day 16 madrid

5 june 2009
after the pub crawl, we got up far too early and had arranged to meet katie and nicole to hit up the museums at 11am.


walked to the museo nacional: reine sofia and at first we walked into the new art exhibitions which quite frankly bored me. then we found our way to the permanent exhibits with dali (although not what i expected, and then there was one dali-esque, not by him) and then guernica by picasso which is amazing. sherri and paco had told us about this painting and it was made even more cool with the supporting picasso pieces showing the different studies (horse, bull, composition) that progressed to the final piece.


we then ventured to la latina district for an indian lunch (the one pablo told us to go to during the day)


afterwards, we decided to see if the museo taurino at plaza de toros de ventas was open, only to find it was not. HOWEVER, rich and i got tickets to the bullfight! we paid 15e each for a 4.50e ticket. oh well. once in a lifetime opp.


hit up the disappointingly small museo arqueilogico nacional, back to hostel, and then toros time!


bullfight observations:
- very cramped seating

- clapping is only acceptable at certain times (to the snobs at least)
1. bull if teased by group of matadors with pink/yellow capes
2. bull is speared by dude on a horse
3. bull gets six banderillas (sharp daggers that are barbed)
4. one matador with red cape puts on a show, and when some grandmaster is out, they shout, "ole!" for some as of yet unknown reason
5. matador puts bull down with series of sword stabs to the head

6. some other matador comes in with short dagger and finishes the job
7. horse drawn rope pulls dead bull around the ring and then away
8. when the main dude was finished, roses, hats,scarves, jackets and other random stuff is tossed from crowd as he walks around. other matadors help him pick it up and clothing is tossed back to audience, after the crowd waves white things once bull is dead


we left after 5 bullfights. were 8 total (editor 2010 note: draining... 8 bulls? really?). the bullfight has made my madrid visit.


other:
- i realise how much i hate this mexican dude staying here (editor 2010 note: this guy was a tool. he was obviously staying at the hostel to get laid, and he was so chochy and creepy. he needed a punch to the face or something)
- started drizzling tonight