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Greetings!
I am finally able to sit down and do my hunt report for Spain! There has been a plethora of excitement going on here; more on that later. Regarding our Spain vacation and hunting trip, I will talk about the entire trip in this post. For those who do not want to read the “extras”, I have put that after the hunting report. The hunting portion of this report starts on May 9. We flew to Spain on April 30. For those considering a hunting trip, vacation, or combination of both to Spain, I am including it ALL!
Please grab some coffee or beverage of choice, maybe a snack, and hopefully enjoy my report! If I repeat myself or something sounds a bit off, know that I am typing this with a four-day old moderate concussion. Please overlook any errors. This is why I have the time to sit and write this. When the report is completed, I will make a row of asterisks and then continue under that with the vacation. There are pics of all of it as well!
Here we go…
I purchased this hunt nearly three years ago at an auction in Iowa at a SCI convention. Due to all the travel garbage restrictions, etc., going on, we were finally able to go this year! This was for a cull hunt for Ibex. The Ibex had to have mange and be five years old or younger. It was a three-day hunt. Due to the duration of the hunt, and places we would be laying over on the way to and from, we opted to use the outfitter’s rifle. Bob planned this really great vacation while we were there, and we stayed two full weeks. My birthday is May 4, and we celebrated my birthday whilst there. Also, before we left, Bob surprised me with a tag for a Roe deer. He explained to me that we would likely not see one. However, if we did, I would have a shiny tag for the occasion!! We traveled to a LOT of places during this trip. Bob and I flew to Spain April 30,2023.
May 9th, arrival at hunting area, and first afternoon hunting.
Our guide, Fran, who was referred to as Fran Jr, collected us in Madrid at our hotel mid-morning. We drove for four hours, give or take, to a town called Castellote where we would be staying whilst hunting. We checked in and had an hour before we were to head out to go hunting. There is not a traditional hunting camp that you stay at in this area. Rather, a very small family-owned hotel. The air conditioner has set times a day it does not run. There are no coffee makers in the rooms. There was a set of French doors that opened to outside where there was railing and an area just large enough for me to stand on. Bathroom, full shower, and all the basics that you would expect. We changed clothes, got our gear ready and off we went.
We met the Government Game guy, Jose, and he was a very pleasant, older gentleman, and he was doing the driving. I sat in the front seat with Jose, and Bob and Fran were in the back seat. We drove up into the mountains. On the way, we drove by a farm where they raise bulls for the bull fights. That was cool to see. Down the mountain on the other side of this quaint town was the arena where bull fights were held. Anyhoot, we parked and got out and was looking around and Fran got out the rifle we would be using for hunting. The Rifle was a Tikka T3, 270 WSM, with a really great Swaro Z6i 2.5-15 scope, just like I have on my Ribgy at home. It was nice to have a good rifle and scope. The trigger on the rifle was set very light. Now I cannot recall the specifics; however, it worked out fine and I did not mind it. While getting to know the rifle, we had our binos out and were looking around and I spotted the first Ibex. It was nice too. It was way too big and healthy for what we were hunting. Moving on…
We drove to a different area now that we were all sorted out with the rifle, parked, grabbed our gear and off we went on foot. We side-hilled around this mountain and glassed the barley or wheat fields (not 100% sure which) in the valleys below. That in itself was absolutely gorgeous! We were not expecting to really see much at all this first afternoon out. This was good I suppose, because we did not see any Ibex at all in this area. Fran started talking about how the weather had just had an abrupt change, moon, etc., offering reasons (or excuses) as to why there was no Ibex or traces of them for that matter. We walked for a few hours and headed back to where the vehicle was parked. Everyone glassed a bit more, unloaded the rifle, put it away, and I got in the vehicle. I thought I heard someone say my name. Nah, I probably didn’t. Then, I distinctly heard Bob loudly whisper, “Gina! Come here!” He had my binos and he spotted a very handsome Roe Buck. He gave me my binos so I could look. My binos are Swaro 10x42 range finders. The Roe buck was just under 250 yards away and down the hill. He also happened to be a shooter!
The Roe buck was further down the hill and facing our direction, so we were crouching and walking. We walked around to the right somewhat; closer to where he was. Fran got me to just about 100 yards. I did not have far to go to get down in the prone position, and I was lining up my shot. He was still facing me. The buck turned broad-side and immediately, before I could shoot, he moved and quartered towards me. I took my shot and dropped him where he stood! “Great shot!”, Fran said. Although I knew he was dead right there, I immediately re-loaded, because well, that is what I do. I still had him in view in my scope. After a few seconds, I then got up, unloaded and secured the rifle, passed it to Fran and I looked back up the hill and Jose was standing there. Binos in one hand and giving me a big thumbs up waving in the air with the other hand, and he started heading our way. We were all excited! Big hugs and kisses from Bob, and hugs from Fran, then we headed down to my magnificent Roe buck! When Jose got to us, he congratulated me and gave me a hug and he told me I made a great shot. I was BEYOND excited!!
We took pictures of my Roe buck, and I was admiring how beautiful he was and also the size of the bases and antlers he had. My tag for my Roe deer was a surprise from Bob. The hunt that was planned was a cull Ibex hunt. We were not sure if we would even see any Roe deer. I had low expectations of seeing one, much less getting one. Here I was with an absolute magnificent Roe buck!! I had him skinned for a full mount by the way. Bob was able to send pics to my dad, as well as Cody and Royal from a hill whilst they were skinning the deer.
We were on our way back and we all had supper together. I had specifically asked for broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. The guys had pizza and subs. I had steamed veggies, coffee, and water and was delighted! We had a nice visit during supper. After supper, we all went to our rooms. After eating, showering, and getting things ready for the next morning, it was getting late, and we were heading out at six in the morning. It was a long, productive, and exciting first day hunting and I was looking forward to going out again!
May 10th, second day hunting.
The men had breakfast and they had prepared approximately two quarts of coffee for me. I was having my coffee and was able to take the rest with. Well, Bob and Fran each had a cup of my coffee. It was nice of me to share, I thought. Ibex was on the agenda today! We were talking along the drive and having a nice time. We arrived at our destination and grabbed our gear and headed out on foot. Fran asked on the drive if there was a preference on who got the bigger Ibex if there happened to be two in the same place. I was somewhat indifferent; I got the Roe buck! It was decided (by Bob and Fran) that if there were two, I would shoot the one that was the furthest away regardless of size. The guys asked if that was okay with me and I said it was.
