Corrida de toros – is this the end for bullfighting in Spain?

Catalonia is the first region in mainland Spain to ban bullfighting – a highly controversial issue. One argument is that not only is bullfighting part of Spanish tradition, but it is also an industry that directly employs around 40,000 people. This is important at a time where Spain is suffering greatly as a result of the economic crisis. The other argument actually considers the rights of the animal as well as the morality of such a practice.

But Catalonia is not the only region in Spain to ban this blood-sport. In 1991, the Canary Islands banned all spectacles that include cruelty to animals. And bullfighting definitely fits into that category. Not only do they kill the bull, but they also taunt it beforehand.

A lot of non-Spanish tourists are against bullfighting (like me), but still participate in it – I almost did. I am talking about the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Even looking online, it doesn’t mention that the bulls are killed. I have read a lot of articles over the last few years about how they are putting anti-slip surfaces on the sharp corners so that the bulls don’t slip. But why bother? – they just kill them at the end anyway. The whole ‘festival’ taunts the bulls for hours and hours before they eventually herd them into a ring for the final showdown in front of a huge crowd.

At first I had wanted to go, but the more I spoke to people about it and the more I read, the more convinced I was that I would never participate in such a practice. While I understand that bullfighting is part of Spanish culture and history, I really think that these practices should be changed and adapted to better suit the changing values of society.

Such as this alternative (2008):

Holy Toledo!

Toledo is a picturesque old town only about 70km southwest of Madrid. Apparently it used was the capital of the Spanish Empire until the 1500′s when the Royal family moved to Madrid. Probably because they were sick of walking up and down hills in 45 degree heat.

The town has an interesting mix of architecture that reflects the cultural and religious history of central Spain. According to wikitravel (a very accurate source, I’m sure…), Toledo was occupied by the Romans in 192BC, followed by the Visigoths, Islamic rule and finally in 1085AD by the Spanish. This mixed history can be seen in the sheer variety of different religious buildings – mosques, cathedrals, churches. synagogues and convents – all nestled in between gorgeous old townhouses that tumble on top of each other. The streets are cobbled, narrow and impossible for you to navigate without getting completely lost. But then again, that is the whole point of going to a town like this.

Puerta de Bisagra

The Cathedral- Toledo

The Cathedral- Toledo

I didn’t have enough time, money or stamina to go inside every single one of the scores of religious buildings in Toledo, so I chose to go to the San Juan de los Reyes monastery. It really is beautiful. The monastery was built in the 15th century and is a mixture of Gothic and Mudijar architecture. It also has chains and handcuffs on one side of the building. No idea why…

Getting there: From Madrid you have two options – the train or the bus. The train doesn’t drop you in the centre of town so you then have to get a bus. It is also more expensive than a bus. The bus is much better. They leave Plaza Elipica (on the Metro line) every half an hour or so on the direct Madrid-Toledo Alsa bus. You can pre-book a ticket, or just show up – once you get off the metro there are signs telling you where to buy the tickets. A return trip is only 8,53 euros and takes only 45 minutes. Or an hour or so with traffic. The trip isn’t the most beautiful, but its quick, cheap and drops you at the bottom of the hill below Toledo.

Whilst you are there: The main thing to do in Toledo is wander around aimlessly. If you try to follow a map you will fail – and I’m not only saying that because I am terrible with directions and can’t map read. The nicest things about a town like Toledo are the tiny, twisted little roads that lead you throughout the city past the ‘sights’ and into the everyday life of the place. You pass little old ladies stopping to chat in the streets, men drinking at bars, children playing in the road and tourists pouring over their maps attempting to make head or tail of where they are.

Food: Now what would a blog written by me truly be without a mention of food? Well, the dish to eat in Toledo is “pisto” – it’s a bit like ratatouille but has a Spanish twist. Pisto is made up of tomatoes, onion, eggplant, courgettes, red and green capsicum and olive oil and is usually served with either bread or a fried egg. I had mine with bread and it was delicious.

Cost: Getting there is super cheap if you take the bus and once you are there you need not spend much. You can usually get a menu del dia for about 10 euros which includes a first course, second course, drink, dessert and bread. If you go in summer, you will also need to buy bottles of water and a few ice creams. Entrance into the museums, cathedrals, etc. can get a bit pricey, but there are only so many of those that you will want to go to for a day. The most expensive by far is the Cathedral which costs a whopping 7 euros to get in!! If you do a little research before hand there are some days and times that entry is free (for a few of these buildings) for Spanish citizens or for EU citizens – Often Wednesday afternoons.

Note: For some reason I’m having real trouble uploading photos – will try to upload more at a later date. Also thank you to Julia for providing the title for this entry.

Solar powered travel – the way of the future?

I just read an article about a solar powered plane that has flown continuously for 7 days. Impressive eh? It was unmanned, but I can’t help but think that this could be opening a whole new window for people to travel in a more environmentally friendly way.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10664362

According to www.terrapass.com, my flight from Bangkok to London emitted 2,306 lbs of CO2. Quite a lot you say. Yes, it is. But if you compare it will other forms of travel it isn’t so bad. At least not as bad as I thought it was. Carpooling the same distance (one other passenger) would result in the same emission levels, driving alone emits 4,613 lbs whereas taking the train – and this one surprised me – has the exact same carbon emissions as flying.

