Bullfighting in Barcelona

So you're coming to Barcelona and you want to see one of the most traditional aspects of Spanish culture AND emulate Hemingway at the same time.

Except that bullfighting is not traditional in Barcelona at all as the culture in Catalunya is very different to that of "deep" Spain - while bullfighting does exist in Barcelona, it is made economically viable in part by tourism.

In fact, in a poll taken in 2004 more than 60% of the population of Barcelona wanted to ban bullfighting in Barcelona altogether and the council has symbolically proclaimed Barcelona to be an anti-bullfighting city; in reality the power to prevent bullfighting in Barcelona would require the law to be changed by the Catalan government.

But let us not forget that bullfighting is gratuitously cruel; despite what the pro-bullfighting lobby may tell you about it being an art form, with the art being the "clean" kill, the bull is taunted and aggravated before its death, stabbed by spears, and finally killed by the matador - which simply means "killer" in Spanish.

And the bull is not the only animal at risk, because the horses in the ring can also be badly injured as the bull strikes out in terror at anything it can.

So, emulate Hemingway by all means; but stick to the absinthe.