Off on foot we went. It was about 11am when we finally spotted a herd of Ibex off in the distance. It appeared that there were some in that herd that qualified as shooters. Once we got closer, we were able to confirm that. We were 240 yards away. The only way to get any closer was to go out into this opening with no cover. I told Fran I could shoot from where I was. He asked if I was sure. I assured him I was. Before I could say that, however, the Ibex started moving. I quickly got into the prone position as it was the best for me where we were. Fran was next to me in the prone position with binos and describing the Ibex I was to shoot. Fran asked again if I felt comfortable at this distance. I said, “it is not that far.” Fran told me how far it was; 240-250 yards. I said, “yep.” I do not recall how many Ibex there were in total, but there were nine that I could count looking through the scope and they would not stop moving around. There were more Ibex in addition to what I could see. My Ibex walked behind a bush. I was confident that I was on the correct Ibex and once it moved out from behind a bush, I shot him dead in his tracks. He was nearly full broadside when I took my shot. There was another shooter in the group. Fran wanted Bob to get into prone position. Bob wanted to shoot sitting down. Prone does not work for Bob due to back and neck issues. By the time they were finished going back and forth about shooting position, the Ibex had moved on. As a result, so did we after recovering my Ibex.
Fran and Jose were going on about the shot I made, and they were calling me a serial killer. We were excited, of course, and after hugs we headed to my Ibex. My Ibex was four years old. I had this one done for a Euro. I guess some do not take anything but pics on cull hunts. I happen to think Ibex are really cool animals and I wanted it for a Euro, even though it was not a “trophy” Ibex, I am very proud of my Ibex! Due to mange, I did not want to touch it so, I didn’t. We got some good pics regardless haha!
I told Bob that he had to do a hunt report too. He told me to tell what happened because, as I said earlier, there is a lot going on right now.
We were back at the vehicle. Fran thought we should drive back to town for lunch and a nap. Jose wanted to check another spot along the way. So, our take on our time there thus far is that a lot of people take naps during the day in Spain. Not saying all do, however everyone we interacted with liked their mid-day naps. The conversation ended with us stopping at the location Jose wanted, go back to the hotel, have lunch, have a nap, and go back in the afternoon when the Ibex should be out or moving around. Once we were in the area Jose wanted to go we got out and started walking. I spotted an Ibex. I told Fran. Jose was up front, Fran whistled for Jose to stop. It was decided that this qualified for a shooter. There was a pile of rocks nearby. Bob decided he would use this to rest the rifle on. His Ibex was under 100 yards away. Bob took his shot. It hunched up and ran into the woods going up a mountain. Bob was confident in his shot. Fran did not seem as confident. Fran insisted we wait before we walked over there. When we got there, twenty minutes later, Fran looked at the blood that had been sitting for a good twenty minutes and it was in the orange-ish colored dirt, in the full heat of the day sun and said it was a gut shot. Fran wanted to wait longer. Bob went to go up where the Ibex ran and Fran insisted he not go. Jose got impatient and walked up there. Less than ten yards up the hill, by a bush, lay Bob’s dead Ibex with a heart shot! Handshakes for Bob and Bob said, “Everyone used the opportunity to hug Gina some more”, and then we took pictures. For the record, I did not shake Bob’s hand. I gave him a big hug and a kiss! Bob is doing a Euro mount as well. Bob’s Ibex was a five year old. Also take notice that his appears to be noticeably larger than mine. His is a year older but also there was camera angle that makes it look as big as it is, and also, I do believe that Fran and Bob used a horn stretcher when I was not looking. I cannot, however, prove this, as it were…
We headed back to the hotel to have a coffee, or four in my case. The guys had a light snack and then we went to our rooms to pack. We decided to head back that evening instead of the next day. We showered and packed and prepared for the four hour +/- journey back.
After our hunting trip was over, we headed back to Madrid, and Fran and I were sitting in the front seat singing. It was a lot of fun. We stopped for coffee I had not eaten since the evening before, and Fran was reading Spanish labels for me in the store and vetoing anything I could not have. (food allergies/intolerances) I ended up with coffee, water, and plain almonds. Good thing I love almonds. Bob and Fran, however, got enough junk food to make any five-year-old jealous and we were back on our way. Fran lives in Madrid. We were going to go back to Madrid the following morning, however, Bob and I thought that if we went back when we did, we would have an entire day in Madrid to go do more things instead of spending half the day driving. When we got back to Madrid, we were messaging Art @Shootist43 , Joe @Red Leg , Cody @Bullthrower338 and Royal @Royal27 . We were having an amazing time and were still in an excited state from our time hunting and wanted to share a bit.
During this hunting trip, my Roe buck and Ibex are the only two animals I have ever killed from the prone position, ever. It was different, as I have only shot in the prone position a handful of times and it was usually when I used to go to the range every Sunday and play friendly competition games (that I always won by the way ) Before we departed Castellote, Fran took us to the meat locker in town. The amount of ham in there! Iberian ham to be exact. It was cool because we got a tour, and the butcher explained the process to us that they use. We got to see the ham in the various stages from arrival to market.
The hunting trip was absolutely fun! The scenery there is stunning and the four of us got along well and we enjoyed both hunting and our down time visiting. The hunt seemed to both take a lot of time and fly by if that makes any sense? I loved every second of it!! This concludes the hunting report portion of this post. Following below will be the vacation. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing about it!
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On our trip we flew Iceland Air and business class was the best they had. We departed wretched Minnesnowda on April 30 and BIG SURPRISE….IT WAS SNOWING!!!!!
Seriously. It was snowing the entire way to the airport. I told Bob all the snow had better be gone by the time we get home.
This is how my backyard looked the day we left on April 30:
It did not help the cause that Bob stated that they have had snow in June in Minnesnowda. I digress….
On the way to Spain, we went from MN to Iceland to Brussels on Iceland Air, then switched to Air Europa, and from there to Madrid. We landed in Madrid the night of May 1.
Everything on the flight was pretty uneventful except for when we got to Madrid and I looked to see where our luggage was because they all have air tags and our luggage was not where it should be. The luggage never came up on the carousel. Flash forward, the luggage did not make it. We are not sure which airline lost the luggage. Luckily, we each had two days worth of clothes in our carry on bags. We got to our hotel close to midnight and our tour guide was meeting us at 11am the following morning. We loved our little tour guide and I would not hesitate to use her again. She was the reason our luggage was delivered in a timely manner as she called and told them they had to bring it NOW. The person who did the planning however, never again. Unwritten Spain Touring Services for those who are going to ask is the agency. The person who planned things sent the itinerary and she mixed up SEVERAL days. We purchased tickets for trains and events in advance and hotels were booked in advance. There was lots of time wasted and would have been money too, however Bob got that all sorted out.
