National Geographic: The Soul of Spain Page #2

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in the Seville apartment

where his heir, Rocio, lives

She is now head of her family's

agricultural business

As her father did

Rocio grows wheat and sunflowers and

raises bulls to fight in the ring

Every year the new calves are rounded

up for branding

In this tough and traditionally

male-oriented atmosphere

Rocio has found acceptance

Of course it's harder being a woman

but society is changing and nowadays

there are no real problems,

big problems

If I were a man

I'd wrestle those calves

but as a woman, I can't

But there are many important things

to do on a ranch

where being a woman makes no difference

at all

Diego Reina has been employed

by the Camaras for more than 20 years

He helped raised Rocio

and when her father died continued

as foreman

He has had other job offers

but he respects and admires Rocio

He says he will never leave.

Unlike his peers of 25 years ago

Diego receives an adequate income

has his own house

and can look forward to retirement

with social security

Today Diego has the right to vote

but like many others

still prefers the old ways

Personally, I felt more at ease under

Franco than now

Nobody bothered anybody

You could bed down in the fields anywhere

Now you can't

In the last few years before Franco died

life was peaceful in the country

We ate well in the country and we could

save a peseta or two

Who saves anything nowadays?

Whether Juan, Pedro

or Antonio is in charge

the land is the same

We live off the land and die for

the land

It's always the same, always the same

Diego's land is Andalucia

In this southernmost region of Spain

under a brilliant sun and sky

olive trees and vineyards have thrived

for thousands of years

Only here in all the world

in a small area of chalky

moisture-retaining soil

is true sherry wine produced

In 1730

a French farmer founded a sherry dynasty

in the town of Jerez de la Frontera

Today, the heirs of Pedro Domecq

are the second largest producers of

sherry in the world

part of an elite referred to as

"sherry barons"

Still, even at age 77

Jose Ignacio Domecq enjoys driving

to work on a second-hand motorbike

purchased from his chauffeur

At the manor house that overlooks

some of the Domecq vineyards

he meets his eldest son

The manor was built around an

ancient tower

used during the Middle Ages to send

smoke signals to Africa

only 65 miles away

It provides a vantage point

from which the Domecqs can confer

about the 4,300 acres of vineyards

they cultivate here

One day the younger Jose Ignacio

will take control of their wine

and brandy empire is Spain and

the Americas

Domecq produces 10 million liters

of sherry annually

The most vital element in creating a

distinctive sherry is the human factor...

specifically, the human nose

In the bodegas where sherry matures

the Domecqs exercise the delicate skill

which has made the family masters of

the art of wine making for 250 years

We maintain our standardization of

quality

throughout the different generations

My father is known in the wine world...

...for the nose

not only because of the size of it

that is you have seen rather big

but because he's considered one of the...

...most important specialists in Europe

in the science of wine

The unique quality of sherry

derives from the solera system

New sherry is blended with more mature

sherry to take on its characteristics

Fortified with grape brandy and

repeatedly blended

it ages in oak casks until it reaches

maturity

The most venerable bodega holds casks of

rate sherry dedicated to the famous

Among them is one once reserved

for George IV

King of England

A cask was dedicated to Napoleon in 1812

And after the battle of Trafalgar

Admiral Lord Nelson's body was shipped

to England

perfectly preserved

in a cask of brandy and sherry

At his nearby estate

one of the 500 relatives who are

shareholders

in the Domecq corporation indulges

in another family passion

For 20 years Alvaro Domecq

like his father before him

was famed for his prowess in the Spanish

art of bullfighting on horseback

Today, he raises fine Andalucian horses

and hulls to fight in the ring

Bullfighting was once the leisure

pastime of gentlemen on horseback

Farmhands assisted with their capes

Modern bullfighting performed

by professionals on foot began

only two centuries ago

Bullfights are the highlight of the

annual April Fair in nearby Jerez

For this special event six local

breeders each enter a superior bull

in the competition for Best of the Year

Domecq is here

sharing the crowd's anticipation

and hoping his bull will bring honor

to the family's reputation as breeders

Victor Mendes

the matador who will face that bull

prepares for his test as he dons the

traditional suit of lights

The bullring manager

and other well-wishers

come bearing the only protection

they can offer "Suerte"

good luck

As his sword handler makes

final adjustments

Mendes reflects on the trial ahead

It's now a fight or game between the

rational and the irrational

if is possible to arrive to the death

the death of the bull

But sometimes, the death of the man

To the Spaniard the bullfight

is not a game

but a revered ritual

not a sport but an art

Its origins can be traced to pagan

sacrifices

and to ancient Greek and Roman games

In its beauty, glorification of bravery

and disdain for death

the bullfight embodies traditional values

of Spanish life

More than spectacle

this is mythic theater

in which the drama of life and death

is reenacted

culminating in the predictable

but by no means certain

death of a noble beast.

In recent years it has lost popularity

and there is increasing disquiet

among a minority of Spaniards about

the morality of their "national fiesta

But for some

it remains an irreplaceable thread

in the fabric of their heritage

As the afternoon turns to evening

crowds begin to gather

at the fairgrounds

In this weeklong celebration women wear

traditional Andalucian dresses

friends meet, sip sherry,

make music, and dance

The region of Extremadura

in western Spain

has always been harsh and ungiving

For decades Azuaga

like many small agricultural

and mining towns

has slowly but steadily lost

its population

The future looks bleak unless young

people can be persuaded to stay

Among the few professionals here is a

husband-and-wife team of doctors

assigned to the local clinic

Their 16-year-old daughter, Alicia

feels trapped in the stifling atmosphere

This is a small town

There isn't much for me to do

I'm not sure whether so stay or leave

I'll probably leave

but I still haven't decided

The lack of entertainment

career opportunities

even participation in sports

all make teenagers yearn for greater

freedom

The old ways hold no allure

for the young generation

When Alicia's parents accept job offers

in Seville

she is thrilled to go with them

She will become one of the thousands

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