Bullfighting
Photo: A bloody spectacle.
While there’s no doubt that it’s a far cry from watching a Knicks game or cheering on Manchester United, that is precisely why you should head to a bullfight when you’re in Spain. Once you get past that whole cruelty-to-animals thing, you really have to look at bullfighting as the art that it is.
Aside from the fact that the bullring, known as La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, is amazing from an architectural point of view, an impressive red brick and ceramic tile múdejar-style structure exploding out of the ground in a residential neighborhood, it’s true that bullfighting is a rich culture in itself that is deeply embedded in Spain’s history.
From the funny little suits the bullfights wear to the men on horseback that initially weaken the bull, and from the bullfighter’s final dance with the bull when it’s on its last leg to die-hard Spanish bullfighting fans who fill the bleachers and wave their white handkerchiefs, this is a great opportunity to have an up-close encounter with a very unique and extraordinary (albeit somewhat barbaric) tradition. It’ll only be a matter of time before you’re jumping up and shouting “Olé!” with the best of them.
Why you should go
Because bullfighters are sexy, and it’s a good excuse to party like old-school Spaniards by smoking big fat cigars and throwing back whiskey.
Where
Las Ventas is located at they eponymous metro stop (Ventas, L2). You literally can’t miss it. Keep in mind that bullfights take place from March to October, inclusive, every Sunday at 7 pm, except during the San Isidro festival in May and June when there are fights every day. Tickets start at just a few euro, and you can buy them at the bullring or online (www.ticketstoros.com).
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