening in Tenerife so we decided to make our way back to Los Gigantes since it was our favorite area. We had a nice meal here and then went back to our hotel to pack for the next island.
Saturday we were island hopping to Grand Canary! We had to catch a ferry early Saturday morning in North Tenerife so that required us to wake up extra early and get to North Tenerife. There we caught a speed ferry to Las Palmas, Grand Canary. The ferry ride was about an hour long. For someone who enjoys boats and cruises, I was not a fan! The water between the two islands was very choppy and there were strong winds, those combined did not make for a very smooth ride. We made it there safely after an hour and I was so ready to get off that boat!
Once in Grand Canary we had to make our way from Las Palmas (north) to Maspalomas (south). It took us about an hour to get there by bus. I was so proud of us for making it! We checked into our hotel in Maspalomas and were headed to get something to eat. First thing we spotted was a McDonalds sign. I know, I know! So bad! But sometimes McDonalds is so homey and good. We followed the signs for over 2km to the McDonalds…maybe that is a little embarrassing. But on the way we got a great tour of the area! There are more beaches in Grand Canary than in Tenerife. We have decided that both of the Islands are very different. The parts of Grand Canary that we were in seemed way more touristy than Tenerife. And…..Maspalomas reminded us a little bit of Myrtle Beach. We really had a great time there though. After eating lunch we went back to our hotel and took a siesta because we had woken up bright and early. A while later and it was time to eat dinner. One night thing about Maspalomas was that it had a great boardwalk. The boardwalk hugged the beach for a few miles. This was nice because our hotel was right there and we had plenty of options for places to eat and little shops.
Sunday was a beach day! Maspalomas has huge sand dunes that are apparently made from Sand from the Sahara desert. They are right along the beach and were a lot of fun. We found a great little spot on the sand dunes to lie out and enjoy the weather. Little did we know this little area that we thought was so nice and secluded was part of a nude beach…OOPS! We noticed this shortly into the time that we were relaxing on the dunes and quickly relocated! That night was our flight back to Sevilla. I kick myself to this day for booking a redeye…This was my first and last red eye! We left Las Palmas, Grand Canary at 3am and arrived back in Sevilla around 5:45am. Not my cup of tea! After arriving home the first thing I did was go right to bed!
One funny thing about the Canary Islands is the people. We learned that there are WAY more Non-Spanish European tourists than Spanish. I felt more foreign in the Canary Islands than I have ever felt in Sevilla. When we checked into our hotel in Tenerife the first thing that the man said was “English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish?” Notice that Spanish is last. It was that way everywhere else also. Whenever we went to a restaurant the menu was always in German, English, Dutch, French and then Spanish. There were all sorts of different restaurants in the Canaries as well- Mexican, Thai, Italian, German, Swiss, etc. I think I heard more German that week than I have heard in my entire life.
We loved the Canary Islands! I can see where I would never return there again due to the location but I am so glad that I made it part of my trip. Tenerife was my favorite place. It was absolutely beautiful and entirely surreal.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
London!
^^off to Hogwarts!
^^Caroline, Kaleigh and I in a London phonebooth
^^Big Ben and the London Eye
^^Buckingham Palace-so pretty!
^^Tower BridgeWe have two spring breaks here in Spain. Our first break is over Easter / Semana Santa. Semana Santa is actually a big celebration in Spain with processionals and all. Unfortunately since it is the same time as one of our breaks we did not get to see much of it because it was prime trip time!
For the first part of Semana Santa, Caroline, Kaleigh and I went to London! This was my first time to London and I would love to go back. It was a quick trip but we definitely accomplished a lot. We arrived in London late Sunday night and were Leaving on Tuesday morning. That basically left Monday to explore, explore, explore. We stayed with a friend of Caroline’s just outside of London in Hatfield. Joanna was so generous sharing her room with us for two nights and touring us though London.
Monday morning we went into London early because we had a lot to do. The first thing on our list of places to see was the Tower of London. We had purchased tickets in advanced and managed to avoid lines. We spent some time touring through here. It was really neat! We saw the torture chambers and the crown jewels among several other things. There were even some rooms that had reenactments going on. My favorite part was definitely the crown jewels! All morning at Tower of London it did not rain! We were very lucky because most of this is outdoors. Just at the end of our tour it began to rain. I was kind of expecting it out of London so it didn’t bother me too much.
After tower of London we grabbed a quick lunch on a popular street in London. I had to get out of that area quick or I would find myself stuck in stores! We hopped on the tube/underground (what they call the metro) and made our way to see Buckingham Palace. So cool! It was definitely everything I had expected. The flowers were starting to bloom in the park out front so it was very pretty.
