We were not sorry to leave our overnight prison! A weird place really….albeit clean and comfortable!
But it was a fairly non-descript ride today…as we took the fastest on-road route….to give us plenty of time to prepare for our bullfight! The reason for this huge detour, after all!
Plenty of vineyards…..
….and lots of cork!
For the last few days we have passed the odd tree….and the odd ‘orchard’…but today we cycled through large forests!
I do love cork!
What a material! All but impermeable to water! All but inflammable (the non-burning variety…what an odd word!)! A great insulator! A wine stopper! A floor! And beautiful to boot! And beautiful boots as well!
A lesson in cork!
Cork is first harvested by removing some of the bark…when a Cork Oak is around 25 years old! But even then the first two harvests (at least nine years apart) are considered to be not good quality!! So…honestly!?…you have to wait 43 years…to have what might be considered a ‘good’ harvest! And then wait another 9 or 10 years for the next!! A lesson in sustainability? Long-term investment? Extraordinary really in this fast world we live in!
And when you do ‘harvest’ the bark…you can only strip to a height of around 2-3 times the circumference of the trunk. Take more…and you can kill the tree!
A freshly stripped tree looks somewhat naked! Like it has not got its trousers on! The fresh orange-ness does fade quite quickly however……
But what an industry…and Portugal exports around 60% of the world’s cork! The biggest producer by far!
I do wonder if it all makes economic sense! The value? Apparently $1.50/kg….in its raw state. And each tree (mature tree, mind you!) might produce 40kg…every nine or ten years!! That works out at six bucks per year per tree! Less harvest costs. Less pruning costs. Less….etc……ffs!!
Good job you can graze stock amongst the trees!!
But I do love cork…..and cork trees!!
As we approached Santarem…we crossed the Tagus River (which flows on to Lisbon!)…
And whilst Santarem was no more than a bullfight venue for us…it was a surprisingly attractive city….
…..with lots of tiled buildings…..
As soon as we arrived, we showered…and took ourselves off to the bullring! For pre-match beers, and then to join the throng! A huge event for the town. And Portugal Day (National holiday!)…so everyone was ready to enjoy the spectacle!
I do not believe there was an empty seat…among the 14,000 on offer (well more than 25% of the population!).
We had prime seats ‘on the barrier’ (ie right at the front!)..so were able to look straight down on to the main players!
And the main players in a Portuguese bullfight are the Cavaleiros, essentially Matadors on horseback, the mad Forcados (more below), and the Matador. Our event involved six bulls, two fights for each of the two famous Cavaleiros, and two for the less-than-thrilling Matador (on foot!).
The horsemanship was simply extraordinary…as of course were the horses…as the Cavaleiros showed off their skill in keeping their horse as close as possible to the charging bull (without allowing contact)…..whilst – yes, the painful bit – stabbing the bull with six small bandarhilos. They each used three horses per fight…to ensure the horses did not get too knackered!
And once all the bandarhilos are in place…the Cavalieros leave the ring….after much posturing….and much applause.
And then the mad bit! But my favourite bit! Eight Forcadas enter the ring. And the head man….moves to the centre of the ring…no protection whatsoever…and goads the bull to charge at him! (…this is a compendium of shots from various fights!)
He takes the charge in his gut…
…..grabs the horns…and then his seven mates rush forward to stop the bull in its tracks! It is MAD! One guy missed…and got chucked into the air by the bull…chaos!
Then….once they have the bull under control….one guy…grabs the bull by the tail…and holds on for dear life…as all his mates dash to the side! So there is the bull trying to buck this guy who is on his tail…and they both spin round like a top!
Compared to the extraordinarily skilful Cavaleiros and the mad Forcadas….the on-foot Matador….seemed somewhat pedestrian….!!
No bulls are killed in Portuguese bullfights! Good fighters are put out to pasture for breeding.
Bad fighters are sent to the abbatoir.
They do only fight once!
They are led out of the ring by a group of tame oxen…with bells on. Quite quaint really!
Three hours in….and not one person had left their seat!!
We both thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle!
Funny really…for last time in Portugal I took Liz to a bullfight…promising her that no bulls are killed etc….but she hated it…so I really did not see very much of it!
Cruel? Many folk will think it is. And yes…the bulls are tormented. But they are bred to fight. And the challenge of the mad Forcadas really does seem like a fair fight!
An extraordinary tradition…and a true spectacle. And honestly? There are so many other cruelties in the world which everyone should be worrying about a heap more!
And…I do like my beef!!
And the star Cavaleiro did hurt his finger…..and needed an ice-pack….
