Pamplona is the historical capital in Navarre, Spain. This little city gets a lot of tourists in July. Why? It is famous for its San Fermin festival from July 7 to 14. Its "running of the bulls" is one of the main attractions and had been made world-known in Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises. (...it's on my booklist...)
Luckily and unluckily we weren't here in time for the festivals..Hooray for not crowding around with too many tourists and Boo for not seeing the bulls...
Statue of Ernest Hemingway outside of the bullring
This plaza is packed with people in white and red scarves (the traditional attire for San Fermin) during the festivals. Somebody fires a gun on the balcony of this building each year on July 7th to announce the start of the San Fermin festival.
This gated "parking lot" is where they keep the bulls the day before the "run". Each day, 12 bulls (6 tame and 6 wild) are "released" from this lot and they run along the designated route of 825 metres towards the bullring. The bull run or Encierro consists of participates who are sober and over the age of 18 running with the bulls. It's quite a dangerous activity where accidents do happen each year. This doesn't really stop many young men from participating the run though.
This used to be the only entrance into the fort...
Beautiful works...
I freaked out the first time I saw this. It's creepy no? Then I started to realize that they are everywhere...
Cathedral of Pamplona...
Technically Pamplona isn't one of the Basque countries; however, there is still a Basque population here. You can see their cultures in restaurants, in the streets and well, on the balconies.
Plaza de Castillo is where we spent most of our afternoons
I LOVE spanish food... The variety... the pinchos... the jamons....the pimientos....the fritos....the tortillas.......yum yum yum.....
No comments:
Post a Comment