Wed 5th July - Tues 11th July 2000
Get ready thrill seekers for the trip of the year! Yes it's none other than the world famous San Fermin Festival and Running of the Bulls. Those of you that made the journey in the past more than likely did this through one of the Aussie/Kiwi travel companies in London. Their tour includes a 22 hour coach journey from London to Pamplona (Pamps), arriving on the morning of the opening ceremony and camping some 45 minutes from the centre of Pamplona. This means you have to catch the coach to and from Pamps each day, about 1.5 hours on a bus.
However CRAS Management Tours Pty Ltd offers a far better alternative. The itinerary is as follows:
Wed 5th July
Depart: London Stansted 07:15am
Arrive: Bilbao, Spain 10.15am
GO Airlines - 2 hr Flight (1 hr time diff) - £70 Return
(inc. taxes)
(Same flight with British Airways was £179 inc. taxes)
Travel from Bilbao to Pamplona
Coach Journey 2.25 hrs - 159km - £6 GBP
Night in Pamplona
(B&B type accommodation - prices to be confirmed but may be around £40 per person per
night)
Thurs 6th July
12 Noon - Opening Ceremony of San Fermin
Festival
Day & Night in Pamplona
Fri 7th July
8am - 1st Running of the Bulls
Day & Night in Pamplona
Sat 8th July
8am - 2nd Running of the Bulls
Day & Night in Pamplona
Sun 9th July
8am - 3rd Running of the Bulls
Then travel to San Sebastian, a coastal town north of Pamps
Coach Journey 1.5 hrs - 92km - £4 GBP
"Glittering on the shores of the Cantabrian Sea, San Sebastian is a town
of broad boulevards, ornate buildings and lovely beaches."
Night in San Sebastian
(B&B type accommodation - prices to be confirmed but will be around £10 per person
per night)
Mon 10th July
Day & Night in San Sebastian
Tues 11 July
Travel from San Sebastian to Bilbao
Coach Journey 1.25 hrs - £4 GBP
Flight to London
Depart: Bilbao, Spain 20:50pm
Arrive: London Stansted 21:45pm
What is the San Fermin Festival?
The "Sanfermines" are the fiestas which take place in Pamplona (Spain) between the 6th and 14th of July in honour of its co-patron San Fermín who, according to tradition, was beheaded in the French town of Amiens where he had gone in order to preach the gospel. The patron saint of the religious societies of wineskin makers, wine merchants and bakers, San Fermín gives his name to, and is the excuse for, the permanent fiesta into which Pamplona is transformed for 204 hours. In this fiesta, religious and profane ceremonies exist side by side, official acts live with the general uproar, the cult of bullfighting with that of wine and good eating but, above all, they are the people's fiestas in which it is impossible to be a mere spectator and where any stranger feels immediately at home.
In spite of their evolution throughout the centuries, the Sanfermines ensure that the street takes pride of place, as it is here where the fiesta is truly lived. The bulls, of course, are another essential element which is present in the bull runs in the mornings, and at night in the smaller bull runs when, in the dark and in silence, the bulls are taken from the corrals of Gas to those of Santo Domingo from where, the following morning, they will begin their unique and dangerous run. However, in order to enjoy the Sanfermines it is not necessary to go to the most famous or traditional events. It is enough just to submerge yourself in the atmosphere and let yourself be taken over by happiness, respecting the rights of others of course, because in the end the Sanfermines are in the street and are lived among everybody.
What is the Chupinazo?
The 'chupinazo' or opening rocket of the fiestas is launched by a member of the Municipal Corporation on the 6th of July at 12.00 mid-day from a balcony of the Town Hall. For several hours before, the residents and non-residents of Pamplona dressed in the typical costume (white shirts and trousers and a red sash) and refreshed by the champagne which flows in torrents, have been pouring into the Plaza Consistorial waiting for the fiestas to begin so they can tie the small red handkerchief around their necks. The launching of the rocket and the cries of "Viva San Fermín!" and "Gora San Fermín!" turn the Old Town Centre into a human wave submerged in a whirlpool of chants, dances, music and shouts of joy which mean that the fiesta has begun. The best place to see this is from one of the balconies that surround the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, since to enter into the throng you have to be prepared for more than an hour to put up with every type of pushing, treading and crushing.
