Words About Things

1,000 miles
2 weeks
4,000 photo
in 2 minutes.

Video by Mike Matas

Following the practice being banned in the northern region of Catalonia Spanish politicians have tried to protect the future of bull fighting in Spain. Members of the Partido Popular (People’s Party) have put forward a bill which if successful would overturn the ban and prevent further legislation. They claim that the practice should be protected as it is an important part of Spain’s national Culture. If it were considered a cultural event bull fighting may escape the nationwide ban that many see on the horizon. Spain’s ruling Partido Socialista Obrero Español (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) opposes the bill being put forward by the People’s Party.

Bull fighting has been banned in the Canary Islands since 1991 but is still popular in many other regions and with visiting tourists. Many believe that bull fighting is of vital importance to Spain’s national identity and should be protected as such. Tanya Case, a 41-year-old Spanish teacher from Vermont said “you cannot have Spain without bullfighting”. Some members of Spain’s royal family would seem to agree, they are often spotted at such events. Bull breeder Eduardo Martin-Penato unsurprisingly supports the bill saying “”Under the Constitution the government is obliged to protect culture.”

Others see bull fighting as nothing more than ritual torture and welcomed the ban in Catalonia. They see the practice as outdated and unnecessary – a show for the many tourists Spain attracts and nothing more. The fact that bull fighting is a long standing tradition has little impact of the thoughts of many in the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party who believe that it should have been banned long ago. Attendance at events has fallen in recent years in part due to economic troubles but some suggest the Spanish are no longer interested in Bull fighting. Mimi Bekhechi of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called the attempt to pass the bill “just a desperate attempt by a small minority of people to cling to this former tradition that most Spaniards have no interest in whatsoever”.

It is unlikely that the bill will be passed as law as long as the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party remains in power. The bill is only likely to succeed if the People’s Party win the next election although this looks increasingly likely.

This video is quite old but I decided to post it anyway for those who might not have seen it yet. It is filmed in a place in Spain called El Camino Del Rey (The King’s little pathway) which is near Álora in Málaga. The Camino is a a pathway along the edge of a narrow gorge, it was built between 1901 and 1905.

Wikipedia has the details about the Camino:

“In 1901 it became obvious that workers at the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls needed a walkway to cross between the falls, to provide for transport of materials, and for the inspection and maintenance of the channel.

The walkway has now gone many years without maintenance, and is in a highly deteriorated and dangerous state. It is one meter (3 feet and 3 inches) in width, and is over 100 meters (350 feet) above the river. Nearly all of the path has no handrail. Some parts of the concrete walkway have completely collapsed and all that is remaining is the steel beam originally in place to hold it up. One can latch onto a modern steel safety-wire to keep from falling, though it can’t hold much weight. Several people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years; after four people died in two accidents in 1999 and 2000[1], the local government closed the entrances. However, many adventurous tourists still find their way onto the walkway to explore it.”

Since this was written the pathway has been reopened although I’m not sure if it has been restored or not. Either way you wouldn’t catch me up their without being attached to the safety wire, just watching the video makes me feel a little bit sick. Having said that I would love to visit the trail, I have even looked into car hire in Spain and nearby hotels. If I do walk the trail I will film it and post it here although I might have to edit out the sound of me crying in fear…