JER--sorry I'm tardy in responding School is finishing up here in the Sunshine state and we are buried in lists in preparation for heading your way next weekend . Anyway you are GREAT with all the above info! We probably would have been through those Metro stops anyway but now they are on a list somewhere! And as I close this post, I will contact you on "custom stuff" for a deal. Thanks!

Hey Cathy, got your tickets

Also, to everyone who has ever tried or is planning to try and call the Las Ventas bullring information office at (+34) 91 356 22 00.

FORGET IT!!!

I was there today (at the bullring) and they laughed when I said I had been trying to call.

Apparently they just put that # on their website for the "fun" of it

Anyway, at least some of the folks at teh bullring ticket offices speak English (I asked in the interest of my visitors who do not do the Spanish thing).

Saludos,
jer...

Hi Cathy and gang, hope you had a great trip and I know you did with the front row seats you had at the bullfight!

So, was it all your kid had imagined?

Would love to have his feedback.

Saludos,
jer...

Anybody who "desires" to see a bull tortured to death is disturbed.

Just my opinion.

quote:

Hey!, I don't know if you'll end up making it to the 'corrida de toros'; but, you could come to the big bbq!!!
(Maybe TonyTORERO could give us a little demonstration, and I'm sure, ummm....Jer would be happy to play the bull's part. (after a few beers and sangr�as that is ))

I was just taking a peek over this thread when I saw my name mentioned... Actually, pim cari�o ...I must admit that tonytorero is nothing more than an alliterative nickname that was given to me when my wife and I were married in Madrid in 1995 as I was being led around the room on the shoulders of my brothers in law to chants of 'torero...torero.' I thought that 'tonytorero' sounded so cool that I kind of adopted it.

I actually did go through a 'Hemingway-esque' period shortly after we moved to Spain during the 'local fiestas' where we live. Pretty much all towns have their own version of the 'encierros' or 'runnings of the bulls.' I felt, due to my colorful nickname, that it was my destiny and that I should definately run. I even went during the morning encierros to 'scout the route out' from behind the barriers.

However, immediately after the first bull passed me and I got a true appreciation for just how big and powerful a 500 kilo plus bull is, I had a truly epiphanous and life changing experience. I decided at that very moment that I would never, ever run in an encierro nor would I ever pursue a second career as a 'torero.'

I did actually go to one bull fight about 3 years ago just to try it and make my own personal, informed decision about the sport, but didn't really enjoy it very much. I'm not militant against it, but it's just not for me. On the other hand, all of my cyber-contacts know me as 'tonytorero' so I will probably have to be known for now on as: tonytorero, the bull-less torero! or even perhaps tonytorero, the 'no-bull' torero!

Sorry for the novel, but my baby's busy watching Scooby-Doo and you all caught me during a moment of either: 1) literary inspiration or 2) I just have too much time on my hands this morning. Hmmmmmm? Take care multimadridians...

Tony, he,he,he!

Saenz de Baranda, I'm no fan of bullfights by a long shot, but don't you think calling people "disturbed" for that is a little bit much?
I'll give you an example; I will never understand people who go to the 'corridas', just as I'll NEVER get why people would want to attend a boxing event, and see two guys doing their best to disfigure each other's faces and even knocking the sense out of their opponent! but I'm aware that MANY people around the world do like boxing and even call it a sport* (go figure), and I wouldn't consider all those thousands of people disturbed!

*(Bullfights shouldn't be called 'La fiesta nacional' either)

Just my opinion too....

pim: Boxing is an international sport. It's different from bullfighting in that boxers are there under their free will. Bulls don't have a choice. Furthermore, bulls are at a disadvantage. In fact, bullfighting is not really a fight, it's more like a display of cruelty. Only way it could be compared to a boxing match is if the matadors were to be put in a ring with no weapons or help. Otherwise, it can't really be compared to boxing.

