Well today was one looooong day. We were to be outside adn ready to go at 5:55AM. In usual fashion we did not leave on time. Some people didnīt show up because they either slept in or decided they did not want to go to Pamplona. So after roll was called 3 times we then had to wait for some girl that was throwing up because she had a hangover from going out the night before. I would have left her or given her a trash can.
After we left though the trip was amazing!!! We stopped at a rest stop about 3 hours into the trip to eat and go to the bathroom. (And you know I went to the bathroom!!!) It is funny to see a rest stop in another country compared to ones in America. Here in Spain, where there would be a McDonaldīs there is a cafe with little sandwiches and fruits and where the drinks would be there are bottles of wine. Made me laugh.
Our first stop on the trip was in the city of Burgos. If anyone knows anythign about Spanish history, there is a famous poem about a hero called El Cid. On our way to Pamplona we followed the route he took while conquering Castile. From my pictures you cansee the entrance of the city that was built after El Cidīs death. We walked into the plaza and it was beautiful. I took pictures of the flowerboxes on the apartments for Bum because I knew she would love them. We then walked through teh city and went to the Catedral of Burgos. This is the resting place of El Cid. We got to see his tomb.
The catedral was gorgeous. I started out taking pictures and then stopped because they didnīt do it justice. You have to see it in person to get the effect. Everything is so lavish and big. We spent about an hour in the catedral and then were able to roam about the city for another hour before we hopped back on the bus. Our next stop was a monastery. This is the place where El Cid left his wife and two daughters while he went to fight . We had a sack lunch and ate it while our director lectured about El Cid and his famous poem.
After lunch it was back on the bus but our next stop was Pamplona. The city is small but very modern. As we drove through tthe streets everyone was in red and white: the official colors of the Festival of San Fermin. We arrived at the dorms and immediately walked downtown to the festival. It was something.
The Festival of San Fermin is a 7 day party. There were said to be about 2 million people in the city. Everywhere you look there are food booths, bars, people dancing, singing, sleeping, and peeing. We walked to the shopping tents and everyone purchsed the offical outfit that included a white t-shirt and pants as well as a red scarf for around your neck and a sash for your waist. We wake dabotu soaking everything in and then returned to the dorms to eat dinner. Lindsey and I ate at a little cafe and then went to our rooms to change into our outfits.
After changing, we walked downtown to experience the festival. We shared a glass of sangria and walked through all the tents. We also got to see fireworks. They were breathtaking - definitely better than anything I have seen in the States. After the fireworks, we walked around and then returned to the dorms because tomorrow was to be another long day.
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