Pamplona, First Impressions
Pilgrims, bulls, and pintxos...
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We left Brive and made the 5-hour drive to Pamplona.1 We rented an apartment in the historic district. Our host had provided instructions on where to park and asked that we provide our license plate number. We didn’t see his instructions …
Oops
Instead, we drove to the apartment's front door and dropped off the bags and Onix. As Denise and Onix settled in, I went in search of parking. I am accustomed to the narrow streets in historic sections of European cities. It is not that I like them … I simply don’t freak out like I used to. As I tried to find a parking lot, I realized I was the only car on a “road” originally built for horses and carts rather than 21st-century, 4-door sedans. After passing through a particularly narrow stone gate, I wondered why I wasn’t seeing any other vehicular traffic.
Okay, enough suspense. I did not scratch the car. After circling the entire town, I did find a parking lot just five blocks from the apartment. I was not stopped by a police officer … I didn’t get a ticket. However, had an officer been around, I could have. It seems that only vehicles registered to drive on those streets are allowed. (Delivery trucks, residents, registered visitors, etc.) And yes, when it was time to leave, I broke the rules again and drove to the apartment to retrieve our bags.
Pilgrims at the Laundromat
We left our bags at the apartment and went to a laundromat a few blocks away. There, we met several women (of all ages, nationalities, etc.) who were hiking the Camino Trail.2 Pamplona is on several Camino routes, including the Camino Frances, the Camino Viejo, and the Camino Baztan. Over 400,000 people visit Pamplona each year while making the trek. In researching this post, I found that while the vast majority walk, over 22,000 bikers, 606 on horseback, and 198 in wheelchairs completed at least one leg of the journey in 2023.
As we left the laundromat, we noticed the scallop shell emblem embedded in the street or on the side of buildings. Throughout the city, you will also see street signs leading travelers to the trail, tourism offices, churches, or accommodations for the night.
Bulls
The next morning, we were the only two participants in our free walking tour. However, our guide (Gus) was undeterred. It was clear he loved his city! Among our stops was the corral you see above. Here, each morning during the Festival of San Fermines (7-14 July) at 8:00, a rocket signals the gate is being opened, and a second rocket signals that six bulls have been set loose. Fences are erected to direct the bulls along the route. (Note the square plates on the street above into which fence posts are installed.) In some areas, there are two fences.
Spectators can only stand behind the second fence, whereas the space between the two fences is reserved for security and medical personnel and also for participants who need cover during the event. — Wikipedia
This event goes back to a time when bulls were transported from the fields to the bullring for the evening event. It was common for local youth to run and jump among the bulls to prove their manhood.
Today, the festival attracts about 1 million visitors to the city each year. Between 2000 and 3500 run with the bulls, and approximately 100 are injured each year. We learned that an Englishman who ran with the bulls many times quit his day job and now offers training for novice runners. (A shining example of making your passion your life’s work.)
Pintxos
If you visit Pamplona, you will want to enjoy their version of tapas … pintxos. Local bars display small bites, sold individually… typically for about 1€ a piece. We found that Denise could enjoy selections of meat or fish, while I found many vegetarian options. Whether you simply peruse the bar to find something that looks appetizing or consult other customers at a neighboring table … we found pintxos among our favorite gastronomic experiences this summer.
Até logo, fica bem, beijinhos…
Nanc
Editor’s Note: Several readers unsubscribed after last week’s post, but many, many more new readers joined our community. BEM-VINDO! In addition, far more than I ever imagined asked that I forward the document I referenced on moving abroad. As I have worked on it, I have decided a few things:
Trying to email it to everyone will create more work than I am willing to do. As new people continue to be added, I am afraid I will miss someone along the way. As such, I will distribute this information via posts and under a new heading on my homepage entitled “Leaving the US?”.
In addition, rather than creating a single large document, I am creating more manageable bite-size chunks. The first piece, called “What is Your Why or Why Not” was posted on Friday.
Later this week, I will add a post called “Visa-Free Travel” addressing ways you can travel without a visa.
In the third installment, we’ll review the types of visas and how to research which countries offer what.
Finally, in the fourth installment, we will focus on information and resources for people looking to relocate to Portugal.
One final note: I am not a relocation company! ExpatInPortugal is a part-time hobby of mine … not a business. I have many other ways of occupying my time…taking long walks on the beach, playing golf, painting, and dining with friends. I am not looking for a job or a source of income! So expect each post to link to websites that provide more detailed information. I have read or watched everything I will include; however, like X (formerly Twitter), you can’t believe everything on the internet! My goal is simply to assist you in doing your research.
For our new readers: we spent 5 weeks in late July and August 2024 on a road trip in Europe. We packed up the car and Onix and headed to Denmark. We visited (and I have already written about in no particular order): Geneva, Bordeaux, Berlin, Munich, Terezin, Karlovy Vary, Normandy, Brive, and Guimarães. But wait, there is more…stay tuned.
I know there are male pilgrims. I wonder if they do laundry.
This one was short, but fun, fun and funny! Thank you for sharing your travels and experiences with us as I quite enjoy them. Regarding the unsubscribers, it was surely their loss and not ours (the readers).
I think you'd better start reading the small print before the Guardia catch up with you. :) Very funny. I like Pamplona very much and we trundle through there regularly driving from the UK to VRSA. The trip over the Pyrenees from St Jean Pied de Port is quite testing in a camper van with the hairpin bends but it can be testing avoiding the pilgrims who sometimes seem totally unaware of the dangers on the road. I often wonder if some of the cyclists with saddlebags etc fall on the way and just lie there wishing to die.