Friday + Saturday 8/9 July 2011 #9/10 a continual bike riders dream with a bull or two

Day two and three of running with the bulls - time to watch it from above the crowds then watch it from up in the stands in the bull ring!? 

Food - Friday - pastries while waiting for the bulls (and people) to run by, a lovely way to start a day + our dinner at the Convention Centre last nite while watching the fireworks! Saturday - home cooked dinner tonite, potato salad with spanish sausage, mushrooms and onion and some cider, with ‘the team’ before Vic and I split.

Weather - Cold - long pants and t-shirt were not the dress of the day ... that was what I was in till changing into cycling gear and getting a few k’s in. Saturday, HOT and plenty more people in town due to it being a weekend, again this ‘celebration’ goes on and on and on! 

Car - Ambulances, there were heaps of them today, carting those poor buggers off to hospital. Sad enough, as I was driving past the hospital today there was someone being ‘released’ with a bandage wrapped around his head, he’ll have a memory for life. More ambulances on Saturday, a guy was in our street getting his heart pumped when we left early this morning ... a guy about midday was also being kept alive by the ambo’s. 

Conversation - Friday - Tourist to me in regards to last nights firework display “Those fireworks are the best I’ve ever seen” - I hate to be a fireworks SNOB but they were not as good as the Sydney’s New Years Eve celebrations, kmon! Saturdays conversation, it was with Seb who I was sitting next to in the bull ring this morning, anything he said was a drunken slur ... not bad for a 17 year old, his parents would be so proud ... I just wish that I had a breath mint for him!

Animal - Friday, seeing the bulls run was quite amazing, more on that later, they take the cake but up there with them were ‘the bugs’. On the ride on Friday evening I was riding along with a million of my newest friends, flying nats! Thank goodness for sunglasses!! It was only for a small section but there were enough of them to have a few still swarming around inside my jersey when I got home. Saturday - the five bulls which are let out to play with regular Joe/Joannes in the bull ring. These ones get to live for a few more years that those which ran in the morning. They entertain us in the stands and punish many of the drunkeds that try to be a matador! 

What else of note: The running of the bulls, in one word ‘crazy’. I decided not to see the ‘riff-raff’ on Friday, instead I decided to be above them. To do this you need access to a private apartment which overlooks the alley. These people hire out their apartments for the mornings of the festival. People use their lounge rooms to watch the bulls run. I guess you’d get a little passé about it all after a few years. I must also admit that living above these streets during San Fermin would be a little tiresome due to all the ‘partying’ during the night. The city is absolutely mobbed ALL night, people are everywhere, the streets are full and they stay there for the whole night/festival. The days wouldn’t be so bad. Most revelers head to the parks to sleep before waking in the afternoon to start all over again. 

Parting thought of the day/blog: to the guy who stripped down to his birthday suit and  then proceeded to get recked by the bull. He was pulled away from the danger by good hearted strangers and was visibly bleeding from the head. Once he caught his breath he went straight back in! He got collected again and people saved him ... humanity really is special. Only once that bull was out of the ring did the police come in and take him away! For MORE PICTURES - CLICK HERE

Thursday 7 July 2011 #8 a continual bike riders dream with a bull or two

Day one of running with the bulls - a religious festival!? 

Food - all you can eat breakfast at AC Hotel, why not, time to eat a real breakfast, real milk, real pastries and plenty of fruit ... oh and more pastries!

Weather - Cold - dare I say it, the top temp was 25C today, plus it was cold in Sydney! 

Car - All the police cars around town and I’m talking everywhere. The National police are serious dudes, full riot great and everything. 

Conversation - It was more what wasn’t said ... all the drunks who were everywhere were speechless! 

Animal - a toss up, there was a guy who was walking with his goldfish, sorry not fast enough to get a photo or the bulls. Quite impressive animals which are now all d-e-a-d ... I’ll you make your own decision about whether bull fighting is a good idea or not.  

What else of note: In Australia we play Barry Manilow and other such great artist to keep ‘hoodlums’ out of the car parks. While in the central underground car park this morning I parked the car (in their ridiculous small car spaces and TIGHT corners) and when getting out heard ‘bumping’ dance music. Thinking this was their version of keeping people out of the car park ... alas it was a guy who had his music blaring and he was passed out! What makes it even better was that when I came back 2 hours later he was still in the same position! There was also some other graphic displays of ‘celebration’ - pictures speak better than words - enjoy!

Parting thought of the day/blog: How do they make the city clean again after so much partying. There must be some serious man/woman power to clean up this town! I am impressed that they do it so quickly and will do it for nine days!  

Wednesday 6 July 2011 #7 a continual bike riders dream

Happy San Fermin 2011 6th of July --- with special thanks to all the people who contribute to Wikipedia, below is a brief review of the festival:

‘The festival of San Fermín (or Sanfermines, Basque: Sanferminak) in the city of Pamplona (Navarre, Spain), is a deeply rooted celebration held annually from 12:00, 6 July, when the opening of the fiesta is marked by setting off the pyrotechnic chupinazo,[1] to midnight 14 July, with the singing of the Pobre de Mí. While its most famous event is the encierro, or the running of the bulls, the week-long celebration involves many other traditional and folkloric events. It is known locally as Sanfermines and is held in honor of Saint Fermin, the co-patron of Navarre. Its events were central to the plot of The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, which brought it to the general attention of English-speaking people. It has become probably the most internationally renowned fiesta in Spain. Over 1,000,000 people come to watch this festival.’ From willapedia - let the mayhem begin!

Food - bodega for lunch - fried calamari on a fresh roll with mayonnaise ... yummmmm! 

   

Weather - The rain never falls on these plains in this part of Spain! Hot, HOT, HOT! The wind came up in the afternoon, which wouldn’t have been too much of an issue but when you ride for 2.5 hours you’re going to get some head wind at some point, more on that below ... I guess there is a reason why there are wind farms on all the mountain ranges around here, please excuse my stupidness. 

Car - Pamplona needs more scooters, bikes and less gypsies, all their vans are taking up valuable spaces around town. It took me 20 mins to find a spot y’day around our apartment, no kidding! 

Conversation - Tourist “look they have Mercedes as cabs here” - nuf said! 

Animal - forget animals, lets talk HUMANS! Those crazies that were atop the ‘jumping fountain’ in Pamplona today! I cannot believe they climb to the top then jump into peoples arms - L-O-C-O (spanish for crazy!!) I must admit, I’m so glad that I saw it happen. Did you know that on their maps of ‘old town’ Pamplona they’ve got that jumping fountain labelled with a small icon of a man falling off the fountain! If you’re a facebook member you can see the footage by clicking here. If not some of these photos will help you understand the craziness! 

What else of note: Great ride through the rolling hills of Pamplona this afternoon. I was lucky enough to have a little free time to explore, it took me a while to track down the right road but once on it - WOW! Amazing rolling road, FAST surface and wheat/sunflower fields a plenty! It was a massive tail wind out and a humongous head wind of the way home. I’m certainly not complaining, just stating a fact ... it slowed me but the ride/surface/serenity of the ride was just bliss.  

Parting thought of the day/blog: Pamplona Citadel - my suggestion, ride around it on a single speed/fold away bike at 12am on a week night, before San Fermin or any time not associated with the festival. It was amazing, NOT a sole around, the only noise was from the frogs in the drains and the lights on the walls are just spectacular - here are some pix but they just don’t do it justice! 

There are too many pix, more photos can be found here.