Day 12, June 8 - Seville

We changed things up today, as we participated in excursions that were more cultural than historical. We learned from a sixth-generation bull breeder about bulls and bullfighting then attended a flamenco show.

We always try to take at least one excursion that takes us out into the landscape and away from the city so our first experience today was going to the Ganaderia Luis Algarra, a unique and prestigious fighting bull breeding operation at the Finace La Capitana in the Sierra Norte de Sevilla, just 38 miles from Seville. 

Our visit was provided by La Capitana Experience, a company born after COVID from Ganaderia Algarra and the estate of “La Capitana.”

We learned a lot about bull breeding and bull fighting from Marta, our guide for the day. The operation is managed by women: Aurora Algarra and her five daughters (Marta is one of the five). Aurora took over the management of the ranch after the death of her father Luis Algarra Polera in 2006. Her father was a prominent Spanish breeder of fighting bulls. He inherited the cattle herd from his father, Salvador Algarra del Castillo. Luis removed the previous stock and replaced it with cows and breeding bulls from Juan Pedro Domecq. The bulls he began breeding were well-proportioned, low-set, of moderate weight and aggressiveness – characteristics of exceptional fighting bulls.

The operation doesn’t just include bulls, but Iberian pigs roam a portion of the 1,975 acres of pastureland. There also are holm oak and cork oak forests on the property. Since it takes at least 4 years for a bull to be ready for sale, the operation also sells its pigs and harvests the cork oaks. The cork oaks are a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree and are the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and the cores of cricket balls. It is native to this area as well as northwest Africa.

Marta and her employee took us out to help feed the bulls. The bulls are separated by years so there’s a paddock for the 1-year-olds, the 3-year-olds and the 4-year-olds. They are sold when they’re at least 4 years old. As you can see in the photo, we were on something akin to a hay ride – and trailer with steel benches pulled by a tractor.

Marta would call the bulls and many would answer as they rushed toward us. It was kind of frightening the first time she called the bulls because it was a very loud call. 

She also took us to the arena on the property where she explained some things to us about bull fighting. For instance, Spaniards use the word torero as a general term for any bullfighter in the arena (including the matador, banderilleros, and picadors). We did not have time to visit Seville’s historic bullring, the Plaza de Toros de la real Maestranza de Caballeria de Sevilla where we could’ve learned more about the terminology of bull fighting and see exhibitions of the elaborate uniforms they wear (they have to have someone dress them). We did see it from a bus window though.

Anywho, Marta had two capes that matadors use in the ring – the first one was pink and yellow and the larger of the two; the second cape was red. These two primary capes serve distinct purposes based on the stage of the event. Both were heavy. The pink and yellow cloth is known as the capote de brega, while the smaller red cloth is the muleta.

The pink and yellow cape is used during the first and second stages of the bullfight. The bull side is pink, while the yellow is on the inside facing the matador. Its purpose is to test the bull’s temperament, charge and strength and to maneuver the animal into position for the picadors. Because it is heavy, the matador manipulates it using both hands to create large, billowing defensive arcs. It is a common myth that the color of the cape enrages the bull, but bulls are colorblind to red and pink, meaning they cannot actually distinguish the cape's bright colors. Instead, the bull charges because of the rapid, sweeping movement of the fabric.

The red cape is used only in the final act that precedes the kill. It is used for close-range, precise artistic passes. It is usually wielded with one hand, allowing the matador to move his/her (yes, about 6% of the matadors are female) body elegantly while keeping the fabric steady. During this stage, the red cape also obscures a slightly curved sword that is eventually used to kill the bull.

How the bull moves is a very important part of the performance. Bull fighting fans don’t see it as an athletic contest, but it is deeply revered as a traditional art form and a philosophical display of courage. Fans admire the matador's grace and bravery when facing a powerful animal, viewing the spectacle not as mere violence, but as a symbolic dance between life and death. 

And it’s the rapid, unpredictable movements of the cape that irritate the bull because it is perceived as a threat. The bull's natural instinct is to defend itself by charging at the perceived threat, which is the moving cape. So the bull is reacting to the motion and perceived danger, not the color of the cape.

