¡No Toro!

Last night I went to the Mueseum of Bellas Artes which was fantastic! The artwork we saw was from the Baroque and Renaissance periods, and the building itself could be considered a work of art too! The museum was built in an old convent, with a church that reminded me of the cathedral inside the Mosque of Córdoba. After I got home, I had dinner with my señora Elisa, señor Monolo, and Lauren, the girl who lived in my room 2 years ago. We laughed and chatted for hours while eating one of my favorite dishes so far (no idea what it is, kind of like eggplant I think), more of the delicious shrimp, wine from Huelva (part of the coast of Andalucia) and some homemade tiramisu! ¡Qué rico!

When I woke up this morning it was time for another class. We are currently talking about the 18th and 19th centuries of Spain. In 1808 the French invaded Spain as a result of some bad ruling decisions by King Carlos IV and deception from Napoleon and the French forces (the two countries were supposed to be allies). During this time, Spain suffered from losing its identity to French laws and military forces. After Spain regained its independence, some really cool traditions arose. For example, the Spanish were trying to take back their traditions and reestablish their identity, so flamenco grew into a more important tradition. It was also the time when Semana Santa and Feria were at their peak of importance. Fernando VII, the first Spanish king after they reestablished their independence, loved bull fights (the running of the bulls). He built the Plaza de Toros (or bulls) in Sevilla and the running of the bulls grew into a more important tradition and source of pride for the Spaniards. So that is exactly where we went for our class visit today!

The Plaza de Toros is right on the Guadalquivir river. It is know as the most artistic bull ring in Spain, and is also known for having the most demanding fans. The bull fighting season begins in April, and I definitely plan on seeing a fight before I leave. Especially now that I can appreciate the history behind the tradition.

Here is the bullring from the outside. 

Recognize this photo? 

It is the same place that I have as the background of the blog. 

We were the only ones sitting in the stands on a perfect day with sunshine and no clouds. 

This is an example of the outfits that the torero (or bullfighter) wears. 

This one was once worn by a 14 year old!

There are laws now that prohibit people who are so young from bullfighting

I have so much fun with these panoramics! 

The bullring was really incredible and the style of bullfighting is supposed to be so artistic---can't wait to go! Although I might close my eyes when they actually kill the bull... 

Time for more "studying" and maybe a walk by the river. We are in the middle of a "cold front" so it is only 57 degrees today! No complaints from this Minnesotan, although I hear that the Spanish weather is not much different than back home these days. Really, I had to pick the warmest winter to get out of dodge??