Corrida de toros- Bullfighting by Spanish Style

Corrida is the most Spanish custom which fascinates and shocks people all over the world. I will try to present both sides of  the spectacle.

Corrida de torros or la fiesta takes place in Spain, Portugal, southern France, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Philippines.
Bulls before fighting have an extremely good life. They spend their time grazing on the meadows, everybody takes care about them and gives them whatever they need. For Corrida's followers it is an honor for  a bull to die on the arena with applause of the spectators. They treat it as an art which connects in one perfect piece of music, dancing, horse riding and amazing costumes.



Opponents of bullfighting talk about animals rights, barbaric blood sport and torturous death. In many countries people vote against this kind of entertainment. In Spain in two provinces: Catalonia and Basque Country it is forbidden to organize it.

Spanish Corrida
Bulls are about four or six years old. There are three matadors and everyone fights with two bulls. Matadores are assisted by two picadores, three toreros and a mozo de espadas.  Picadores ride on a horseback with a lance. Horses are also protected by padded cover to prevent death by bleeding. Anyway many of these beautiful animals had died during bullfighting.

The toreros irritate the bull by yellow- pink capa (sheet). Next, one of the picador on the horseback hits his lanca into the bull's neck as well. Also banderilleros try to stick short lancas (banderilleros) into the bull's neck. The Lancas have colorful ribbons which have to annoy bulls as well. After that when animal is weaker and his head is lower  the matador comes. He has a red muleta and tries to make the bull tired. When animal is exhausted, he sticks lanca into his spinal cord. If matador kills the bull by first time, the audience will admire him with an applause. If  he does not kill it he will try again.

 Muleta

And this is over. Bull is dead. Matador can cut an ear of the bull. If the performance was fantastic the audience let matador cut other ear. Sometimes a tail.
The dead bull is covered by sheets and moved by horses and mules.



 Corrida's opponents picture

The largest Corrida takes place in Mexico City on the Plaza Mexico. The oldest one in Sevilla in Spain on the La Maestranza (from 1765).

Bonfires of San John

The biggest holiday in Alicante takes part between 19th and 29th of June. This is Hogueras de  San Juan (Bonfires of San Joan). It is celebrated around San John's eve on the 23 of the June.

 People make bonfires, drink hot chocolate and teenagers jump over the fires. Every district of Alicante prepares parades, wooden figures, fireworks, flowers, sports events, traditional garments and food. You can see corrida on the Plaza de Torros as well.

It is very important to organize this festival. Every district has their own group of people who prepare Hogueras. A barraca ( group of friends) raise money for drinks, food and music. Only people from the right district can participate in it. There are also commissions which make fires and take part in different events during the whole year. Relationship between people from district is very close and it is important to know each other.

During the Hougeras there's an election of Beauty and Infantil Beauty. It is very popular among Spanish from Alicante.



Many people from all Spain come to Alicante to see festival. It is also interesting for tourists from abroad who came for holiday.
24th the June is also celebrated in other Spanish regions (e.g. Catalan, Galicia). For citizens of Catalan is Catalan's National Day.

Visit Spain- Parque Huerto Lo Torrent

How to spend free time in Alicante? One of the best way is  to go to  a nearby town San Vicent Del Raspeig to visit Parque Huerto lo Torrent. You can get the directly form Plaza de los Luceros in Alicante by bus line 24. It takes about 20 minutes.

There is amazing park with fontaine, mediterranean trees, playground, playing field. You can relax there with your friends and family.
Many people come there because is very quiet. It is a typical place for Spanish siesta.

Blue sky and fontaine

Spanish children are playing football.

Spanish Sherry

Sherry (jerez, xeres) is Spanish wine which is produced in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia. It contains about 16- 20% alcohol and is produced from grapes.

The word Sherry come from Jerez ( Xeres). At the beginning the name was sack from Spanish saca. 

Sherry has been produced from 1100 B.C. when the Phoenicians came to Iberian Peninsula. Later the Romans and the Moors which occupied Jerez territory were continuing wine production. The Arabs introduced distillation which significantly improved taste.

From the 16th century Sherry has had renowned reputation  as the world's finest wine in Europe. Christopher Columbus took Sherry to New World and Ferdinand Magellan spent more money for Sherry than for weapons before his journey around the world.

Sherry became popular in the United Kingdom in 16th century. Plenty of English gentry sponsored Spanish cellars from Jerez to produce wine.

Nowadays name Sherry is reserved for Spanish wine from Sherry Triangle (province of Cadiz, Spain). Only same producers from California, USA produce that kind of wine and they are allowed to use the name California sherry. In Australia they also produce wine but the name is Apera. However,  people still use the name sherry. Those wines can not be imported to the EU.

There are different kinds of grapes to produce Sherry:
- Palomino- dry Sherry 
- Pedro Ximenez- sweet wine
- Moscatel- similar to Pedro Ximenez but less common

Of course very important for the grapes is the kind of soil they grow (yellowish, dark brown or white) and precipitation quantity. All this factors are present in the province of Cadiz.

Sherry should be drunk from the a special tulip-shaped glass. Young people drink Sherry with lemonade and ice.

My favorite Sherry.