The Town Procession
On the 7th of July, at 10.00 a.m., the image of the Saint is carried in a procession through the streets of the Historic Town Centre of the city in order to receive homage from thousands of Pamplonans dressed in immaculate white. During the journey, in which the saint is applauded and 'jotas' (traditional music of northern Spain) dedicated to him, the Corporation accompanies him dressed in their very best liveries as do the giants, txistu players, pipers, buglers, drummers, mace bearers, escorts, representatives of the 'peñas' (social organisations), of the historic guilds, and the Brotherhood of the Passion of the Lord.
What is the "Encierro" - Running of the Bulls?
The "Encierro" or Running of the Bulls is the single most characteristic event of the Fiesta of San Fermin. This is the event which has given the Fiesta world-wide fame and which appears on news broadcasts around the world during that special week in July. It is held at eight o'clock each morning from the 7th to the 14th of July inclusive. It consists largely of young men (although it admits all types) who run in front of the bulls to lead them from their pen up and into the bull-ring. It usually lasts from two to three minutes - although if there are complications due to loose bulls it can last much longer. The length of the run is some 800 metres.
A rocket goes off at the moment the bulls are let
out into the street. A second rocket goes off to let everyone know that all the bulls are
now in the street.
This is the moment of truth in the Bull-Running : the bulls run like
the very devil. It´s impossible to race them or even keep up with them for very long.
The way to do it is, to start off slowly when the bulls are still a good distance
behind, and as they draw nearer start running like the devil, before they get too close,
hang in near them for a short time, as near as you are prepared to risk your skin, and
then get out of the way as cleanly as possible. Be careful not to cross the paths of other
runners. Look for a gap in the fence to slip through or jump over, or a space against the
wall of the street.
As well as the danger inherent in running in front
of a bull, it's worth remembering that this is an animal which weights about 600 kilos -
some 120 stone - and which has two big rock-hard horns which can cut through practically
anything, not to mention possible bruising from just being stepped on, there is also the
problem of overcrowding in the run. So you have to be careful not to get bowled over or
knocked down by other runners.
Once the bulls have gone past the run has finished for you and you feel a special satisfaction and relief that nothing has happened to you. That is, as long as a bull doesn't turn back when it gets separated from the others - something which does happen from time to time and which creates a potentially highly dangerous situation. When you hear a third rocket go off it is to let you know that all the bulls have arrived inside the ring and a fourth and final rocket is sent off when all the bulls have been safely led into their pens.
Between that first rocket and final rocket only a
couple of minutes will normally have gone by - but what a couple of minutes !
The danger of the run has meant that between 1924 and 1997 14 people have died and more
than 200 been injured by the bulls.
It's more than just Bulls!
Festivals & Music
During the fiesta's eight and a half days there all kinds of festivals in the city such as dance exhibitions, country sports or bullfighting activities in the Plaza. Also there are innumerable musical events in the street. You can find everything from festivals of 'jotas' and 'txistu' concerts to verbenas ('social dances') and rock concerts. But the music which chimes in best with the Sanfermines is still that of the 'charangas' and 'peñas' which take over the street at all hours of day and night.
The El Struendo ("The Din") is not in the programme but has already become a traditional event. It is held at 12.00 midnight on an unspecified day around the Town Hall and the Plaza del Castillo. To participate all you need to do is turn up with a drum, a 'tamboril', 'txistu' or 'atabal' (all types of traditional instruments) which will sound out until the "pocico de San Cernín". Effectively this is the fiesta of the 'bombo' (large drum) which, with its deafening rhythm, challenges the eardrums of those who follow the event as participants or as spectators.
From the dry moats of the city, at 11.00pm at night, fireworks are set off which, on certain days, are accompanied by music and a lavish show.
The La Corrida - "The Bullfight"
From the 7th to the 14th of July, at 6.30 p.m. in the Plaza de Toros. This is an event of a singular nature in Pamplona as the young men of the 'peñas' ('social organisations') and their small brass bands which sit in the 'tendido de sol' (the best seats in the bullring) and liven up the bullfight with songs and music. And if the fight is not a good one they organise a parallel party with music and jokes in which they throw food and wine and champagne.
Are you ready?
So that's what it's all about. Far more than
just the Running with the Bulls, a whole cultural experience.
Flights and accommodation in town are going fast so I'll be booking very soon!
The Fiesta of San Fermin is on the same dates
every year - 6th-14th July - thus the reason it is mid week.
You'll need 5 days leave from work - Wed 5th July - Tues 11th July
(Wed-Thurs-Fri-Mon-Tues)
Return Flights from London to Pamplona with a local Spanish Airline were too expensive at
£280 each.
It also would've been too expensive to stay in Pamps for the full 6 nights and San Sebastian is
reported to be pretty awesome.
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