May 2, Madrid
First day in Madrid, where we were not supposed to be in Madrid this day but did not know. We thought we were to go to the palace. The 17th century Royal Palace is the biggest royal palace in Europe. It is even bigger than Versailles in Paris. It was closed because the king and queen were there for a luncheon. We got to see the grounds from afar and the outside of the palace as close as we could get with all the security. We spent the entire day walking around Madrid. We also went to the Cathedral. We walked 17 miles this day and had a great time in spite of the palace being closed. We went to parks, coffee shops, had lunch. We could not understand why we paid for palace tickets when the palace was closed. The next morning however, we discovered that we were supposed to be in Madrid on day 2 and in Segovia on the first day.
May 3, Segovia-MY FAVORITE
We had to pack our bags for five days. We were leaving Madrid and would return before the hunt. We left our big bags at the hotel and headed for the train station. Our train tickets for Segovia were for the day before. This was discovered when our tickets were scanned to board the train. This is when we found out the planner (mentioned above) mixed it up. We should have been in Madrid on May 3 at the Palace. After the hour and a half delay for a train to Segovia we have to get off the train at an unscheduled stop due to track issues. We then had to go on a bus and ended up arriving hours after we were supposed to be there. Tickets were already purchased, however not that it mattered, they were for the day before also. We went to Alcazar de Segovia. It is a medieval castle in the city of Segovia. Its shape is like the bow of a ship. It is at the bottom of Sierra de Guadarrama. It was beautiful to say the least. We were able to go through nearly the entirety of the castle. I took several pictures of the throne room for when we remodel, I can do a replica. HAHA! Just kidding.
The highlight of Segovia was the Roman Aqueduct built in the year 50. Yes, five zero. THAT was absolutely MAGNIFICENT, and it gave me chills!! It is dry stacked blocks. The state it is in is amazing!! We ate at the most ancient restaurant in the city. They have been cooking the typical roasted suckling piglet and lamb for more than 100 years. The man that owns it still works there and he is up there in years. I was told approximately how old he is but I cannot remember. Bob of course, orders the baby piglet for his meal. I had salad and roast veggies. The piglet is so tender the old guy comes out with a saucer and starts talking about how it is so tender it can be cut with a saucer. He then cuts up the piglet with a saucer and just so everyone knows the saucer he uses is actually just a regular plate, he tosses it on the floor and it shatters! Everyone cheers and then goes back to eating. We took pictures with him and he was a hoot, let me tell you! Segovia was an amazing day even with all the hiccups that we had at the beginning of the day!
May 4, Granada - Happy Birthday to ME!
Another train to Granada. We went to the Alhambra Palace. It is a 12th Century Muslim Palace and nearly made the 8th wonder of the world. The gardens were beautiful, as was the palace. We then went to another Cathedral. The tombs of the Catholic Kings and everything about the Cathedral was amazing. The architecture and detail in all of the ancient buildings were definitely a sight to behold! Aside from the places we went, just the landscape and scenery was beautiful. We got to see so much of Spain whilst traveling on the trains. After that we went to some shops, coffee shops, and when we arrived back at the hotel, there was a large bouquet of flowers for me for my birthday. We ordered room service and enjoyed our private balcony. We were the only room on the top floor and we had quite the views from our room. This was not the room we booked. They upgraded us to the best room they had since it was my birthday! Another great day and a birthday I will not ever forget!!
May 5, Cordoba
Train ride to Cordoba. There is a Mosque, now Catholic Cathedral from the 8th century. The orange tree gardens were beautiful. We stayed at Palacio del Bailio. It once was a palace, and our room had several stone arches in it. There was a restaurant at the hotel and a bar area by the pool and orange trees were everywhere. It was very peaceful and quite beautiful. That night we went to a horse dancing show which was typical of this city. The show was great. The horses were beautiful, and they had one part of the show where a flamenco dancer was dancing with one of the horses. Pictures were not allowed during the show, and they had people there to enforce that. We had supper outside at the hotel restaurant. We had a really great day and evening in Cordoba!
May 6, Sevilla
Train ride to Sevilla. We went to another Cathedral which is the 3rd biggest Christian temple in the world and is where Christopher Columbus is said to be buried. The Cathedral was amazing! The most favorite for me at all of the cathedrals were the pipe organs. This cathedral had 4 and all of them were stunning! The hand carved wood was unbelievable! For lunch, we went to La Casa de Maria and ate outside. We had a wonderful view of the river and the waiter put on my straw sun hat and posed for pictures with Bob. We had a lot of fun and laughs! That night we went to a Flamenco show. Usually in the evenings, Bob and I walked around or relaxed and we just did what we wanted to do. There was a soccer game and the town was unbelievably crowded so for the show that night, we asked our tour guide to go with us because they were closing streets down because of the game. She told us that there a lot of Chinese people who go to these Flamenco shows and they are kind of obsessed with them. The flamenco show was two shows in one. The first four rows were full of all Chinese people who were giving standing ovations through the entire show and shouted OLE!!! Very loud with hands in the air and all after EVERYTHING. Dinner was served during the show. Sevilla was my favorite Cathedral of them all. This day was another that was messed up by the travel planner. Sevilla was absolutely PACKED with people and the hotels were more than quadruple the regular rate because of the event. It was hard to walk around much less drive anywhere because of this. Sevilla should have been booked for a different day all together! All that said, we had an amazing time!
We went to the top of this bell tower. You had to walk the entire way up there!
May 7, Cadiz
Another train ride to Cadiz. We opted to not go to where the planner had planned. Our room was right on the ocean and it was magnificent! We went to the beach and walked all around and had lunch at this really neat place. It was Mother’s day in Spain and this restaurant, which was the best restaurant in the city was quite crowded. I wish I could remember what these things were that Bob ordered but they were something tortilla on the menu. They looked like little rounds of flat, fried cheese. I thought it had all kinds of seasoning on it, but turns out, those were the eyeballs from ALL the tiny shrimp in this particular dish. To those who like shrimp, that may be ok, but to me, shrimp are the roaches of the ocean and I will not touch them. Bob and Vicky (tour guide) managed to eat the food even though it was staring a hole through them. I had veggies. Bob and I walked around the ocean and and we walked around the city. That evening, we ate dinner in the hotel restaurant that was overlooking the ocean. The end wall in our room was two giant doors that opened to a private balcony that overlooked the ocean. We slept most of the night with the doors open and listening to the sounds of the ocean and smelling the salty air. This room did not have a coffee maker in it until Bob went downstairs and came back with one. They said room service would bring me all the coffee I wanted and Bob said that would simply not do and I needed a coffee maker. I had my own coffee, but Bob arrived back with a coffee maker as well as some coffee. We rather enjoyed the balcony, and views. We have a very small pair of Swaro binos and Bob handed them to me and I was looking all over and around the ocean. We were going to be able to sleep in the next morning, so Bob and I took advantage and stayed up late, slept in late, and spent the morning on the balcony with coffee and the amazing view!
