Corrida De Toros - Bull Fight in Madrid - WARNING

**WARNING SOME PICTURES MAY BE OFFENSIVE**

I must warn you that this blog posting contains pictures of a bull fight in Madrid, Spain.  Bull fights result in the animal being killed.  Unlike fighting between humans it will not be stopped when one of the participants (bull or bull fighter) is injured to the point it/he cannot continue.

   If you are at all ill at ease about seeing this...please stop viewing now!!

Bull fighting in Spain is in a transitional state....while it has been a mainstay of 'entertainment' for years/centuries....it is being looked at to be prohibited.  It will result in a constitutional amendment being put to a vote of the people.  However, it is a very lucrative business.  Thousands of people from around the world come to view the bull fights and for 2 hours the average price of a seat (on concrete) is 50 Euros.

My seat is in the 4th row from the ring just below the 'royal' or 'presidential' box is located.  All participants parade to the area below the box to pay their respect to those in that box.  I did not recognize any of them...but here is a photo of that box....

It begins rather mild....one from the Western World would think they were at a rodeo.....a parade of the participants.....the grounds keepers, the horsemen, the removal crew, and the bull fighters -Matadors!!

Each 'match' (yeah....really like this bull has a chance...I am just sayin...) begins with an identity plaque to show the number on the program of the bull and the matador....
Then at at sound of the trumpet...the bull enters the ring....

Four of the intermediate bull fighters then participate in engaging the bull with the use of a colorful cape....

But then....in the first 'match' disaster strikes as one of the bull fighters slips and the bull takes the advantage and goes for him with his horns....throwing him in the air and then mauling him to the ground.....

Believe me....this man was severlly injured...but the fight did not stop....he was dragged out of the ring....and the trumpet sounded...and 2 men mounted on horses that were very well padded and had blindfolds over their eyes entered the ring.  The carried long poles with a 8 inch blade on the end!!!  The bull attacked the horsemen and were met with the horseman driving the blade into the shoulder of the bull to force him away from the horse....most of the time the bull continued to engage the horse...but after 5 minutes the intermediate bull fighters tried to draw the bull away from the horse.

The next sound of the trumpet signals the exit of the horsemen and the re-entry of the intermediate bull fighters who have colorful batons with a small blade on one end that when engaging the bull they will place in the front shoulder of the bull.  One of the bulls got rather close to the location where I was seated and you got a good view of these batons and what they had done to the bull.

The trumpet sounds signaling the time has come for the Matador to acknowledge the "Royal box" and engage the bull....The engagement that I observed took from 10 to 15 minutes depending on the strength of the animal.

The Matador seeing the weakening condition of the animal takes his sword and stabs the bull in between the shoulders....and then repeats the stabbing with another sword....

 In this case the bull retreated to an area of the ring away from where the fight was conducted and fell to the ground......

The Matador acknowledged the completion of his performance to the 'Royal Box'....

The bull was dragged from the ring....often in full circle of the ring to be viewed by all in attendance....

On this day there were 4 more performances....all in similar fashion...and after 2 hours  all 5 bulls had been killed....but one bull fighter was mauled...and another got his outfit ripped by the horns of a bull....a close call....

I do not anticipate viewing another bull fight.  I believe it is very inhumane and not really a sport.  It is much like the gladiator in the Roman times....but then sometimes the gladiator won....in the case of the animal against man....man is the winner.

But with the venue full at each performance I am sure the fights will continue......and so it goes.....

"I love Paris in the.....Fall...."

A quick trip across the channel and Paris awaits.....just a day here and then on the night train to Madrid.  Leaving London on another fantastic Indian Summer day in the 26C range....but a shower may be on the way.  But as I arrive in Paris...none of that...clear skies and 22C.

I arrive at Gare Du Nord station and head to the Metro for a quick ride over to the evening departing station of Gare D'Austerlitz.  It took more time for me to stand in line and get my Metro tickets than it did to go from station to station......

An older station that is undergoing major renovations.  It is the departure point for a number of overnight trains from Paris....here is a glimpse inside the station complex....

One can also arrive at the station by bike.....another of those city bike services....

I opted to get back on the Metro after putting my luggage into a storage locker for the day.  It seemed the better option because my sense of direction seemed better than traveling the street on a bike trying to hold a map!!

