From the Road

“Fire Bull” at Easter

Easter marks the beginning of the bull ritual season in Spain.

Poster Toro Embalao 2026 © Municipality Los Barrios

Poster ©Los Barrios

In Spain, Holy Week is called “Semana Santa.” At the end of this week, countless bulls are killed by the matador’s sword in the larger cities. In smaller towns, “fire bulls” run through the streets in a panic. More here.

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On the road: Road trip Andalusia, part 1

My Berlin-Spain road trip now takes me through Andalusia.

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“The world is big, and you’ll never arrive.”

Phillip Soupault

On the Road

After two months in Spain, I drove my ancient VW Polo across Andalusia to Portugal. The common thread on my road trip is animal welfare, or rather, the cruel rituals explained away as “cultural tradition” that are still practiced in both countries. In Portugal, it seems to be less prevalent, or perhaps more subtly disguised.

Along the way, I visited two shelters for Galgos, the Spanish greyhounds, and made a detour to a border town in Portugal that had obtained a special permit to continue an archaic bullfighting ritual.