Lindsey and I woke up about 4:55AM, showered, and dressed in our red and white outfits. We left the dorm and noticed 3 professors from our school and asked to follow them to the bullring because did not know where to go. The festival looked as it did when we left the night before at 12:30AM . People drinking and dancing, the night clubs still going strong. We followed the women to the ring and separated with them there. We bought tickets for the arena and went inside.
The arena is just a huge ring that was an extra perimeter around it that we later found out was for the runners to jump into to avoid the bulls. We waited for about an hour and a half for the run to start. A small mariachi band came out and played fo ran hour before the run. All the songs were old folk songs but everyone knew the words and was singing and dancing along. At 8AM a rocket went off that signified that the first bull had left the starting block and then another one was sent off when the last bull left. Then we waited. All this time runners pour into the stadium, faster and faster they come until suddenly the bulls run in. They do not go after the runners already in the stadium but go across the ring into the pen until the afternoon when the particpate in the bull fight. After all the bulls are contained, another smaller bull with dulled horns is let into the ring where all the runners are. The runners play with the bull and try to dodge it when it charges. We saw several people get stepped on by no one was hurt and all got right back up. Around nine bulls were sent out. When one of the bulls woudl not come back to the pen, a larde docile bull, which Lindsey dubbed theš"Come-n-get'em" bull, was sent out to usher the small bull back into the pen. I have never seen anything like this in my life. It is such a primitive event but at the same time so exciting. I will come back one day if I can.
After the run we hurried back to the school to eat and change because we wer taking a trip to France. We stopped in beautiful seaside town called San Sebastian. We were left off to wander for about an hour and saw a wedding party and its attendants walking into a gorgeous church that was built into the side of a mountain. I also got some great pictures of the harbour. After a little siteseeing, it was back on the bus to France. When we crossed the border did not need to show our passports which surprised us.
About 1PM we arrived in the small seaside town of Biarritz, France. We quickly changed into our bathing suits and walked down to the beach which I will add was topless. Yes, I went topless and have a picture to prove it but I never flipped onto my back. (I know you will be happy to hear that Mom.) After an hour or so of sunning, we went t a small cafe where I had real French quiche that was out of this world. We also got gelato as dessert. We window shopped for while adn then went back to the meeting place to return to Pamplona.
Lindsey and I again went downtown and had fun at the festival. We watched a band play for about an hour and danced to the music and just enjoyed people watching. The Spanish have such a great philosophy of life : Have fun!!!
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