Cipotegato

The past week I went to Barcelona to visit with my aunt and uncle who live there.  I was able to go to the Sagrada Familia again, took a boat ride around the port and finally got to tour the Palau de Musica Catalana.  I had a great time and it was much better weather there, around 84 F not the 104 F it was in Zaragoza.

Early Saturday morning I got the bus to Tarazona for the famous festival that occurs on the 27^th.  It started at noon but people had been drinking from 10 am on.  We left for the plaza around 11:30 and as soon as we got close we were hit with tomatoes.  The cobblestone streets were covered with tomato guts which made them even more slippery than usual.  We were packed into the plaza like sardines and the entire time getting hit with pieces of tomatoes.  Finally the Cipotegato ran out of the town hall and around the town for 10 minutes then back to the town hall again.  I wanted to take my camera to the plaza but was warned that it would be ruined.  I am so glad I didn’t take it because in addition to the tomatoes people throw buckets of water down from the balconies.  Afterwards there was a foam party in the old bullring with huge foam shooters and it helped to clean a small bit of the tomato off but not much.  Then people just partied outside, there were different DJs set up along the river and it was a fun and interesting time.  I never knew how sticky tomatoes could be.  I washed my hair twice and still had to pick out a bunch of tomato seeds that were still stuck.

Yesterday we went to a live bullfight.  I was not too enthusiastic to go because I feel bad for the animals but it is a cultural event.  Other than the unpleasantness of the killing it was a nice time.  The 5^th bull of the evening jumped the first barrier 3 times, broke through one of the gates, and almost gored the matador; it was the most exciting time of the night.  The fighters weren’t too good and some of the crowd got a little too drunk and were throwing trash into the ring.  As we left we saw the butchers cutting up the bulls, not a pleasant sight but at least the meat doesn’t go to waste.  I have pictures and video of some of the fights but my Internet connection isn’t great so it would take a long time and I don’t know if people want to see them.