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Malaga, Marbella & Ronda Bullfight 3rd Sept - 7th Sept 2014
Three photos from Newcastle in Northern England at the top where we had a relaxing few days before flying to the Andalusian region of southern Spain. Malaga was the first stop for 2 nights, before we picked up our 7th and final rental car and for the short drive down the coast of the Costa del Sol to
Fuengirola for a look about at this popular beach resort and onto the very lovely Marbella for 2 nights. From Marbella we drove inland into the Sierra Nevada mountain region to Ronda, a cliffside town full of character.
To our surprise and luck, we arrived on the final day of an annual week long festival, the Feria Goyesca. The main event of the festival is also the last, a bullfight in Ronda's famous Bullfight stadium, and where the bullfighter fights from horseback. We were at first reluctant to attend a bullfight for sympathy for the bull, but decided in the end that being it was such a strong tradition in Spain, that we should go for the cultural experience. It was difficult witnessing the torment and death of the bull, but wow, the horses, they were amazing, such athleticism, courage and trust in their rider. More detail with the photos at the end.
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| Newcastle (UK) cathedral |
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| Newcastle (UK) cathedral |
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| Newcastle (UK) |
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| Malaga - and its wide clean pedestrian only streets, full of shops and tapa bars. |
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| Malaga cathedral |
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| Malaga cathedral |
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| Fuengirola, Costa del Sol - a popular beach resort |
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Marbella was a treat to visit, a wonderful place with a fabulous mix of beach resort,
modern plazas and ancient 'old town' tapas bar filled cobbled streets. |
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| Marbella's beach, with a wide paved esplanade that stretched for miles. |
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| The Avenida del Mar in Marbella has over a dozen sculptures by Salvador Dali |
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| Marbella main park fountain |
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| The Spanish love a square plaza where all the restaurants have an outdoor dining area |
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| Marbella had great dining streets everywhere |
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| Ocean Club Marbella full of sunburned bodies and loud music |
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| Carriage taxi in Ronda |
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| Ronda, the traditional home of bullfighting |
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| Bull sculpture in Ronda |
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| Bullfighter truck unloading for the bullfight. 3 bullfighters had a truck and around 10 horses each. |
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| Ronda is built on top of some serious cliffs |
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| Cactus fruit everywhere - for sale on the street 2,5 euros per dozen and they are magnificent |
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| Ronda street decorated for the festival |
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| A plaza in Ronda |
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| Bullfighting poster - tickets were 40 euros |
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| The three bullfighters started with a horse show together |
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| Live music to accompany the performance |
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| The main box - the guy in the light blue suit is the main man |
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| The horses were so brave within inches of the bulls and prancing sideways or whatever the bullfighter wanted |
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| Each bullfighter swapped to fresh horses about 3 or 4 times and the matadors would keep the bull busy while they changed horses |
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| Bullfighter showing off when the bull is nearing exhaustion |
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| Bull and horse would get ever so close, the horse never flinched in obeying his rider's commands. |
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| This guy was hit in the head by the bull and notice the blood on his horse |
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| Notice the crowd waving white handkerchiefs to try and persuade the main man that the bullfighter was brave. If he agrees he will put out a white flag of his own which means the bullfighter can cut off one of the bulls ear. Two white flags means both ears. Very rarely he will award that the bull fought a brave fight and that he can live. |
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| After the bull is dead 3 donkeys come in and tow out the dead bull. Lots of women and kids all loving the gruesome entertainment |
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| Even the main man's entourage thought he should award this bullfighter a bulls ear |
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| This girl wanted the bulls ear (along with everyone else) and the bullfighter threw it up to her in the balcony |
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| The horses were amazing |
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| Programs have more than one use |
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| The three bullfighters were simply amazing in their relationships with their horses |
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| Each bullfighter killed 2 bulls each and at the end were chaired around the ring |
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| Bullfighting ring in Ronda built in the 17th century |
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| Ronda church |
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| Looking down from Ronda |
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| Ronda bridge called the 'new bridge' was started in 1751, took 42 years to build and 50 workers were killed during construction |
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| Ronda sculpture/fountain |
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