Room with a view!
May 8, Madrid
We took a 4 hour train ride back to Madrid to the original hotel we had been staying at there. They took all our luggage upstairs and Bob and I went out doing some shopping and we went to bed early after supper because we were leaving the next day to go hunting. This was probably the most uneventful day we spent in Madrid. Not complaining about it at all. It was nice to rest a bit before hunting.
May 9 and 10 See above. Hunting days
May 11, Madrid
Bob and I spent the day shopping and looking around at places we had not yet been in Madrid. We went to this really cool Mexican restaurant and there was a couple dining there and they were from Spain and also had a house in Sacramento, California. They were an older couple and when they noticed the communication challenges we were having with the waiter, they offered to help. We talked to them for a bit and had some of the best Mexican food (yes, in Spain) that we have ever had. After our very late lunch, we were walking back to the hotel and stopping wherever we wanted to stop on the way. I noticed a Starbucks and Bob asked if I wanted to stop. I said no, because it would be an overpriced tiny cup of disappointment. As we continued walking by, I saw a woman sitting outside of Starbucks with a REAL sized cup of coffee! I immediately changed my mind and inside we went. I was never so happy to see a Starbucks in my life! I ordered a venti americano since they do not have drip coffee in Spain and told him how happy I was that a venti in Spain was the same as a venti in the states. He said, “yes, only at Starbucks”. Bob and I sat outside and enjoyed our coffee before heading back to the hotel. To all the coffee drinkers. A cup of coffee in Spain comes in a cup that looks like a cup to a child’s tea party play set. Here is a picture of me holding one. I do not have large hands either!
It comes half full, and when you order an Americano, they fill the not even shot size cup the rest of the way with water. Our little tour guide though, she learned from day one and she was great ordering coffee! Places would bring me out a glass glass that your regular drinks would come in, and it would be FULL of coffee. She would explain to them that she did not care if you had to brew 4 coffees to fill it, but it had to be big and it had to be full. She would just start ordering coffee straight away for me. She was a gem!
May 12, Madrid-BULL FIGHT NIGHT
On this day Bob and I did a bit of walking about and a bit of relaxing. We had been running non-stop and having a blast, however, a more relaxing day was nice. We had tickets to the bull fight and apparently, Fran told us this was going to be a big one because all of the well-known matadors were going to be there. I guess I was not quite sure what I expected for the bull fight. Before the event we bought some souvenirs from some of the tents set up outside. The place was already swarming with people and we went to find our seats and use the facilities before. Fran warned that if you leave to use the bathroom or get drinks or anything, do NOT get up during the event. And if you are not back before the next bull fight, the doors are closed and you cannot go back in until that one is over. There were 6 bulls total for this event. We had amazing seats. I was excited. I had my rented cushion and Bob got us drinks and I had my half gallon of water and it was outside so I could smoke when I wanted to. People were gearing up for the events that were to unfold shortly and I was taking some pictures and enjoying and soaking up everything around me.
The opening ceremonies had begun! Horses, music, crowd chanting and cheering, out come the Matadors! More cheering rang out from every direction. My excitement was building! Out comes the first bull! There were secure places for 14 bull fighters to stand around the ring. Two at a time would take turns with their bright pink capes coming out from behind their protective barrier and taunt the bull. Wow! The bull gets really close to them sometimes. Then, three men come out, each holding two brightly colored spear type things. I do not know the technical names of these items. It was at this time that I realized that I-WAS-NOT-PREPARED!!!
After each of the 3 men put their colorful short spear/giant dart into the bull, then the man on the blindfolded horse, both horse and man clad with protective armour, he stabs the bull twice with his long spear. I did not realize I was sitting there with my hand over my mouth and tears rolling down my face. Bob noticed and asks if I am okay? I was speechless. Whilst the armoured man on the armoured horse was stabbing the bull, the glittering matador is walking out to the middle of the ring. People are cheering. He starts taunting the bull and he gets close enough and kisses this bull on the nose. After three or four rounds with the bull in this manor, out comes this sword. His first two attempts at placing this sword in the spine of the bull fails. The third try gets it and he just stands back and watches. What seems like an eternity later, the bull falls to his knees. One of the other bull fighters then runs out and stabs it in the head. Then the team of horses come out, with bells and tassles, jingle across the ring, they attach the bull with ropes and drag the bull out of the ring.
Mind=BLOWN!!
To all of you that think I am a big baby, that’s ok. I guess I am with some things. I felt nauseated. I was crying. Not ugly crying or uncontrollably crying, but crying I was and now you all know I have a side somewhere down really deep, usually when it comes to animals, that I am a big softie. Bob asked if I was okay once more. I do not recall if I answered. Bob asked if I wanted to leave. I guess I said no because we stayed for the duration. The second matador was horned by the bull and thrown around like a ragdoll. He landed hard and did not move. He got a bit too cocky. In my opinion, the bull won. Apparently, the bull never wins at a bull fight. The matador was carried off by 6 people. There was also a horse that was injured. When Bob asked me after what my thoughts on the event were, I said, “I wouldn’t not go once, and I will not ever go again.” All in all, it was a unique experience. And that is all I have to say about the bull fight.
May 13, Departure Day
We had a short nap before having to get up at 3am to head to the airport. We were flying from Madrid to London on Air Europa then change to Iceland Air to fly to Iceland and finally to MN.
This was a picture I took out the window of the airplane on our way home.
A littler closer:
The trip was beyond amazing!! We got to see so much and experience so many things. I would definitely visit Spain again! Year before last, Bob and I got to celebrate his birthday in Tanzania, and this year, I got to celebrate my birthday in Spain! If anyone is on the fence about going to Spain, I highly recommend you go! There is so much to do and see. Between the trains and taxi system, traveling to several places in a short amount of time is easy to do. Knowing what we know now, we would not have went to so many cathedrals however, we did not get a final itinerary until right before even though we had been asking for one for MONTHS!
I will make a separate post soon about the excitement that has been going on since our return. What I will say is that there has not been a dull moment so far this year and it does not look like it will be slowing down any time soon!
I hope you enjoyed my hunt report and vacation summary!