After our quick peek at Buckingham Palace we took the tube again to see Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, the river and the London Eye. Right when we came up from the tube Big Ben was right there! I didn’t realize before that all of these sites are basically right next to each other. One side of the river was the London Eye; the other side was Big Ben and Parliament and then across the street was Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately due to time we didn’t get the opportunity to explore these places beyond the outside but I managed to get a few pictures!
After walking around in this part of town for a while we made our way back to the train station to head out to Hatfield (30 minute train ride). The train station where we went to Hatfield happened to be the same train station that takes you to Hogwarts! Sure enough, they have their very own Platform 9 ¾. When we made it back into Hatfield it was time to eat dinner. It was so nice to be able to order in English and look at an English menu. Everything just seemed so much easier and it was definitely a little break for the brain! By the end of the day I was exhausted and ready to get to the hot sunny weather in the Canary Islands.
For the first part of Semana Santa, Caroline, Kaleigh and I went to London! This was my first time to London and I would love to go back. It was a quick trip but we definitely accomplished a lot. We arrived in London late Sunday night and were Leaving on Tuesday morning. That basically left Monday to explore, explore, explore. We stayed with a friend of Caroline’s just outside of London in Hatfield. Joanna was so generous sharing her room with us for two nights and touring us though London.
Monday morning we went into London early because we had a lot to do. The first thing on our list of places to see was the Tower of London. We had purchased tickets in advanced and managed to avoid lines. We spent some time touring through here. It was really neat! We saw the torture chambers and the crown jewels among several other things. There were even some rooms that had reenactments going on. My favorite part was definitely the crown jewels! All morning at Tower of London it did not rain! We were very lucky because most of this is outdoors. Just at the end of our tour it began to rain. I was kind of expecting it out of London so it didn’t bother me too much.
After tower of London we grabbed a quick lunch on a popular street in London. I had to get out of that area quick or I would find myself stuck in stores! We hopped on the tube/underground (what they call the metro) and made our way to see Buckingham Palace. So cool! It was definitely everything I had expected. The flowers were starting to bloom in the park out front so it was very pretty.
After our quick peek at Buckingham Palace we took the tube again to see Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, the river and the London Eye. Right when we came up from the tube Big Ben was right there! I didn’t realize before that all of these sites are basically right next to each other. One side of the river was the London Eye; the other side was Big Ben and Parliament and then across the street was Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately due to time we didn’t get the opportunity to explore these places beyond the outside but I managed to get a few pictures!
After walking around in this part of town for a while we made our way back to the train station to head out to Hatfield (30 minute train ride). The train station where we went to Hatfield happened to be the same train station that takes you to Hogwarts! Sure enough, they have their very own Platform 9 ¾. When we made it back into Hatfield it was time to eat dinner. It was so nice to be able to order in English and look at an English menu. Everything just seemed so much easier and it was definitely a little break for the brain! By the end of the day I was exhausted and ready to get to the hot sunny weather in the Canary Islands.
Karla comes to Sevilla!
Karla’s Visit!
One of my best girlfriends from home, Karla, came to visit me the first part of Semana Santa! Karla is studying abroad in Rome and spent her spring break travelling though Spain. She made it a point that she spent a chunk of time in Sevilla!
Karla arrived in Sevilla Wednesday evening. We met up at her hostel and heading into el centro to get a quick taste of Sevilla. They were starting to set up downtown for Semana Santa and there were people everywhere! We just kind of walked around and had a quick tour of the area and saw the river. That night Caroline and I were having our birthday dinner with our Spanish family so Karla and I split ways for the evening. After dinner we met up at a local favorite for a drink and to give Karla the opportunity to see our friend Sean as well. It was great to have a little high school reunion in Spain!
Thursday Karla and her friend Emily went on a day trip to Granada and then Friday, Karla, Emily, Caroline and I all had plans to go to Cadiz. Cadiz is a beach about an hour and a half from Sevilla. We left late morning and made it to Cadiz around 11am by Bus. Once there we grabbed a quick lunch and headed for the beach! I really didn’t know what to expect of the beach in Cadiz. To be honest it kind of just reminded me of a beach at home, nothing to fancy! It was definitely nice to relax in the sun for a little while though. The weather has been great these past few weeks, 80s and up! After a long day on the beach we grabbed some drinks and nachos at a little Mexican joint on the beach and watched the sunset. From here we ran—literally—to our bus and made it just in time to head back to Sevilla.