First stop....Angelina's.....yes!!  This is the infamous "hot chocolate" cafe near the Lourve and across from the gardens at the Lourve. This is a must visit....not only do they have great salads, sandwiches and pastry.....but the best...bar none...Hot Chocolate ever!!

After lunch....back to the Metro and a walk on the Avenue Des Champs Elysees.....

....passing one of my favorite statues of President Charles de Gaulle.....

and continue walking along the Seine toward Notre Dame....

As always in Paris....take time to enjoy the entertainment in the street....not only dancers such as these but the music and ambiance of a Saturday in this beautiful city.....

This is an example of how a simple water fountain can be so artistic....I observed a number of people filling their water bottles at this fountain....

Okay...time I head back to the station to check my train.....Yep....there it is on the board....19:45 to Madrid...I will arrive in Madrid 9 hours and 45 minutes later....

Once on board check out this amenity kit...this a a haul of goodies.  Soap, shampoo, hand cream, comb, shoe cleaning kit, sewing kit, ear plugs (what?  for a train??), slippers, chocolates, razor, and even mouth wash!!  I need to send one of these to Amtrak....American Airlines....Qantas....British Air....they need to what is being provided to passengers on trains in Europe....

Next up....Madrid!!!

This is the Hotel Oscar.....great location in Madrid.... very trendy property...check out the room...

I spend the rest of my first day here in the hotel....not feeling the best... Montazoma's revenge has hit!!  This happenend to me on the last leg of my journeys about the 5th day out as well....so will be lying low and close to facilities prior to the heading to the bull fight later this afternoon.

And to begin with......London.....and on to Paris...."..etc, etc, etc..."

On the road again...well....the air!!  Headed from Washington to Chicago to connect with my flight to London.  The flight over was very uneventful...and I was able to get a few hours of sleep.  I arrived in London to a very unusual site....well for this time of year or maybe any other time.  It was a clear sky and the temperatures were 24C or so.  And, the good news was it has been the same for the 3 days I have been here.  So here we are....and the flag flies in all its glory on a great day.

I spent most of my first day getting my ground legs and settling in at my hotel here in the Paddington area.  I love the area for it's convenience back to the airport and with 4 tube lines (Metro) serving the Paddington station.  It enables me to get to almost any location.  Love that London Tube....

So the first night I went to see a play recommended to me by my great friend currently in Barbados....Mr. Howard (Skip) Edmonds.  Now....if Skip recommends it...you might as well take it to the bank...it is not given lightly.  His recommendation for the play of his lifetime was....The War Horse.
The play won 5 Tony awards in the United States last year and was the winner for Play of the year.

All of what Skip told me was true.....it was AWESOME.  I wrote about this on my Facebook page...but it was unbelievable that a puppet company could control a full size horse....make that several full size horses on stage....also these horses...while being controlled by the puppet company were so realistic that after about 10 minutes I was a believer!!   The story of this play is a horse (Joey) who is a pet of a young man on a small farm.  To raise money the horse is sold into service in WWI.   The play begins with Joey as a colt and progresses to a full size animal and evolves around that service.  So real....and the story covers a lot of emotions...and you will leave the theatre with a warm feeling at having viewed something that is a difficult thing to pull off on stage....but please...please go see it if  you have the chance.  Here is the theatre billing....

So my second day was off to the museums....along with hundreds of school children on day trips.....not the best of times....or the worse of times....they were very well mannered....but the crowds were huge...must have been the weather that brought all them out...since it was another day of not a cloud in the sky and a temperature of 28C.

First up....the Natural history museum....

My favorite were the images of nature....I love nature and am looking to capture as much as possible when I head to the Galapagos later on this this phase of my RTW travel.

I did not venture too far....almost right across the street to the Victoria and Albert museum.  This is a main stay for the UK....very British....and loved the gates....V&A....yeah!!

....and now look at how ornate detail in some of the entrance facade......

This area also was hit by the bombings of London during WWII.  And this plaque lets one know that even thought this was wall was hit....it was left that way for everyone to remember what happened.  And frankly it is hard for me to believe that I am walking in areas of the city that were actually bombed during that WW.

Hopefully you will be able to enlarge this picture when you view it to read all the inscription.....