I enjoy traveling overland – not only is it more environmentally friendly but you get to meet more people and see so much more of a country. You also get to learn more about a culture because you are living and breathing their everyday life. Although in some cases you get more than you bargained for as was the case for my Burmese bus adventure. Another aspect of that ride that I failed to mention was the drug crazed loony sitting two seats away from me with two small kids and a lady. They kept getting in fights that actually became physical. That was when he wasn’t spitting on the floor or windows or putting his feet on the head of the guy in front of him.

Apart from that, I really love buses. I have an overland trip planned that will get me from Madrid to China. The Europe section of this adventure will involve buses. Carbon emissions from bus travel isn’t on the website, however I assume that it is definitely one of the most eco-friendly ways to travel – like carpooling but on a much larger scale. Then the train trip, which is I now know will not be helping the environment as much as I thought – but hey, it’s the Trans-Siberian!

Anyway, back to my original point – it would be awesome to have solar-powered planes and I really hope that they find a way to turn them into a viable travel option. But I still think I would rather take the bus.

“Do. Or do not. There is no try”

I recently read this great post by a fellow blogger and it got me wondering if this is what I do. Do I do things or just try to? At the moment it definately is the case. People keep asking me how my Spanish is going and I reply (in English) that I’m trying.

Well I need to take advice from the great Yoda and just do it. So what if I make mistakes or people laugh at me, if I want to learn then I have to just do it. I also have to stop just doing my grammar homework and start speaking to people. Something so simple, yet so difficult. I wanted to move to Spain so I did it. Why should speaking the language be any different? Particularly when I have Spanish friends, flatmates and coworkers!

Also, I can’t believe I’m quoting Star Wars – what a nerd!

3 Days off: The grand ideas and the reality

Three days off to spend gallivanting around Morocco. Well that was my plan. But seeing as I didn’t know I had these days off until they had already started, my grand idea was already off to a bad start.

I didn’t help matters by going out after work (I finished at 3.30am) and having one too many drinks with my boss and coworkers. When I eventually stumbled home at 6.. ok, 7am I was not in a fit state to look up flights.

After a fitful sleep, I woke up and tried to plan a trip. Alas, the moons were not in alignment and the cheapest flight I could find was 100 euros return. And not to Morocco.

So I went to plan B. Sunday – recovery. Monday – Spanish class and then a day trip to Segovia. Tuesday – class and then a day trip to Toledo. Plan B has also been pushed to the back-burner as I couldn’t sleep last night and now am too tired to do anything.

So now we move onto Plan C. I have just got back from class, made myself the most delicious sandwich (so good I should really go on Masterchef) and am about to start my Spanish homework. I am also going to attempt to read a chapter of a children’s book in Spanish. I fear I may be here all day. However, I am also going to have a picnic (as I just ate my sandwich I will have to make another feast) by the river near my house. Tomorrow I will be going to Toledo, so fear not faithful readers, you will soon have something interesting to read about. Although I’m not sure anything can be more exciting than my sandwich.

For those of you who wish to see in advance where I will be adventuring to tomorrow just have a look here.

World Cup Madness: The World Cup experience of a Madrid bartender

The World Cup final in Madrid. Could life really get any better? Well yes, I could have not been working and been partying instead, but – I was there!

The atmosphere at work was AMAZING – when Spain scored that goal I felt as though I was an honourary Spaniard. I have never seen people so happy or excited and the atmosphere really drags you along with it so that you can’t help but feel pride swell in your chest. I also may have jumped around a little. And hugged random Spanish people. But hey, everyone was doing that! Spain won!!

Now that I have overcome my computer/phone incompetency (actually I enlisted the help of my genius flatmate, Pilar- thank you!!), I can dazzle you with photos from work during the final game and photos taken on the long walk home in the wee hours of the morning. But more on that later as that is a story in itself. Also, yes, I know that the photos are very dark but 1. it was dark in the pub 2. I took the photos on my phone so the quality is bad 3. stop complaining, at least I finally put the photos online.

Wooo... World Cup Final!

Ole, ole, ole!

Work was craaaazy. If you saw any footage of Madrid during the match then you would probably have seen the crowds watching it on the big screen at Plaza de la Cibeles. This is where all the celebrations happen in Madrid – both organized (like the gay pride parade down that street a few weeks ago) and the informal celebrations that happen after football victories, etc. This also happens to be right near my work. The crowds were unbelievable. Every single person was wearing red and yelling and chanting at the top of their lungs. I could not think of anywhere I would have rather been. The vibe of the city was beyond description. I also took videos, but unfortunately I don’t know how to upload them – they are the wrong format but… urrrgh computers!

