PAMPLONA RUNNING OF THE BULLS

Transcription

1 PAMPLONA RUNNING OF THE BULLS Culture Into Tradition EXPERIENCE CULTURE. PAMPLONA-TOURS.COM

2 Welcome to the First Step of Your Experience of a Lifetime. Every summer over 1 million people gather in Pamplona (Iruñea), Spain from July 6th 14th to witness and partake in the world renowned San Fermín Festival. The 9 day celebration originated as a religious festival to honor Saint Fermín, who is the co-patron of the region of Navarre, where Pamplona is the capital. The festival is comprised of parades, wood chopping competitions, folk dancing, music, bull fights, and of course, the running of the bulls (enceioro). Originally, the fiesta was held on October 10th but has since been changed to July 6th for chances of better weather. The running of the bulls has become the most popular part of the festival, attracting ten s of thousands of people from all over the world each year. This idea dates as far back as the 14thcentury when the only route to get the bulls from their corrals to the bullring was to herd them throughout the city streets. Overtime people began to run alongside the bulls for their own excitement, thus the bull run was born. The San Fermín Festival reached heightened popularity outside of Spain in 1926 when Ernest Hemingway published the novel The Sun Also Rises. The love tale has been printed continuously in multiple languages since 1926, adding to the global popularity of the San Fermín Festival.

3 Running of the Bulls Opening Ceremony (Chupinazo) At 12:00 noon every July 6th, the square in front of the Town Hall witnesses chaos when the start of the San Fermín Fiesta is marked by a rocket launch. All morning, crowds pack in like sardines at the Plaza Ayuntamiento. The Mayor and members of the Council step out onto the balconies of the Town Hall to greet the crowds. There is an announcement: Pamploneses, Pamplonesas, Viva San Fermín! Gora San Fermín! (people of Pamplona, long live San Fermín!). The crowd responds with cries of Viva! and Gora! The square erupts as hundreds of bottles of Cava are uncorked and sprayed all over the crowd. Important Hint: This is kind of an intense event. There is a lot of pushing back and forth and it can be quite uncomfortable. For this reason we will take you close by the square where you can watch the event on a big screen if you choose not to pile in the crowd. Afterwards we take you to our balcony for an open house with drinks to watch the continuing craziness from above.

4 Keeping Your Hide Safe You do not need to sign-up to run with the bulls. Be on time! You need to be inside the delegated fencing before they close off the gate or you will not be able to run. We advise you get there an hour before the 8AM start. Be completely sober, you ll want to remember this! Do not wear open toed shoes or carry anything (EX = cameras, backpacks, etc.) It is forbidden to jump over the police barriers alongside the route. Once you are in you are in. There is no hiding in corners, dead angles or doorways. The locals will peg you as a tourist and a coward. The bulls will likely overtake you at some point on the course, stay to the sides. If you fall, cover your head and play dead. Know the Rockets - The first rocket marks the bulls release from the corrals. - The second rocket signifies that all the bulls are out on the course - The third lets the audience know that the bulls have entered the Plaza de Toros - The forth rocket marks the conclusion of the run Course Guide 1) Calle de Santo Domingo This is where the run begins. The route goes up Santo Domingo to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, from there they make a left turn onto Mercaderes. Santo Domingo is the most dangerous stretch 2) Calle de Mercaderes Short street leading to a right turn onto Calle Estafeta. Bulls typically stay to the left side of Mercaderes, taking the right turn wide, making this another very dangerous point. 3) Calle de la Estafeta The longest and straightest leg of the course, bulls gain speed, eventually overtaking runners. The Ludus Balcony is located on Estafeta where you ll have unbeatable views. 4) Telefónica and Callejón Telefónica is the short stretch coming after the left off Estafeta. Telefónica leads to Callejón the final entrance to the bullring.

5 What You Want To Know Does your balcony space fill up? Yes! We accept only a small and exact number of people to watch from our balcony and share breakfast with us each morning. We want everyone to be able to see the run easily. Therefore, we suggest that you reserve your space as soon as possible. Can I buy an extra day for a spot on the balcony? Yes, all of our tours include one morning to watch the run on our Balcony. We offer extra spaces to our package clients at a discounted rate. Just ask us when you book your tour and we ll hook you up! When does the bull-running take place? The first bull-running take places on the morning of the 7th of July at 8:00 a.m. (yes, A.M!) and then each successive morning up to and including the 14th. Where is Pamplona? How do I get there? Pamplona is about 50 miles from the Pyrenees Mountains and the Spanish-French border and around 250 miles north of Madrid. Pamplona has an airport with daily flights from Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Train travel from Barcelona, Madrid and San Sebastian are also very convenient to arrive in Pamplona. Please refer to for information on Spain s national train service. What is the official costume of San Fermin? Do people actually dress up? The official San Fermin costume is a white shirt, white pants/skirt, a red sash, and a red neck-scarf. Yes, everyone wears white and red during the entire fiesta. Trust us, you will feel more foolish if you don t dress up!

6 2013 Pamplona (Running of the Bulls) Packages Include: 3 or 4 nights at a 4-star hotel strategically located close enough to city center to easily walk yet just far enough to get some sleep! Spanish tapas and drinks at our favorite Pamplona hangout. Opportunity to interact with us, ask questions, talk about your itinerary, and meet other Running of the Bulls enthusiasts. Morning spent on the Ludus Balcony overlooking Calle de la Estafeta (longest stretch of the bull run) with authentic Spanish breakfast and sangria if you are up for it! Pamplona orientation walk (help get your bearings the day you arrive Our banquet dinner party includes a two course meal, drinks & desert Bull fighting experience: includes tickets to the bullfight inside Plaza de Toros de (the bull ring) with beer, wine and bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches) 24/7 Our own resident guide assistance throughout your stay Welcome gift Packages starting at $1,595 Why Our agency We have the best balcony spot allowing you to see the maximum amount of the bull-run. We get tickets to the fun section in Plaza de Toros! We ve got the inside scoop on the best restaurants, attractions and ways to maximize your experience the local way. We are the experts! We have been to Pamplona for years and we are willing to tell you are secrets! When you travel with us you travel as a local.

7 Where will you be when the Bulls are Running? BE THERE. It was a long time desire of mine to go to Pamplona and it was more exciting and fun than I had hoped for. You and all of your crew made it seem like a family outing, and your care and concern for us was outstanding. The apartment on the street where the bulls run was ideal and in a great location, along with the food and drink. Jim Marron We had a great time in Pamplona - everything was perfect, right down to the sangria bath I got the first day of the festival! I would highly recommend your company to my friends. You guys did a great job! Vinnie DePinto Without you guys, I know I would have missed out on so much of the Pamplona experience. I definitely felt like I had the inside track on everything! Daniel Dobbs WANT MORE INFORMATION? Contact Trade Fair Tours For prices and dates Peter Stephenson peter@tradefairtravel.co.za

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