Spain

Pamplona, Spain. Crazy as it sounds in this day of hyper-sensitivity toward all things, bullfighting still exists in Spain. This bullfight was part of the festivities associated with the week-long Festival de San Fermin, which includes the famous Running of the Bulls. The bulls run through the streets of Pamplona every morning, then "fight" in the late afternoon. It's becoming a more controversial event each year, with animal-rights protesters showing up in ever-larger numbers. Supporters claim that bullfighting represents tradition; detractors claim animal cruelty. I'd never been to a bullfight before and this seemed like the right place to see one. My take on it? It's plenty gory and not at all a fair contest for the bull. If it was a one-on-one matchup between matador and bull that would be one thing, but the poor animal has to go through phases of torment to weaken him before the matador will even start the final torment of finishing him off. The bandillera sticking out of this bull's shoulder is part of this process. When I mentioned the idea of just a one-on-one matchup several different aficionados said the same thing: you'd have to be crazy to step into the ring with an uninjured bull- he'd tear the matador apart. Exactly. In other words, it would be a fair fight. All in all, it was every bit the spectacle I had expected, but I don't think I need to see another one.

Pamplona, Spain. A few non-gory photos from one of the bullfights in Pamplona in 2018:

Top: There's plenty of elaborate ceremony to go along with the fight, it's all part of the show. Here is the introduction of the cast of characters that will fight the bulls. There are 6 bulls fought each night; each matador gets 2.

Middle: From my gringo perspective it seemed like the only way a bull could possibly get out of this ring alive was if he just refused to fight. This one is playing it smart - for now.

Bottom: Every once in a while the bull gets in some licks. When that happens the matador gets one of the most severe hecklings in all of sports.

Pamplona, Spain. My impression was that very few of the estimated million or so participants in the festival really know or care much about the fine art of bullfighting; it's the party that they're here for. And there's plenty of party to go around, 24 hours a day. In fact many/most of the crowd running with the bulls at 8:00 am have been up drinking all night, and step out into the streets in a state of inebriation to run with these crazy animals. I did the run 2 days in a row and both times I was sober, if a little hung over and sleep-deprived. The impression I'll always have is how fast these bulls are, and how big. I'm a pretty good runner, especially when being chased by bulls. But they passed me like I was running backwards!

So as for the "Running of the Bulls" (or as the bulls call it, "The Trampling of the Drunks"), this was originally the way to get the bulls from a corral on the edge of town into the bullfighting ring about 1/2 mile away. At some point a few brave (more likely drunk) souls jumped out in the streets and ran ahead of them in a show of machismo, and a new tradition was born. Ernest Hemingway witnessed this on a visit here once, wrote about it, and the rest is history. Now it's a major event and a huge $$$-maker for Spain. I actually think the bulls enjoy this part; at the very least it's their last chance to get revenge on their human captors. Once the bulls are in the ring they are allowed to run through the accumulated crowds to cause all the mayhem they want. I saw far more people getting mauled on the floor of the ring than on the city streets during the Run.

Two events happen in the bullfighting ring each day : the Running of the Bulls terminates here in the morning, and the bulls that ran that morning are fought here later that evening. Here are pics from both events:

Top: It's been a long time since I've been as drunk as these guys at this hour of the morning. Groups of all-night partiers run with the bulls, then play "dodge-bull" on the stadium floor for about an hour until workers finally pack all the bulls away until the evening. And no worries- the red on these chaps' clothes is sangria, not blood. They love to throw sangria here for some reason.

Middle: For added fun, some of the larger groups get together and pick a theme to follow. In this case it's the Flintstones. Afterwards I asked one of the many Fred's "why the Flintstones"? And he had no idea. "Why not?"

Bottom: Some beauty among the beasts.

The Running of the Bulls. The "official" uniform for this event is the traditional Spanish peasant outfit: all white top and bottom, with red scarf and sash. For anybody under 30 the whole outfit's usually stained a nice sangria color after the first night.

Before & after...

Left: Shaking off last night's indulgences. No need for coffee - seeing a bunch of bulls bearing down on you in a narrow street will wake you up quicker than anything on earth!

Top, Bottom. The main activities for the week are: endless milling around, street parties, roving mariachi bands, bar-hopping, cafe-dining, you name it. And if all that's not enough action for you, World Cup soccer was going on too!

Barcelona, Spain. In case you ever come here, it's pronounced "Bar-theh-LOW-nah". I'm not sure where the "th" comes from, probably a Catalonian thing, cuz it's not regulation Spanish. Anyway, this is a great place to start or end a trip. In fact, there's so much to do that we started AND ended the trip here. A major activity late in the pm is "hanging out". At the beach, in the many beautiful public plazas (as shown here), at sidewalk cafe's, or just strolling around on the Rambla- the main pedestrian walkway. Drinks and tapas are available everywhere - just cruise around from plaza to plaza and have your dinner on the go!

Barcelona, Spain. This is one of the most amazing and bizarre structures I've ever seen anywhere. It's Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) Basilica. As large as it is, it's far from finished; some say it may never be finished due to the massive size (and cost) of the completed structure. One thing's for sure- it's an incredible sight both inside and out and a must-see if you're here. Many of Gaudi's other works are on display throughout the city and if you're a fan of his work, Bar-theh-LOW-nah is the place for you!

Toledo, Spain. I often get "church-fatigue" on these European trips - there are just too many grand old churches to take in, and they all start to look alike after a while. But here in Spain they kick it up a notch. This is the Grand Cathedral of Toledo, one of the grandest in all of Europe. And no wonder cuz it's lined with with tons (literally) of gold taken from the New World by the conquistadors.

Hey, a shoutout to all the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs: I found all your stuff - come and get it, it's rightfully yours!

Granada, Spain. The incomparable Alhambra. Once a fort, then a palace, now a museum & major tourist attraction. A must-see when in Granada; take a full day and explore the grounds. Photo was taken at sunset from a nearby wine & tapas bar.

Granada, Spain. Some of the interior areas of the Alhambra. It's more than 500 years old and much of it looks brand new.

Peniscola, Spain. Depending on what your tastes in beaches are, this crowded stretch of coast could be heaven...or the other place. I'm sure it used to have great natural beauty, but in modern times developers have smothered the landscape with condominiums as far as the eye can see. It's Spain's version of South Florida or Southern California. So, on the negative side we have large crowds, high prices, and lots of guys in weenie suits. On the plus side we have topless beaches. The positives win!