How do they know how the bull might move and react? Well, Marta told us that would-be matadors practice with the cows, knowing that their offspring most likely will move in similar ways. This is called a “test.” They only “test” a bull once before it is bought because the bulls are very smart, and they can catch on quickly that the cape isn’t the real target. And Marta said it would be very, very bad to the operation’s reputation if one of their bulls killed a matador.

We fed the bulls, viewed the pigs, Andalusian horses and oxen – the oxen are used to run the bulls so they remain strong; the oxen push the bulls. Then we were given a tapas lunch that consisted some really good sangria, some of the farm’s Spanish chorizo from their Iberian pigs, cheese, gazpacho, and a garbanzo bean soup that tasted much like ham and bean soup. We thought the beans were probably cooked along with a ham hock or something.

After we left the metropolitan area going toward the ranch, we noticed acres and acres of sunflowers. They were so pretty. We learned later that Seville is a critical hub for global sunflower production, serving as both a massive agricultural producer for sunflower oil and the world’s leading center for agricultural research and development. In fact, Seville hosts the largest sunflower greenhouse area in the world for research and development, but we didn’t see it.

It was an interesting day away from the city and didn’t require a lot of walking! 

Had a couple of hours before the Flamenco Show, so we gobbled up some tapas and met Sandy/Debbie for a drink. 

We gathered for the excursion, which was an Azamara excursion, and when we boarded the bus – well, there weren’t enough seats for all of us so us, another couple and a guide waited around for two taxi cabs to take us to the venue. The cab let us out about a half-block from the venue, and we got there just in time to take our seat. Afterward, we gulped a glass of wine (complimentary) before we took off for the bus to get home. They brought a bigger bus so we all had seats, but we had to walk probably a half-mile to the bus.

Teatro Flamenco Sevilla is housed in the old Teatro Quintero, and this show featured two singers, a wonderful guitar player and five dancers. They are all local professionals, and they were awesome.

You can sample some of the show here: https://teatroflamencosevilla.com/en/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18731375642&gbraid=0AAAAAoI_lKNb5m1bGcazmgT_newQBAlNo&gclid=CjwKCAjw857RBhAgEiwAI-1yKMwLnumwFq8QjIqslGjgmkTZZqTtBYFE8Gvp1swvgPHKdlgiOmLLzhoCVyEQAvD_BwE

UNESCO declared flamenco one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on Nov. 16, 2010. The oldest record of flamenco music dates to 1774 in the book Las Cartas Marruecas (The Moroccan Letters) by Jose Cadalso. The development of flamenco over the past two centuries is well documented. It is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia. It also is regarded as a complex and sophisticated musical system. Its forms combine song, guitar, dance, compass, modal and tonal harmony, handclaps, footwork, melodic ornamentation and improvisatory variation. 

We saw it all, and it was entertaining. We agreed that one performance goes a long way, like mariachi and klezmer. 

Today is a sea day – an unforeseen sea day, because it wasn’t on the itinerary. We were supposed to remain in Seville today but, apparently, the port of Seville was getting busy and they asked us to leave. So I’ve got time to do the blog after brunch and before our massages later this afternoon when the water is going to get a little choppy, and we’ve been warned to use handrails. 

The - what do you call it? We thought it was more of a hay-ride kind of thing. Anywho, this is what we they used to take us out to feed the bulls.

The ranch's Iberian mother pigs.

Beth and Marta feeding the bulls from the back of the hay-ride thing.

Marta displaying how the matador swings the cape - the red cape is used in the last portion of the performance before the bull is killed.

Beth tries working with the red cape. It was heavy, but not as heavy as the first cape.

Where we had a delightful lunch at the ranch.

Some of the landscape outside the metropolitan Seville area.

Sunflowers from a moving bus window.

Torre del Ora or The Golden Tower. It is an outer defensive tower in Seville built around 1220.

Setas de Sevilla ("Mushrooms of Seville") or Las Setas ("The Mushrooms"), initially titled Metropol Parasol, is a large, predominantly wood structure located at La Encarnación square in the old quarter of Seville, It accommodates a traditional market, restaurants, a performance square and an archaeological museum. We walked through the square from the Flamenco show to our bus.