Madrid and the Bull Fight

Churros dipped in hot chocolate was not to be missed while in Madrid. It was late and the last night in Madrid, and we were determined to find these churros at the famous churro shop that has been opened since the 1800s. French onion soup in the afternoon for lunch was amazing at this cute French restaurant. Of course, the Botin restaurant on Friday night was a highlight. It's the oldest restaurant in the world that has continuously been open since the 1700s. It's a must do while in Madrid, but the food wasn't spectacular. We made reservations back in May of 2023, just to get a table. It was packed. We heard after 11:30 pm at night, you don't need a reservation. A favorite dinner time in Spain is after 9:00 pm. The Palace of the King and Queen of Spain was a highlight, too. But one of the most interesting events was the bull fight. The stadium was packed on a Saturday night. Many of the women dressed in very fancy clothes with high stilettos heels and bolero hats. In the bull fight itself, there are six different bulls that different matadors face with their red capes and swords. At the beginning of each bull fight, six or seven men or women come out with pink capes to do what's called capework to test the temperament of each bull. Then, two horses with riders, called picadors on opposite sides of the ring come out with swords to pierce the bull. This was quite exciting as the bull was strong enough to knock the horse and his rider over, which happened once. After the bull has been punctured, three different guys or banderillas come out, each with two darts to throw at the bull to puncture him some more. They had to get quite close for them to hit the bull and then run very fast to get away from the bull that chased them. It was surprising how much energy the bulls still had left in them. Then, the final stage when the matador comes out with his red cape for the kill.Read more