Cheers,
Gina
I am finally able to sit down and do my hunt report for Spain! There has been a plethora of excitement going on here; more on that later. Regarding our Spain vacation and hunting trip, I will talk about the entire trip in this post. For those who do not want to read the “extras”, I have put that after the hunting report. The hunting portion of this report starts on May 9. We flew to Spain on April 30. For those considering a hunting trip, vacation, or combination of both to Spain, I am including it ALL!
Please grab some coffee or beverage of choice, maybe a snack, and hopefully enjoy my report! If I repeat myself or something sounds a bit off, know that I am typing this with a four-day old moderate concussion. Please overlook any errors. This is why I have the time to sit and write this. When the report is completed, I will make a row of asterisks and then continue under that with the vacation. There are pics of all of it as well!
Here we go…
I purchased this hunt nearly three years ago at an auction in Iowa at a SCI convention. Due to all the travel garbage restrictions, etc., going on, we were finally able to go this year! This was for a cull hunt for Ibex. The Ibex had to have mange and be five years old or younger. It was a three-day hunt. Due to the duration of the hunt, and places we would be laying over on the way to and from, we opted to use the outfitter’s rifle. Bob planned this really great vacation while we were there, and we stayed two full weeks. My birthday is May 4, and we celebrated my birthday whilst there. Also, before we left, Bob surprised me with a tag for a Roe deer. He explained to me that we would likely not see one. However, if we did, I would have a shiny tag for the occasion!! We traveled to a LOT of places during this trip. Bob and I flew to Spain April 30,2023.
May 9th, arrival at hunting area, and first afternoon hunting.
Our guide, Fran, who was referred to as Fran Jr, collected us in Madrid at our hotel mid-morning. We drove for four hours, give or take, to a town called Castellote where we would be staying whilst hunting. We checked in and had an hour before we were to head out to go hunting. There is not a traditional hunting camp that you stay at in this area. Rather, a very small family-owned hotel. The air conditioner has set times a day it does not run. There are no coffee makers in the rooms. There was a set of French doors that opened to outside where there was railing and an area just large enough for me to stand on. Bathroom, full shower, and all the basics that you would expect. We changed clothes, got our gear ready and off we went.
We met the Government Game guy, Jose, and he was a very pleasant, older gentleman, and he was doing the driving. I sat in the front seat with Jose, and Bob and Fran were in the back seat. We drove up into the mountains. On the way, we drove by a farm where they raise bulls for the bull fights. That was cool to see. Down the mountain on the other side of this quaint town was the arena where bull fights were held. Anyhoot, we parked and got out and was looking around and Fran got out the rifle we would be using for hunting. The Rifle was a Tikka T3, 270 WSM, with a really great Swaro Z6i 2.5-15 scope, just like I have on my Ribgy at home. It was nice to have a good rifle and scope. The trigger on the rifle was set very light. Now I cannot recall the specifics; however, it worked out fine and I did not mind it. While getting to know the rifle, we had our binos out and were looking around and I spotted the first Ibex. It was nice too. It was way too big and healthy for what we were hunting. Moving on…
We drove to a different area now that we were all sorted out with the rifle, parked, grabbed our gear and off we went on foot. We side-hilled around this mountain and glassed the barley or wheat fields (not 100% sure which) in the valleys below. That in itself was absolutely gorgeous! We were not expecting to really see much at all this first afternoon out. This was good I suppose, because we did not see any Ibex at all in this area. Fran started talking about how the weather had just had an abrupt change, moon, etc., offering reasons (or excuses) as to why there was no Ibex or traces of them for that matter. We walked for a few hours and headed back to where the vehicle was parked. Everyone glassed a bit more, unloaded the rifle, put it away, and I got in the vehicle. I thought I heard someone say my name. Nah, I probably didn’t. Then, I distinctly heard Bob loudly whisper, “Gina! Come here!” He had my binos and he spotted a very handsome Roe Buck. He gave me my binos so I could look. My binos are Swaro 10x42 range finders. The Roe buck was just under 250 yards away and down the hill. He also happened to be a shooter!
The Roe buck was further down the hill and facing our direction, so we were crouching and walking. We walked around to the right somewhat; closer to where he was. Fran got me to just about 100 yards. I did not have far to go to get down in the prone position, and I was lining up my shot. He was still facing me. The buck turned broad-side and immediately, before I could shoot, he moved and quartered towards me. I took my shot and dropped him where he stood! “Great shot!”, Fran said. Although I knew he was dead right there, I immediately re-loaded, because well, that is what I do. I still had him in view in my scope. After a few seconds, I then got up, unloaded and secured the rifle, passed it to Fran and I looked back up the hill and Jose was standing there. Binos in one hand and giving me a big thumbs up waving in the air with the other hand, and he started heading our way. We were all excited! Big hugs and kisses from Bob, and hugs from Fran, then we headed down to my magnificent Roe buck! When Jose got to us, he congratulated me and gave me a hug and he told me I made a great shot. I was BEYOND excited!!
We took pictures of my Roe buck, and I was admiring how beautiful he was and also the size of the bases and antlers he had. My tag for my Roe deer was a surprise from Bob. The hunt that was planned was a cull Ibex hunt. We were not sure if we would even see any Roe deer. I had low expectations of seeing one, much less getting one. Here I was with an absolute magnificent Roe buck!! I had him skinned for a full mount by the way. Bob was able to send pics to my dad, as well as Cody and Royal from a hill whilst they were skinning the deer.
We were on our way back and we all had supper together. I had specifically asked for broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. The guys had pizza and subs. I had steamed veggies, coffee, and water and was delighted! We had a nice visit during supper. After supper, we all went to our rooms. After eating, showering, and getting things ready for the next morning, it was getting late, and we were heading out at six in the morning. It was a long, productive, and exciting first day hunting and I was looking forward to going out again!
May 10th, second day hunting.
The men had breakfast and they had prepared approximately two quarts of coffee for me. I was having my coffee and was able to take the rest with. Well, Bob and Fran each had a cup of my coffee. It was nice of me to share, I thought. Ibex was on the agenda today! We were talking along the drive and having a nice time. We arrived at our destination and grabbed our gear and headed out on foot. Fran asked on the drive if there was a preference on who got the bigger Ibex if there happened to be two in the same place. I was somewhat indifferent; I got the Roe buck! It was decided (by Bob and Fran) that if there were two, I would shoot the one that was the furthest away regardless of size. The guys asked if that was okay with me and I said it was.