Hi to Jer, etc.--sorry it has taken soooo long to respond to your request for "feedback" on our Spain experience and more precisely, the corrida. We've been traveling stateside since our return but here we are and absolutely thrilled to see this innocent thread taking on new life

Jer, the seats were terrific-second row, in the shade and absolutely every bit of the action was directly in front of us!!! Muchas gracias! We stayed for all six fights and have the photos to prove it! We got to see an ear awarded (alas, Saenz de Baranda :lo: ) and a bull herded out by the "cows". There was a very helpful gentleman in front of me who clarified many questions for us. And our two sons (13 and 15) were fascinated. The 15 year-old had studied the many aspects (cultural included) of the bullfight in his 3rd year Spanish class and the experience really added to his education (hence, my original posting..) So, yes, it was a great evening for us all

But now, to respond to a couple recent postings...to Saenz de Baranda (do you have a PETA card?), you are completely entitled to your opinion and most certainly should avoid a corrida (by the way, are you vegetarian also?) But it is part of Spanish culture and we were there to experience that aspect. No, I would not want to attend on a regular basis (I'm hardly an addict, having last been on 4/23/72 in Granada) but I'm glad we had the opportunity last month. Perhaps the whiskey they sell is to fortify folks like you. The bulls are bred for this and there is a very precise scenario to each fight that we found fascinating. That is very unlike boxing in my mind--which I would NEVER attend.

So it was a great finale to our week in Madrid-thanks again, JER!!

Oops, forgot to comment on a "subthread" in this topic.... :lo: To Pim and Jer who "researched" the Hotel Suite Prado--it was perfect for our family of 4!!! Third floor room 301 -sound-proof room-actually a small suite-5 rooms--big bathroomw/ 2 sinks--kitchenette--only 174 euros--which for 4 people was much better than splitting into 2 doubles. I would definitely recommend it to any family needing to be in one room. The staff is great and the location near Plaza Santa Ana was wonderful!
Pim, I was hoping to meet you through my friend from college. She and her daughter are the ones you got tickets to the Ismael Serrano concert for. Small world, huh?

Gracias a todos

Hey Cathy, thanks for checking in, better late than never.

Awesome that you had a great time at the bullfight and Spain in general.

Ok, I agree with Cathy and pim that Boxing is a barbaric "sport" and I also respect bullfighting for what it is (an important part of this culture).

So, while I do not have "saeson tickets" nor go to bullfights often, I do take friends when they come over so they can see what it is all about.

One last thing, while this innocent thread has gotten a bit polemic, I am going to have to shoot a proverbial "warning shot" across the bow of any members who may just want to argue and insult other members for the sake of having nothing else ot do. So everyone, please keep your comments intelligent and on the subject.

Saludos,
jer...

Ok, no prob Jer.

Saenz de...., with the example that I gave I did not mean that bullfights and boxing are similar issues, my point was that I personally prefer not to consider "disturbed" everybody whose tastes, likes, attitudes, whatever, don't match mine, they'd be too many disturbed people around if, for instance, I called that to everybody that....smokes! I will NEVER understand why they do such a harmful, disgusting thing but I'd feel I live in a country where the majority of people is disturbed if I did, can you imagine that!?

I'm absolutely anti-bullfights, so it's purely a linguistics thing I guess....

However, now that I think about it, apart from the fact that the bulls always end up dead(just like all animals that are going to be eaten afterwards, let's face it), and the 'toreros' only die once in a while, during the fight, bulls aren't as defenseless as you seem to think, remember they weight several tons and have horns that aren't exactly little daggers.

Come on people! It doesn't matter how you slice it, bullfighting is nothing more than a display of cruelty to animals. It should not be compared to the INTERNATIONAL sport of boxing because the bulls don't have a choice of whether or not they want to be participate! Nobody is tortured to death in the sport of boxing. If the matadors want to display their bravery, they should meet the bull with no weapons and no help.

Pim: There is a difference between smoking and bullfighting. Bullfighting, to me, is nothing more than a display of cruelty. Honestly, what kind of people would desire to see a cow tortured to death, for any reason?

I have Spanish blood in me and I think I'm one of the nicest people anybody could meet but, I could never understand the bullfighting part of the Spanish culture.

Me neither!!! But can you name an activity where the animal that participates is "asked" if he/she wants to take part of it?, there is none, not even frisbee ! (just kidding!)
Sorry but to me broken noses, brows, jaws, black eyes, numb minds....ARE a torture that some people likes to watch.
Just because something is international that doesn't make it right, cruelty to animals, for instance, IS a quite widespread thing unfortunately which doesn't make it ok, besides, had bullfighting ever become international it would probably be a thing of the past by now, because it would lack any cultural or traditional meaning....just a thought.