Monumental

Awhile back I wrote about Las Arenas, the bullring converted to shopping mall.  Barcelona actually had two bullrings, the other being Monumental.  It's a museum now, which Mary and I visited yesterday.

The last bullfight to be held here was in 2011, after which the practice was banned in Catalonia.

The museum artifacts include posters,

garments (vestments?),

art,

and other stuff.

Here's the inside of the ring.

You can even go down onto the sand, inside the ring.

I love the details.  This is one of the floor tiles.

And these troughs are at the edges of the sand around the entire ring.

I made this last pic just for luck.

Though I'm sure some would find that superstitious and prefer to go to the bullring's chapel.

This is the only bullring I've ever visited.  Out of curiosity, I'm starting to read Hemmingway's Death in the Afternoon again.

 It's not always been matadors and bulls at Monumental.

 Tomorrow afternoon, Barca plays.  Sounds like a good excuse for a day off.