Off on foot we went. It was about 11am when we finally spotted a herd of Ibex off in the distance. It appeared that there were some in that herd that qualified as shooters. Once we got closer, we were able to confirm that. We were 240 yards away. The only way to get any closer was to go out into this opening with no cover. I told Fran I could shoot from where I was. He asked if I was sure. I assured him I was. Before I could say that, however, the Ibex started moving. I quickly got into the prone position as it was the best for me where we were. Fran was next to me in the prone position with binos and describing the Ibex I was to shoot. Fran asked again if I felt comfortable at this distance. I said, “it is not that far.” Fran told me how far it was; 240-250 yards. I said, “yep.” I do not recall how many Ibex there were in total, but there were nine that I could count looking through the scope and they would not stop moving around. There were more Ibex in addition to what I could see. My Ibex walked behind a bush. I was confident that I was on the correct Ibex and once it moved out from behind a bush, I shot him dead in his tracks. He was nearly full broadside when I took my shot. There was another shooter in the group. Fran wanted Bob to get into prone position. Bob wanted to shoot sitting down. Prone does not work for Bob due to back and neck issues. By the time they were finished going back and forth about shooting position, the Ibex had moved on. As a result, so did we after recovering my Ibex.
Fran and Jose were going on about the shot I made, and they were calling me a serial killer. We were excited, of course, and after hugs we headed to my Ibex. My Ibex was four years old. I had this one done for a Euro. I guess some do not take anything but pics on cull hunts. I happen to think Ibex are really cool animals and I wanted it for a Euro, even though it was not a “trophy” Ibex, I am very proud of my Ibex! Due to mange, I did not want to touch it so, I didn’t. We got some good pics regardless haha!
I told Bob that he had to do a hunt report too. He told me to tell what happened because, as I said earlier, there is a lot going on right now.
We were back at the vehicle. Fran thought we should drive back to town for lunch and a nap. Jose wanted to check another spot along the way. So, our take on our time there thus far is that a lot of people take naps during the day in Spain. Not saying all do, however everyone we interacted with liked their mid-day naps. The conversation ended with us stopping at the location Jose wanted, go back to the hotel, have lunch, have a nap, and go back in the afternoon when the Ibex should be out or moving around. Once we were in the area Jose wanted to go we got out and started walking. I spotted an Ibex. I told Fran. Jose was up front, Fran whistled for Jose to stop. It was decided that this qualified for a shooter. There was a pile of rocks nearby. Bob decided he would use this to rest the rifle on. His Ibex was under 100 yards away. Bob took his shot. It hunched up and ran into the woods going up a mountain. Bob was confident in his shot. Fran did not seem as confident. Fran insisted we wait before we walked over there. When we got there, twenty minutes later, Fran looked at the blood that had been sitting for a good twenty minutes and it was in the orange-ish colored dirt, in the full heat of the day sun and said it was a gut shot. Fran wanted to wait longer. Bob went to go up where the Ibex ran and Fran insisted he not go. Jose got impatient and walked up there. Less than ten yards up the hill, by a bush, lay Bob’s dead Ibex with a heart shot! Handshakes for Bob and Bob said, “Everyone used the opportunity to hug Gina some more”, and then we took pictures. For the record, I did not shake Bob’s hand. I gave him a big hug and a kiss! Bob is doing a Euro mount as well. Bob’s Ibex was a five year old. Also take notice that his appears to be noticeably larger than mine. His is a year older but also there was camera angle that makes it look as big as it is, and also, I do believe that Fran and Bob used a horn stretcher when I was not looking. I cannot, however, prove this, as it were…
We headed back to the hotel to have a coffee, or four in my case. The guys had a light snack and then we went to our rooms to pack. We decided to head back that evening instead of the next day. We showered and packed and prepared for the four hour +/- journey back.
After our hunting trip was over, we headed back to Madrid, and Fran and I were sitting in the front seat singing. It was a lot of fun. We stopped for coffee I had not eaten since the evening before, and Fran was reading Spanish labels for me in the store and vetoing anything I could not have. (food allergies/intolerances) I ended up with coffee, water, and plain almonds. Good thing I love almonds. Bob and Fran, however, got enough junk food to make any five-year-old jealous and we were back on our way. Fran lives in Madrid. We were going to go back to Madrid the following morning, however, Bob and I thought that if we went back when we did, we would have an entire day in Madrid to go do more things instead of spending half the day driving. When we got back to Madrid, we were messaging Art @Shootist43 , Joe @Red Leg , Cody @Bullthrower338 and Royal @Royal27 . We were having an amazing time and were still in an excited state from our time hunting and wanted to share a bit.
During this hunting trip, my Roe buck and Ibex are the only two animals I have ever killed from the prone position, ever. It was different, as I have only shot in the prone position a handful of times and it was usually when I used to go to the range every Sunday and play friendly competition games (that I always won by the way ) Before we departed Castellote, Fran took us to the meat locker in town. The amount of ham in there! Iberian ham to be exact. It was cool because we got a tour, and the butcher explained the process to us that they use. We got to see the ham in the various stages from arrival to market.
The hunting trip was absolutely fun! The scenery there is stunning and the four of us got along well and we enjoyed both hunting and our down time visiting. The hunt seemed to both take a lot of time and fly by if that makes any sense? I loved every second of it!! This concludes the hunting report portion of this post. Following below will be the vacation. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing about it!
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On our trip we flew Iceland Air and business class was the best they had. We departed wretched Minnesnowda on April 30 and BIG SURPRISE….IT WAS SNOWING!!!!!
Seriously. It was snowing the entire way to the airport. I told Bob all the snow had better be gone by the time we get home.This is how my backyard looked the day we left on April 30:
It did not help the cause that Bob stated that they have had snow in June in Minnesnowda. I digress….
On the way to Spain, we went from MN to Iceland to Brussels on Iceland Air, then switched to Air Europa, and from there to Madrid. We landed in Madrid the night of May 1.
Everything on the flight was pretty uneventful except for when we got to Madrid and I looked to see where our luggage was because they all have air tags and our luggage was not where it should be. The luggage never came up on the carousel. Flash forward, the luggage did not make it. We are not sure which airline lost the luggage. Luckily, we each had two days worth of clothes in our carry on bags. We got to our hotel close to midnight and our tour guide was meeting us at 11am the following morning. We loved our little tour guide and I would not hesitate to use her again. She was the reason our luggage was delivered in a timely manner as she called and told them they had to bring it NOW. The person who did the planning however, never again. Unwritten Spain Touring Services for those who are going to ask is the agency. The person who planned things sent the itinerary and she mixed up SEVERAL days. We purchased tickets for trains and events in advance and hotels were booked in advance. There was lots of time wasted and would have been money too, however Bob got that all sorted out.
