I watched a bullfight on the TV last week. As far as I could see, the
bull has no chance. Brutal does not describe it. Occasionally things do go
wrong and the main matador (torero) was a chap who last year had his face gored
and lost an eye….. hardly what could be called entertainment. Ronda is very
much connected with bullfighting. Born in Ronda, in 1754, Pedro Romero is
considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of
bullfighting – it is said that he elevated bullfighting to an art. Even in
relatively recent years, Antonio Ordóñez of Ronda was active from 1951 to
1980 and was considered one of the greatest bullfighters of all time. Since
1954 the Corrida Goyesca has been held here – a bullfighting festival during
which the bullfighters and public dress as in the times of Goya. Goya was a
Romantic artist of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Orson Welles and
Earnest Hemingway spent a good deal of time in Ronda – specifically to ‘enjoy’
the bullfighting.
With the hour change last week, it is now light until around 8:45pm. It
has coincided though with a change in the weather. This week it has been windy
and cool. For three days the winds were constantly around 70km/h. The UK
appears to have enjoyed better weather than here for the first time since I arrived
in November.
I have booked the 2nd May ferry. One thing I am looking
forward to is to be able to absorb conversation as opposed to constantly having
to work hard to understand and be understood. I am still disappointed at what I
feel has been a lack of real progress with the language but very occasionally I
surprise myself. Having made friends and contacts though I will have a better
base to begin from when I come back in October.
There are a few things that are irritating. I have previously
referred to the vast quantities of dog mess on pavements. There is a potential
700 euro fine but clearly it is not enforced. Most women smoke. Many men do as
well, but it appears that most women do, from mid teens upwards. That is up to
them of course but otherwise attractive ladies appear much less so with a
cigarette hanging from their lips or with deeply nicotine stained teeth and/or
fingers. Men regularly spit in the
gutter and occasionally on the pavement. Avoiding dog mess and spit is something
to be constantly wary of.
There are more humorous things though. The attitude to health and
safety is somewhat relaxed. Electricity cables are strung along outside walls
and even across roads. I often see a lady riding a scooter with her little dog sitting
(unstrapped) on the footpad.
This coming week is the Semana Santa – the week of The Saints, or
Holy Week. There are therefore no Spanish lessons. There are processions most
days. Yesterday most of the locals who were out, were carrying olive branches as
it was Palm Sunday. Various sculptures
or models of various scenes in Jesus’ last week are carried through the streets
on tronos (thrones) by penitents underneath the platform. Some people wear long
robes and long pointed hats. They look rather like the Klu Klux Klan except the
hats are black and the robes are more often claret than white. I turned up near
the church of The Santa Maria Mayor just after 7pm. It started raining at about
7:45 and yet many of the ladies were without coats and wore high heels (not a
good idea on wet cobble stones). At 8:30 the procession bagan to come through.
Unfortunately due to the rain they were covered in plastic sheets. I left just
after 10:30 but it seems they were carrying on until 3:30 am and were due to
start again at 8am. The thrones are preceeded by brass or drum bands in uniform. The uniform effect was a little spoiled by some who wore yellow pac-a-macs over but understandable in the circumstances.
I am meeting up with some friends and ex-neighbours down on the
coast on Thursday and we shall be going to Malaga to see a procession there.
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