Friday night we went out with the group of friends and showed Karla and Emily a little bit of Sevilla night life. I think they had fun! Saturday was our day to tour Sevilla a little more. We met up around lunch time and ate outdoors at a little café. After this we headed to Alcazar to tour and see the gardens. This time of year it is absolutely stunning. The gardens are in bloom and the sun is shining! When we were touring Alcazar we passed at least 7 or 8 brides taking wedding pictures, so pretty! After walking around there for a little while we headed to Plaza de Espana. From Plaza de Espana we made our way back toward our homestay. Karla was so excited to meet Paqui and see where we live (our friend Emilee had the same senora last spring!). It was so great to be able to share all this with Karla. She has heard several stories about Sevilla and Paqui from Emilee and me over the past year. In addition, she speaks Spanish so I didn’t have to interpret the entire time! We hung out at the house for a little bit and Karla chatted it up with Paqui. Paqui even showed Karla her flamenco dress and all her accessories. Later that night we took Karla and Emily to flamenco at La Carboneria, it was packed!
Sunday was Palm Sunday. I got up bright and early and met Karla and Emily at the Cathedral for mass. It was beautiful! In addition to the mass all the families were all dressed up and looking so cute. After mass we went to a starbucks (yes I know so nontraditional! But Karla doesn’t have starbucks in Italy so it was a treat!) and grabbed coffee and a muffin to people watch. Sunday was the first day of the important Semana Santa processions in Sevilla. The entire city was in the process of being set up. There were people flooding into el centro and chairs set up everyone. It was a perfect day to people watch!
After a few hours of chatting and people watching we went our separate ways. It was time for Karla and Emily to head back to Rome and me to get back to the house and pack for spring break round 1! Unfortunately I am unable to visit Karla in Rome L, but we will be meeting up in Venice after our programs to head to Greece with our families! Cant wait!
One of my best girlfriends from home, Karla, came to visit me the first part of Semana Santa! Karla is studying abroad in Rome and spent her spring break travelling though Spain. She made it a point that she spent a chunk of time in Sevilla!
Karla arrived in Sevilla Wednesday evening. We met up at her hostel and heading into el centro to get a quick taste of Sevilla. They were starting to set up downtown for Semana Santa and there were people everywhere! We just kind of walked around and had a quick tour of the area and saw the river. That night Caroline and I were having our birthday dinner with our Spanish family so Karla and I split ways for the evening. After dinner we met up at a local favorite for a drink and to give Karla the opportunity to see our friend Sean as well. It was great to have a little high school reunion in Spain!
Thursday Karla and her friend Emily went on a day trip to Granada and then Friday, Karla, Emily, Caroline and I all had plans to go to Cadiz. Cadiz is a beach about an hour and a half from Sevilla. We left late morning and made it to Cadiz around 11am by Bus. Once there we grabbed a quick lunch and headed for the beach! I really didn’t know what to expect of the beach in Cadiz. To be honest it kind of just reminded me of a beach at home, nothing to fancy! It was definitely nice to relax in the sun for a little while though. The weather has been great these past few weeks, 80s and up! After a long day on the beach we grabbed some drinks and nachos at a little Mexican joint on the beach and watched the sunset. From here we ran—literally—to our bus and made it just in time to head back to Sevilla.
Friday night we went out with the group of friends and showed Karla and Emily a little bit of Sevilla night life. I think they had fun! Saturday was our day to tour Sevilla a little more. We met up around lunch time and ate outdoors at a little café. After this we headed to Alcazar to tour and see the gardens. This time of year it is absolutely stunning. The gardens are in bloom and the sun is shining! When we were touring Alcazar we passed at least 7 or 8 brides taking wedding pictures, so pretty! After walking around there for a little while we headed to Plaza de Espana. From Plaza de Espana we made our way back toward our homestay. Karla was so excited to meet Paqui and see where we live (our friend Emilee had the same senora last spring!). It was so great to be able to share all this with Karla. She has heard several stories about Sevilla and Paqui from Emilee and me over the past year. In addition, she speaks Spanish so I didn’t have to interpret the entire time! We hung out at the house for a little bit and Karla chatted it up with Paqui. Paqui even showed Karla her flamenco dress and all her accessories. Later that night we took Karla and Emily to flamenco at La Carboneria, it was packed!
Sunday was Palm Sunday. I got up bright and early and met Karla and Emily at the Cathedral for mass. It was beautiful! In addition to the mass all the families were all dressed up and looking so cute. After mass we went to a starbucks (yes I know so nontraditional! But Karla doesn’t have starbucks in Italy so it was a treat!) and grabbed coffee and a muffin to people watch. Sunday was the first day of the important Semana Santa processions in Sevilla. The entire city was in the process of being set up. There were people flooding into el centro and chairs set up everyone. It was a perfect day to people watch!
After a few hours of chatting and people watching we went our separate ways. It was time for Karla and Emily to head back to Rome and me to get back to the house and pack for spring break round 1! Unfortunately I am unable to visit Karla in Rome L, but we will be meeting up in Venice after our programs to head to Greece with our families! Cant wait!
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