May 2, Madrid
First day in Madrid, where we were not supposed to be in Madrid this day but did not know. We thought we were to go to the palace. The 17th century Royal Palace is the biggest royal palace in Europe. It is even bigger than Versailles in Paris. It was closed because the king and queen were there for a luncheon. We got to see the grounds from afar and the outside of the palace as close as we could get with all the security. We spent the entire day walking around Madrid. We also went to the Cathedral. We walked 17 miles this day and had a great time in spite of the palace being closed. We went to parks, coffee shops, had lunch. We could not understand why we paid for palace tickets when the palace was closed. The next morning however, we discovered that we were supposed to be in Madrid on day 2 and in Segovia on the first day.
May 3, Segovia-MY FAVORITE
We had to pack our bags for five days. We were leaving Madrid and would return before the hunt. We left our big bags at the hotel and headed for the train station. Our train tickets for Segovia were for the day before. This was discovered when our tickets were scanned to board the train. This is when we found out the planner (mentioned above) mixed it up. We should have been in Madrid on May 3 at the Palace. After the hour and a half delay for a train to Segovia we have to get off the train at an unscheduled stop due to track issues. We then had to go on a bus and ended up arriving hours after we were supposed to be there. Tickets were already purchased, however not that it mattered, they were for the day before also. We went to Alcazar de Segovia. It is a medieval castle in the city of Segovia. Its shape is like the bow of a ship. It is at the bottom of Sierra de Guadarrama. It was beautiful to say the least. We were able to go through nearly the entirety of the castle. I took several pictures of the throne room for when we remodel, I can do a replica. HAHA! Just kidding.
The highlight of Segovia was the Roman Aqueduct built in the year 50. Yes, five zero. THAT was absolutely MAGNIFICENT, and it gave me chills!! It is dry stacked blocks. The state it is in is amazing!! We ate at the most ancient restaurant in the city. They have been cooking the typical roasted suckling piglet and lamb for more than 100 years. The man that owns it still works there and he is up there in years. I was told approximately how old he is but I cannot remember. Bob of course, orders the baby piglet for his meal. I had salad and roast veggies. The piglet is so tender the old guy comes out with a saucer and starts talking about how it is so tender it can be cut with a saucer. He then cuts up the piglet with a saucer and just so everyone knows the saucer he uses is actually just a regular plate, he tosses it on the floor and it shatters! Everyone cheers and then goes back to eating. We took pictures with him and he was a hoot, let me tell you! Segovia was an amazing day even with all the hiccups that we had at the beginning of the day!
May 4, Granada - Happy Birthday to ME!
Another train to Granada. We went to the Alhambra Palace. It is a 12th Century Muslim Palace and nearly made the 8th wonder of the world. The gardens were beautiful, as was the palace. We then went to another Cathedral. The tombs of the Catholic Kings and everything about the Cathedral was amazing. The architecture and detail in all of the ancient buildings were definitely a sight to behold! Aside from the places we went, just the landscape and scenery was beautiful. We got to see so much of Spain whilst traveling on the trains. After that we went to some shops, coffee shops, and when we arrived back at the hotel, there was a large bouquet of flowers for me for my birthday. We ordered room service and enjoyed our private balcony. We were the only room on the top floor and we had quite the views from our room. This was not the room we booked. They upgraded us to the best room they had since it was my birthday! Another great day and a birthday I will not ever forget!!
May 5, Cordoba
Train ride to Cordoba. There is a Mosque, now Catholic Cathedral from the 8th century. The orange tree gardens were beautiful. We stayed at Palacio del Bailio. It once was a palace, and our room had several stone arches in it. There was a restaurant at the hotel and a bar area by the pool and orange trees were everywhere. It was very peaceful and quite beautiful. That night we went to a horse dancing show which was typical of this city. The show was great. The horses were beautiful, and they had one part of the show where a flamenco dancer was dancing with one of the horses. Pictures were not allowed during the show, and they had people there to enforce that. We had supper outside at the hotel restaurant. We had a really great day and evening in Cordoba!
May 6, Sevilla
Train ride to Sevilla. We went to another Cathedral which is the 3rd biggest Christian temple in the world and is where Christopher Columbus is said to be buried. The Cathedral was amazing! The most favorite for me at all of the cathedrals were the pipe organs. This cathedral had 4 and all of them were stunning! The hand carved wood was unbelievable! For lunch, we went to La Casa de Maria and ate outside. We had a wonderful view of the river and the waiter put on my straw sun hat and posed for pictures with Bob. We had a lot of fun and laughs! That night we went to a Flamenco show. Usually in the evenings, Bob and I walked around or relaxed and we just did what we wanted to do. There was a soccer game and the town was unbelievably crowded so for the show that night, we asked our tour guide to go with us because they were closing streets down because of the game. She told us that there a lot of Chinese people who go to these Flamenco shows and they are kind of obsessed with them. The flamenco show was two shows in one. The first four rows were full of all Chinese people who were giving standing ovations through the entire show and shouted OLE!!! Very loud with hands in the air and all after EVERYTHING. Dinner was served during the show. Sevilla was my favorite Cathedral of them all. This day was another that was messed up by the travel planner. Sevilla was absolutely PACKED with people and the hotels were more than quadruple the regular rate because of the event. It was hard to walk around much less drive anywhere because of this. Sevilla should have been booked for a different day all together! All that said, we had an amazing time!
We went to the top of this bell tower. You had to walk the entire way up there!
May 7, Cadiz
Another train ride to Cadiz. We opted to not go to where the planner had planned. Our room was right on the ocean and it was magnificent! We went to the beach and walked all around and had lunch at this really neat place. It was Mother’s day in Spain and this restaurant, which was the best restaurant in the city was quite crowded. I wish I could remember what these things were that Bob ordered but they were something tortilla on the menu. They looked like little rounds of flat, fried cheese. I thought it had all kinds of seasoning on it, but turns out, those were the eyeballs from ALL the tiny shrimp in this particular dish. To those who like shrimp, that may be ok, but to me, shrimp are the roaches of the ocean and I will not touch them. Bob and Vicky (tour guide) managed to eat the food even though it was staring a hole through them. I had veggies. Bob and I walked around the ocean and and we walked around the city. That evening, we ate dinner in the hotel restaurant that was overlooking the ocean. The end wall in our room was two giant doors that opened to a private balcony that overlooked the ocean. We slept most of the night with the doors open and listening to the sounds of the ocean and smelling the salty air. This room did not have a coffee maker in it until Bob went downstairs and came back with one. They said room service would bring me all the coffee I wanted and Bob said that would simply not do and I needed a coffee maker. I had my own coffee, but Bob arrived back with a coffee maker as well as some coffee. We rather enjoyed the balcony, and views. We have a very small pair of Swaro binos and Bob handed them to me and I was looking all over and around the ocean. We were going to be able to sleep in the next morning, so Bob and I took advantage and stayed up late, slept in late, and spent the morning on the balcony with coffee and the amazing view!