Also in my travel through London I found a couple interesting photos to share with you....the first is of the "bike leasing" industry.  We have this in Washington DC...and it is called City Bikes....here is the London version....1 pound for 60 minutes and 1 pound to reserve.....and there are a lot of these in the city and appear to be well used from the people I see riding them....

This next one is a given in my book.....you do not have to tell me twice!!  A photo in the Charing Cross Tube station.......it is like take the lift (elevator) .....

So here I am at the end of my day and looking to cross the channel tomorrow.  I did some shopping today and just enjoyed a day walking around doing nothing....except watching people...and trying not to look like a tourist....most people recognize me as one I think.

And....Paris tomorrow to begin my 30+ days of rail travel that will take me to France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands......" ...I hear that train a  comin....comin round the bend...."

Last days of Summer - Time to hit the Road

I had a great summer.....and hope all of you did as well.   Since I got back from RTW 1 in May I have been enjoying this retirement 'gig' even more....doing what I want....when I want....and with the people I love.....

Let me begin with a trip to the great state of Illinois.....a visit with my grandchildren....Keaton and Schuyler and family.....

While there we took a day trip up to McHenry to visit my niece Debbie and family......here they are with their first grandchild....Deb...Open your eyes girl!!!

A side trip to Door County Wisconsin was also included in my summer travel.....wow....this was a highlight.....what a great place....we left the heat of the city and settled into a lake front home and enjoyed a couple days of awesome weather in the low 80's...leaving the humidity behind as well.....

A few shots enjoying the great hospitality from the Canedo family of Lombard....

The Robert's and Canedo family enjoying that carefree Door County lifestyle......

Their children....enjoying the water....well a little chilly as you can see by the towel wraps!!!

Next up was a trip to Florida to visit a couple of my awesome friends Greg & Darren who live in Wilton Manor, FL.....a beautiful home right on the water....Thanks for the great hospitality....

"Captain" Darren took command of the boat for a day on the water....just ahead of a tropical disturbance....(not Emily!!)....

My bud Brian was much braver than I....he got on the "tube" for a ride .....way off my radar....I think I learned a life lesson in New Zealand with that "bob-sled" ride....being a watcher is great fun...really!!!

Summer's in Washington are always full of events on the "Mall"....one of my favorites is the Folk Life Festival.  It is usually the week before and the week after the 4th of July.  This year Columbia was featured with all crafts and native art from that South American Country.  Also celebration of R&B as well as Motown artists from the 60's.  One of those was the Dixie Cups (NOOOOO  Not the Dixie Chicks....they are way too 21st Century)....The Dixie Cups had one great hit in the 60's..."Going to the Chapel of Love"....and now in their late 60's they are still on tour....

I also got the opportunity to try my hand at some more canning.  This time peaches.....oh man, the peaches were so so good this year...and here we are in mid-September and still have about a week left of this years crop.  The first canning was of peaches in sugar syrup....they were AWESOME.....then I tried the unsweetened variety....natural sweet juices of these great Virginia peaches.....WOW....so so good...here they are up next to my first canning project...the beets!

Now after enduring a week this summer that included an Earthquake at the 7. level....followed by the inland impact of hurricane "Emily"...I am getting ready to hit the road.  I might add....the quake was very short lived....and while at first I thought is was an a bomb....I quickly realized...everything is shaking and then when I opened the door other people on the street were outside and we all realized at the same time.....an earthquake...in Washington, DC??  Yeah....really.  Now "Emily"....she brought us rain....a lot of rain....8 to 10 inches...and a lot of power outage.  I was very fortunate...I did not have any water damage or electrical outage....

Now.....it is time to hit the road!!  Round the World part 2 awaits.....that means....September 27th off to London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Naples, Rome, Florence, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Buenos Aires, Guayaquil, Galapagos, Lima, Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Santiago, Easter Island, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Tampa Bay (WHAT---sorry that is for a Dallas Cowboy/Tampa Bay Buc game), and then Lombard, IL for Christmas....WHEW.......

Packing this time is much easier....much lighter....a bag that is 22x14.5x8.5.....and here are the contents....and the bag...

All that and 26 pounds.....I will have my backpack of electronics....however will be much lighter with this carry-on.....

Thanks to all for reading and your comments from RTW 1.....I look forward to writing RTW 2 and hope you will tune in somewhere along the way......wheels up!!!!!!