Flamenco and Bullfights!

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Hola from Barcelona!
...Yesterday Josh and i rolled in by night train to Barcelona and oh what an amazing city it is. We started off by checking out the Sagrada Familia and oh my goodness...that is one incredible basilica. It is a little different seeing a church that has been under contruction for so long and knowing that it isnt going to be finished for another 50 years at least! You get to see 2 completely different sides of the church - literally - as the back was finished before Gaudi died so it depicts the birth of Christ in a much more traditional way but the front of the church is all about the Passion scenes and it is very modern as it has been more of an interpretation of Gaudis ideas...it is really cool...After that we walked up to the Park Guell...more Gaudi...and both of us were amazed at the architectural designs that were in this guys head! Way ahead of his time! We did have to navigate around the HUNDREDS of tourists...no matter where we go i just can´t get over my frustration..."What are all these people doing here...look at all these silly people in the way...don´t they realize that i am trying to take a picture!!??...Jerks..."...There is no possible way that I am one of those tourists too...

Let me interlude with a small fashion critique...what is up with the older men wearing the tanned Tiley-style travel utility vests with the six pockets in the front, accompanying their knee high socks and shorts?! They look like they should be hiking through the Outback, not fighting the mobs of people on the Ramblas! Not to mention the LOADS of teenaged girls decked out in their Mini-mini-mini skirts...more the size of a neck-brace, their thick gold belts, neon leggings, and shirts that are far too tight and far too short...making out with their teenaged male counterparts on every sigle corner of the street...They are, however, most certainly eyeing me with my cotton tank top and comfortable walking shoes thinking to themselves, "Oh my God...she´s actually wearing black capris! What is she thinking?". Something sounded a little off when i caught myself saying to Josh "Can you really believe all these young people??!!"

...Anywho...after our Gaudi walking adventure, we decided to take a nice little break and get a couple coffees and share a pastry at a local Patisserie. We walked in and ordered and the guy told us to go out and have a seat outside and he would bring us our coffees...Josh said he would pay the guy but they insisted that we go and sit outside...so we did. He brought us our coffees and gave us the bill for 10 €! According to the sign inside it should have cost no more than 5€...we paid grudgingly but then after we discussed it, Josh went back inside and asked they guy what the hell was going on...the guy showed him a small paper copy of the menu...NOT the BIG sign with the prices we saw...and the paper said it was the prices for the Terrace! Josh and i argued with the guy, both of us raising our voices telling him that he ripped us off and the he just turned and looked at us and said ..."Oh, no ablo Ingles..."...HE WAS SPEAKING ENGLSH TO US 2 SECONDS AGO!!! We were so pissed off because it was a blatant rip off. And nothing we could do...whatever...lesson learned.

After that we took a little siesta at our hotel and then ventured out onto the Ramblas later to check out the local scene. What a cool place. There are dozens of people dressed up like ANYTHING and EVERYONE...so that when you drop money in their little hat on the street they start moving and doing a little diddy or whatever. There are little stands that sell little animals...like turkeys or parakeets or doves or turtles. Apparently, you are more likely to get robbed on the Ramblas that anywhere else in Europe! We strolled down to the Marina and checked out the massive yatchs that were all over...i´m talking at least 50 Million dollar yatchs that probably had over 50 square feet each. Josh casually said that one day we´ll have something like that...Ya, okay honey...one day.

In the past week and a bit, we have visited Faro in the south of Portugal, Sevilla, Madrid, Valencia and now Barcelona.

Faro was a nice little break from the traveling and sightseeing as we spent both days laying on the beach on the Atlantic Ocean - quite cold, by the way, but beautiful. It helped that the second day it was probably over 30 degrees...I LOVED it! Our bus ride to Sevilla was interesting as there was no air condidtion and the sun was beating through the side of the windows, in addition to the bus going around corners like he was in a race...after getting over the nausea and feeling like i was going to pass out from the heat, it was great.

Our visit to Sevilla was quick but worthwhile...we went to a Flamenco dance which was awesome...and checked out all of the beautiful buildings. We did, however, book a room through hostel world for both nights, but when we saw our room, we both looked at each other and were like..."Hmmm...okay..." and then at dinner, Josh suggested we try and find somewhere else as the shower looked like there was a 2 inch thick layer of mold on the bottom and it was in a VERY shady area. We did have to suck it up the first night...thoroughly enjoying how the church bells across the street rang right into our window every hour on the hour throughout the night. The next night we found a 2 star hotel for 15€ LESS than what the dump was charging.