Room with a view!
May 8, Madrid
We took a 4 hour train ride back to Madrid to the original hotel we had been staying at there. They took all our luggage upstairs and Bob and I went out doing some shopping and we went to bed early after supper because we were leaving the next day to go hunting. This was probably the most uneventful day we spent in Madrid. Not complaining about it at all. It was nice to rest a bit before hunting.
May 9 and 10 See above. Hunting days
May 11, Madrid
Bob and I spent the day shopping and looking around at places we had not yet been in Madrid. We went to this really cool Mexican restaurant and there was a couple dining there and they were from Spain and also had a house in Sacramento, California. They were an older couple and when they noticed the communication challenges we were having with the waiter, they offered to help. We talked to them for a bit and had some of the best Mexican food (yes, in Spain) that we have ever had. After our very late lunch, we were walking back to the hotel and stopping wherever we wanted to stop on the way. I noticed a Starbucks and Bob asked if I wanted to stop. I said no, because it would be an overpriced tiny cup of disappointment. As we continued walking by, I saw a woman sitting outside of Starbucks with a REAL sized cup of coffee! I immediately changed my mind and inside we went. I was never so happy to see a Starbucks in my life! I ordered a venti americano since they do not have drip coffee in Spain and told him how happy I was that a venti in Spain was the same as a venti in the states. He said, “yes, only at Starbucks”. Bob and I sat outside and enjoyed our coffee before heading back to the hotel. To all the coffee drinkers. A cup of coffee in Spain comes in a cup that looks like a cup to a child’s tea party play set. Here is a picture of me holding one. I do not have large hands either!
It comes half full, and when you order an Americano, they fill the not even shot size cup the rest of the way with water. Our little tour guide though, she learned from day one and she was great ordering coffee! Places would bring me out a glass glass that your regular drinks would come in, and it would be FULL of coffee. She would explain to them that she did not care if you had to brew 4 coffees to fill it, but it had to be big and it had to be full. She would just start ordering coffee straight away for me. She was a gem!
May 12, Madrid-BULL FIGHT NIGHT
On this day Bob and I did a bit of walking about and a bit of relaxing. We had been running non-stop and having a blast, however, a more relaxing day was nice. We had tickets to the bull fight and apparently, Fran told us this was going to be a big one because all of the well-known matadors were going to be there. I guess I was not quite sure what I expected for the bull fight. Before the event we bought some souvenirs from some of the tents set up outside. The place was already swarming with people and we went to find our seats and use the facilities before. Fran warned that if you leave to use the bathroom or get drinks or anything, do NOT get up during the event. And if you are not back before the next bull fight, the doors are closed and you cannot go back in until that one is over. There were 6 bulls total for this event. We had amazing seats. I was excited. I had my rented cushion and Bob got us drinks and I had my half gallon of water and it was outside so I could smoke when I wanted to. People were gearing up for the events that were to unfold shortly and I was taking some pictures and enjoying and soaking up everything around me.
The opening ceremonies had begun! Horses, music, crowd chanting and cheering, out come the Matadors! More cheering rang out from every direction. My excitement was building! Out comes the first bull! There were secure places for 14 bull fighters to stand around the ring. Two at a time would take turns with their bright pink capes coming out from behind their protective barrier and taunt the bull. Wow! The bull gets really close to them sometimes. Then, three men come out, each holding two brightly colored spear type things. I do not know the technical names of these items. It was at this time that I realized that I-WAS-NOT-PREPARED!!!
After each of the 3 men put their colorful short spear/giant dart into the bull, then the man on the blindfolded horse, both horse and man clad with protective armour, he stabs the bull twice with his long spear. I did not realize I was sitting there with my hand over my mouth and tears rolling down my face. Bob noticed and asks if I am okay? I was speechless. Whilst the armoured man on the armoured horse was stabbing the bull, the glittering matador is walking out to the middle of the ring. People are cheering. He starts taunting the bull and he gets close enough and kisses this bull on the nose. After three or four rounds with the bull in this manor, out comes this sword. His first two attempts at placing this sword in the spine of the bull fails. The third try gets it and he just stands back and watches. What seems like an eternity later, the bull falls to his knees. One of the other bull fighters then runs out and stabs it in the head. Then the team of horses come out, with bells and tassles, jingle across the ring, they attach the bull with ropes and drag the bull out of the ring.
Mind=BLOWN!!
To all of you that think I am a big baby, that’s ok. I guess I am with some things. I felt nauseated. I was crying. Not ugly crying or uncontrollably crying, but crying I was and now you all know I have a side somewhere down really deep, usually when it comes to animals, that I am a big softie. Bob asked if I was okay once more. I do not recall if I answered. Bob asked if I wanted to leave. I guess I said no because we stayed for the duration. The second matador was horned by the bull and thrown around like a ragdoll. He landed hard and did not move. He got a bit too cocky. In my opinion, the bull won. Apparently, the bull never wins at a bull fight. The matador was carried off by 6 people. There was also a horse that was injured. When Bob asked me after what my thoughts on the event were, I said, “I wouldn’t not go once, and I will not ever go again.” All in all, it was a unique experience. And that is all I have to say about the bull fight.
May 13, Departure Day
We had a short nap before having to get up at 3am to head to the airport. We were flying from Madrid to London on Air Europa then change to Iceland Air to fly to Iceland and finally to MN.
This was a picture I took out the window of the airplane on our way home.
A littler closer:
The trip was beyond amazing!! We got to see so much and experience so many things. I would definitely visit Spain again! Year before last, Bob and I got to celebrate his birthday in Tanzania, and this year, I got to celebrate my birthday in Spain! If anyone is on the fence about going to Spain, I highly recommend you go! There is so much to do and see. Between the trains and taxi system, traveling to several places in a short amount of time is easy to do. Knowing what we know now, we would not have went to so many cathedrals however, we did not get a final itinerary until right before even though we had been asking for one for MONTHS!
I will make a separate post soon about the excitement that has been going on since our return. What I will say is that there has not been a dull moment so far this year and it does not look like it will be slowing down any time soon!
I hope you enjoyed my hunt report and vacation summary!
Cheers,
Gina
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