Blogs from Pamplona, Navarre, Spain, Europe

Walked to Pamplona today...was a short walk I have a old tendon on my right ankle that is playing up and we both are feeling achy in the joints from walking everyday. The body has to adjust to walking distances everyday carrying a extra 10kg so it is normal to feel like this. We have been told that there is a lot of pickpockets in Pamplona so we have decided to have a look around then walk through to the other side. The city has a population of 190,000 people and is the first big place we have entered. We spent 2hrs looking around walked the run of the running bulls found a resturant that was opened and had lunch. It was easter sunday so there were evidence of the streets having had parties the night ... read more

We are only learning how to use this blog so all you smug tecchies should not laugh too hard!... read more

We are only learning how to use this blog so all you smug tecchies should not laugh too hard! Uploading photos.s is proving a challenge so please excuse us. We are now in Pamplona but will recapto give you details of each day. Saturday 21st April- Roncesvalles to Zurbiri Early start among the hordes of pilgrims emerging from what must be one of the largest and most efficiently run hostels ever encountered. Cold grey morning and need for time to shake off the wine and brandy from the night before. Madeleine now approves of Soberano but is determined it will give her heartburn! Down though the woods where they once burnt witches, to Burguete and promised breakfast in the panaderia. This morning the screw fell out of Maddy´s glasses and we stuck them togeter with micropore. ... read more

WELL my friends..... it is now day 5 of walking and we are in a lovely Albergue just outside of Pamplona...... hard to know where to start as I dont know how long will be able to be online..... London - last day was fantiastic day of pic taking and walking the streets... LOVED the Houses of Parliament..... and happened to go in to Westmeinster Cathedral ( NOT Abbey) .... there was a FULL mass happening, church was packed - had a full choir singing so so sweetly.... it was amazing..... I ....wanted to get in to the full view of the service and choir... so I went in the line to take Catholic Communion for the first time in about 40 yrs! not the usual reason to take communion but I´m sure I wil be ... read more

"On the way to Barcelona". That's the only reason we really considered Pamplona. We weren't especially keen to see the route of the running of the bulls, the event for which the town is famous. "Well worth the stopover". That's the opinion we formed after a day in the town. It has a lovely old town and the citadel is really impressive if you're into old military architecture; like me - I know, I know, "whatever floats your boat". The town has a nice feel to it and is much bigger than we thought. Open spaces, nice people; especially the hotel staff who were the most helpful we have meet so far. We walked every inch of the old town and I rode my bike a little further afield. There are market gardens and rural scenery ... read more

Early last month, we took a road trip from the bottom of Spain to the top, to Pamplona, and then onward to San Sebastian, and then into France. The first day we drove north from Malaga, stopping over night outside of Madrid. The next day we proceeded on for 6 more hours to Pamplona, arriving the afternoon before the opening ceremony of the San Fermin Festival. (which Ernest Hemingway helped make famous in the 1920s) The Festival which runs continuously for over a week features The Running of the Bulls each morning at 8. We were happy to watch the first Running of the Bulls from our seats in the Bullring. We had been advised to go to the Bullring since we would be able to watch the entire street running craziness on the large screen ... read more

The Bull Run/ El Encierro The clock strikes 8. The cannons are fired. What was a jovial atmosphere in the street immediately descends into one of concern and in some cases regret. A few nervous people, me included, hastily make futile attempts to touch their toes and stretch out their quads in the knowledge that in approximately 90 seconds six bulls will come hurtling round the bend. We are in Pamplona, the northeast of Spain, jogging on the spot at the aptly named ´Dead Man´s Corner´. We´re about to participate in the world famous Bull Run. A few minutes previously, my two companions and I were part of an international crowd chatting amicably in numerous tongues. Everybody dressed in white and following tradition by carrying that morning’s paper with various red accessories ranging from berets, bandannas, ... read more

We apologise in advance if this blog gets a bit garbled because we have just had the most incredible meal. We decided to eat at the hotel tonight not knowing what we were in for. The waitress couldn’t speak English and we had no idea of Spanish so we ordered from a set menu that cost 10 euros 50 each. We both took the easy road and chose seasonal vegetables (turned out to be vegetable soup) followed by fish. Both very tasty. Then came dessert – ice cream or pudding or (we weren’t sure what the third item was). The ice cream was a Nestle chocolate-coated ice cream on a stick and the pudding was like crème brulee. Included in the meal was a full bottle of wine and coffee. Now you can see why we ... read more