Before arriving at the village, I couldn’t even imagine that there is a bullring. If I wasn’t a curious creature who couldn’t leave a closed door without knowing what lay behind it, I probably would have ignored the two large wing-like structures that were chained together with iron.
After passing by several times while they remained closed and locked, I took a peek from outside. I could see a courtyard with a spacious area leading to what looked like a small stadium.
A few days later, we were taken to an agricultural fair in Beja, the nearby city. Already at the entrance to the city, there were numerous advertisements inviting us to a forthcoming competition in the central arena.
At the fair itself, there were many gigantic bulls, nurtured by their owners even during the fair. They paraded them, fed the massive beasts, and above all, proudly walked with their chests puffed out.
Just before leaving, I decided to head towards the abandoned monastery. Once again, I passed by the arena, but this time the doors were wide open! I entered the courtyard. I said ‘hello’ aloud, but no one responded. I proceeded to one of the gates, climbed a few steps, and then, oh, then a wide circular arena was revealed.
In its center, shimmering golden soil was surrounded by a gleaming white stone stadium. Red markings and red fences created order. I settled on a stone seat, closed my eyes, and imagined once more.
I felt something deeply unsettling, so I hurried to leave, passed through a large water basin and a discarded pipe.
From there, I went straight to the fab-lab studio. There, I printed the photo I had taken moments ago and burned it on little wood. I held a piece of the arena in my hand, trying to understand what made me so excited about this place.