After Sevilla we spent one night in Madrid, just enough time to walk around the city...lovely but glad we were only there for one night...then we took the train to Valencia and spent 2 nights there...we spent the afternoon walking along the Mediteranean Sea watching the huge sail boats, the kite surfers and the topless women making out with the guys in the banana-hammocks. I have come to the conclusion that people here just don´t care to censor their public dispalys of affections as several times i have felt like we were walking through a soft porn movie right in the middle of a city park!! hmmm...

As Josh insisted that he would not leave Spain without seeing a bullfight we had to take a train back to Madrid on Saturday to the see the bullfight at night...however, being a Saturday, all the high speed trains (3.5 hour ride) were fully booked and therefore we had to take a 6 hour ride instead in a car with 4 high school spanish boys who were making stange noises and yelling like there were at a football game. Nonetheless, we did make it and experience the age old tradition of taunting and torturing a bull (actually 6 bulls!) until blood gushes from their mouths and the matador finishes them off by severing their spinal cord with something that looks like a fire stoker and the bull falls down dead...can you tell how i feel about the Spanish Bullfight??...it certainly didn´t help that i could barely see through the cloud of cigar smoke coming from the guys sitting 2 rows below us. I think i am going to have serious lung issues by the time i get home.

Now that you have MY views on the bullfight...my husband might feel differently...

mmmmm....the bull fight, or the boe faiiiit as the spanairds say...kat brought with her already preconcieved notions towards the fight. i however did not. I was in it for the submersion of cultural practice and ancient tradition. we went to the bull ring in sevilla for a tour and learned alot about the fight itself, where things happen etc. after seeing the ring empty, we got all excited and were eager to see the action. i could only find a fight that would accomodate our schedule, so as kat mentioned it was back to madrid for the gore! i mean traditional boe faiiiit. we got tickets in the sun...cheaper and were 14 rows from the gore! i mean action. they were good seats, but at a fight when you sit in the sun, they are the cheapest and naturally when the matador does all the cool stuff he is doing it infront of those who actually have money...in the shade. but nonetheless is was neat. there was no accouncer or anything. it just happened. that was cool. i guess when something happens that has happened for so long, it doesnt need promotion in that sence. we thought there was only 3 bulls, and the fights themselves only take maybe 20 mins per slaughter! i mean fight...so that was cool. then the people behind tried their best in spanish to tell us that there was 4 toros (bulls) that day. it turned out to be 6 which was cool with me and after 4 kat was ready to go. i guess the camera in her hand reviewing all of our other pictures from our travels was enough to tell me that she had had enough. so like any gentleman who respects his wifes wishes, i ignored her and continued on with the gore! i mean show. i do admit though.....I can appreciate the tradition of bull fighting, but actually seeing the bull fall to his knees after 20 minutes of teasing and pricking with swords, and stabbing with 5 inch blades in it´s neck, and then a sword driven through its heart or something like that, and ´give up´to the matador its kinda cruel. one bull actually got up after looking dead so they had to kill it again, kinda cruel. at this point kat had her face buried somewhere in my armpit. which was gross cause we havnt done laundry since paris! 3 weeks ago...but my point about bull fighting is this. long story short. we saw it and had a great time. even though my beer cans had mold all over the top of the can and mouth!

mrs animal rights has something to add to the blood shed...

Since the bullfight, Josh has continually cast me lustful glances telling me that..."If i mess with the bull, i´m gonna get the horn"...followed by the ´Laforet Nod´...

josh
thats not true doug!

and to finish off the fight 3 horses come and drag the bull by ther horns out of the ring. not at a respectfull trot but a full blown race!! thats that.

anyways, we are having a really great time and are looking forward to the French Riviera next! We´ll keep posting some blogs when we get the chance!
Dont work too hard everyone!!! Sucka´s

Love from spain
Kat and Josh

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Comments

[Mommy Rogers]

Buenos Dias!
Loved your commentary about Spain! I remember how beautiful I thought it was. And I remember going to the Correa de Toro (Bullfight ring) on the Cinco de Mayo (BIG HOLIDAY in Spain) and seeing the beautiful yellow ground with precise red lines. It was such a sight. Too bad they had to go screw it up by goring the bulls for the crowd's pleasure. I guess I am just not into that kind of cultural thing (as it apprears my lovely daughter is not!). Glad you are having fun and also glad to hear that you are looking at the younger generation through more mature eyes! I noticed that Josh didn't comment on the short tight skirts! I love you both lots and look forward to your next blog! xoxoxoxoxox