Best known for the Festival of San
Fermin - aka "The Running of the
Bulls" - in July, Pamplona was still quite lively (do people ever
sleep?) in September. As luck had it we were there for a "little
San
Fermin" - celebrations, no bulls - which commemorated the day (Sept 25)
that San Fermin is believed to have died. So we got the
family-friendly
version and enjoyed the parade on Sunday morning with the gigantes (representing kings and
queens of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America) and cabezudos (just...big heads), who
liked to bop people on the head with foam balls swung from sticks.
The illustration at right from the
shop Kukuxumusu ("kiss of the flea", in Basque) pretty well sums things
up. Really need to click on it to see the big version!
(Check out the gal on the balcony - reminds one of New Orleans.)
Robert checking out the
trains at the Zaragoza train
station on the way to Pamplona
A peek inside the Kukuxumusu
shop
El Encierro - the greater-than-life-size
monument to the running of the bulls
Robert at the monument - the
figure at left about to be gored
is the monument's sculptor
The Ayuntamiento (city hall)
in Pamplona - the bulls come
running up the street to the left
Balconies are in great demand
during the festival
The bulls then go down this
street - La Estafeta
...making their way down the
cobbled street to the bullring
The red door the bulls go through,
where they meet their unhappy fate
Hemingway was here - and
so was Liza
The street outside the bullring
was renamed Paseo de Hemingway
Robert at the Puerto de
Francia, Pamplona
Pilgrims on the Camino de
Santiago pass through this gate
Robert inspecting the fortified city walls
The cathedral in Pamplona
Cathedral
Church of San Lorenzo, Pamplona
(the statue of San Fermin that gets
paraded around for the festivals is
in here)
Another view of San Lorenzo
Basque morning wake-up call -
fifes and drum - calling people out
to the parade for the 'little San Fermin'
festival
Spongebob rules over all!
A cabezudo at the city hall
...and the gigantes, representing the
kings/queens of Europe, Asia, Africa,
America
Note the guys in white shirts with
red bandanas
The full line of gigantes ready to
move down the street
Robert on the train back to Madrid
Liza on the train, too