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Pamplona

By comparison, Pamplona (Iruña in Basque) is a relatively tranquil and straightlaced city, but of course all hell breaks loose in the second week of July: los San Fermines — with the Running of the Bulls — arrive. Although it is generally thought of as a nonstop Saturnalia in the streets, the festival of San Fermines is more complicated than that.

Every person has his or her San Fermines, there is the quiet nervous anticipation of the morning before the encierro (the bull running); there is the bustling breakfast afterwords; there is the resumption of normalcy until lunchtime. After that, there comes a siesta and then for some, the bullfights in the late afternoon. Of course at night everybody is in the streets or at least it seems so. For people who love to party the San Fermines is a wonder to behold, but there is also a beauty in enjoying the festivities without drinking at all. Rising early and retiring early is another good way to do it.

 

 

  • Beautiful parks

  • Famous cathedral

  • El casco vieja

  • The citadel, murallas, etc.

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