So after we cleaned the pub (not an easy task I can assure you), I had to walk home. I was initially planning on partying all night however a number of factors stopped me. Firstly, I was exhausted, it was about 4am and I had to work in the morning. Secondly, everyone was drunk. And I was not. And they weren’t just slightly tipsy. Everyone was completely wasted and passed out everywhere. The streets were a mess with broken glass and rubbish in massive piles. Where they hadn’t swept it all into a pile it covered the streets like a thick shag carpet. Thirdly, I didn’t fancy partying in a toilet, which is pretty much what the whole city had become. People were peeing everywhere and no matter where I looked I saw a lot more than I wanted to. And the smell. It was so bad. The whole city smelt like I had just walked into a club in Kings Cross at 8am on Sunday morning. Finally, the cops were a little crazy. They were going on a bashing rampage and I was actually scared of them. I was more scared walking home that night than I ever was during the protests in Bangkok.

4am on Calle de Alcala

Just a sample of the rubbish

The police were actually insane. In the plaza where the big screen was I saw a female cop arguing and pushing a girl – no idea what they were yelling at each other, but it didn’t seem to be very friendly. But the worst was walking through Puerta del Sol. At first it seemed pretty cool with everyone cheering and a few people dancing in the fountain.

Sol: the perfect place for a picnic

Dancing in the fountain

That was all fun and games until the cops stormed the place. Like actually stormed it. About 6 or 7 cop vans screeched into the square with cops jumping out in full riot gear. They started chasing everyone – people were running and screaming all around me. A few people stopped to confront the police and they were all beaten with batons. One cop ran passed me and started hitting a guy in front of me. I couldn’t see any reason for acting like this. There were a few bottles thrown, but in general the crowd was peaceful. It certainly was peaceful before the cops arrived and went on their rampage. I would have taken more photos, but I didn’t want to get bashed.

Riot cops piling out of one van

A few of the cop vans storming Sol

Anyway, I eventually made it home where I attempted to sleep through the giant party that was happening in my building and on the street outside. On my way to work the next day I couldn’t see a scrap of rubbish anywhere – they had scrubbed and cleaned the city in only a few hours.

Cibeles the morning after victory

The Spanish team returned home the next day and the TV stations had live coverage of them landing and their progress throughout the city. The team met with the King, the Prime Minister and various other important Spanish figures. They then hopped on a special double-decker bus and toured the city. They drove through Cibeles and I was able to go outside to see them. The crowds were just as big as they were for the match.

If you squint, you can see the bus with the team on it...

Overall, the World Cup was fantastic and I couldn’t have chosen a better time to move to Spain. Viva Espana!

A painting of Paul at work. I love that octopus.

Madrid is heating up!

The temperature is rising in Madrid and tomorrow night, after Spanish victory in the World Cup, I think that they city will be ready to boil over.

It is so hot here. I am currently sitting by the window in the lounge desperately hoping that a faint breeze will cool me down even slightly. Last night it was so hot in my room that I literally roamed the house in a half-asleep stupor attempting to find somewhere that was slightly cooler than the sauna that is my bedroom. I restlessly tested everywhere in the house – lying on the floor in the hall, propping myself against a wall in the kitchen, before finally passing out on the sofa.

But Madrid is not known for its peace and tranquility, particularly after the sun has set, and particularly in the lead up to the finals. I eventually managed to block out the noise of the street by putting toilet paper in my ears and holding it in place with a strategically placed arm – a position so tricky that I’m sure it is used in the very hardest yoga classes. All that effort proved futile when the garbage men came to collect and sort the massive glass, rubbish and recycling bins outside my flat.

The combination of my failure to excel at the basic task of sleeping, the insane heat, the lack of fresh air and the constant noise has resulted in me turning into a half-awake zombie. Luckily this is when I function the best. Well. Maybe not the BEST, but I can still function.

My inability to sleep has allowed me to do many important tasks – such as watching quality films and TV shows (e.g. some of actual quality like The Office, and others a tad more dubious…. I actually watched What happens in Vegas), perfecting the David Brent dance, imagining that my room is the dance floor on Soi 2 and I’m dancing the night away while listening to Gaga… oh and ignoring my spanish homework and that spanish novel I bought and I swear I will one day open.

But all of this training has come in handy. I now try to only serve customers in spanish. Luckily for me, most people who come in are lovely and all try to help me. As I fumble through sentences they suppress a giggle and then clap and say “Bien, bien!!” after I manage to tell them how much the bill is. Well, I try to. They normally look at the bill anyway just to check what I said. There are 3 ladies that come for lunch every day and they are determined that I will learn spanish. The other day they made me read out the menu to them, including the long list of the fruit we had available today, only to order coffee like they do every day. I ran into them on the street after the semi finals and they greeted me like a long-lost friend, introduced me to their friends and then talked to me in spanish.

Surprisingly, I can actually understand a lot of what people say to me. The only problem is that I have absolutely no idea how to speak back to them. I only know a few verbs, one tense and have a rather limited vocab. If any customer strays from the script that I have developed in my head then I am stumped – for example, someone asked how much it was instead of for the bill. Why do they have to make it so complicated?? Why can’t they just follow the script?!

In addition to the customers, my poor coworkers have also become my spanish teachers. Lucky them!

Tonight I am off out to show off what I have been practicing. No! Not my spanish language skills. My dance skills. Yes, my David Brent dance moves will be a sure-fire hit at the club tonight. I’m sure I will very quickly make lots of new friends.