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Published: November 30th -0001
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Arrived in the UK on the 2nd, spending a few days catching up with Bernie and Shaun in Preston before flying out to Madrid for a nine day adventure through Spain with Karen and Mick. Our first few hours in Madrid was spent trying to navigate the maze of motorways to find our caravan park. Mick did a fantastic job of driving the motorhome through heavy traffic....all on the opposite side of the road!
Spain was a very pretty place with fantastic weather in the central parts. Our South East Asian body thermometers didn't really appreciate a little bit cooler weather on the coast but the scenery certainly made up for it. We explored some of the towns to the north and west of Madrid including Salamanca, Burgos and the northern coast before arriving in Pamplona to experience the Running of the Bulls festival. Spent a fortune on a space in the caravan park which was only just big enough to get the motorhome in!
An early night was had when we first arrived in Pamplona as the boys wanted to be in town nice and early the next morning to get ready for their run with the bulls.
Plaza Mayor
K and K in the plaza The run starts at 8:00am and we had to take the bus in at 4am! It was a great sight in early hours of the morning with revellers still partying in the streets from the night before...we had all of this to look forward to!
After a coffee to wake up alongside the many drunks, we went and bought our outfits to look the part. With this done there was still another hour to wait after already walking the course in preparation. You have to be inside the track before 7:30 however we were there at 7. The next hour seemed to drag on for eternity as we waited for the bulls to run. By the time it was all closed off the main square was packed and buzzing with nervous anticipation.
Just before the gun was fired the crowd started to surge forward so we went with the flow walking to the stadium. Finally the first gunshot went off and the crowd broke into a run. The anticipation was nerve racking as the crowd moved faster and faster, we were within 500 metres by the times the bulls blew past in a few seconds of sheer terror
Little green girl
In front of the Royal Palace, Madrid as the crowd parted like moses and the red sea! After jumping over a pile of fallen bodies we followed the bulls into the main arena. What followed was quite bizarre but loads of fun (albeit at a safe distance). They release steers with rubber tipped horns into the arena where wanna be bull fighters torment them. Many people got nailed by the steers but noone was badly injured... I think.. Anyway after all this we came down off our high, bought tickets to the bull fight and headed home for a sleep!
That night we headed out to see a bull fight...one of the most atrocious things we have ever seen. The treatment of the poor animals was quite barbaric...all cheered on by the crowd. Kind of wished we hadn't gone in a way but now know what it is all about and have no need to see another. Thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we could take in all of our own food and drink though and got into the spirit of things by making up our own Sangria to sip on in the stands.
Had a great time that night dancing in the streets with the
locals and drinking cheap beers. Hard to believe that this festival goes on for a week....the locals must be exhausted by the end!
Next stop on our way back to Madrid was the picturesque Laguna Negra and the Black lake near by. We had one last night in Madrid before flying out the next day. A whirlwind trip to say the least.
Looking forward to coming back to Spain again some time next year. The people, especially those in the smaller villages, were very friendly and happy to help us practice our Spanish!
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