Where is an internet cafe in Pamplona?

The one and only Internet café in the old city, Pamplona, is the Ciber Locutorio Internacional, located at Calle Tejería, # 23, ground floor, at the corner of Calle San Agustín and Calle Tejería, in the heart of the fiesta. This internet café usually opens by about 10am, depending on the late night hours of the employees who work there! This past San Fermín fiestas, 2011, it was open by about 11am, each morning, at the latest. The Ciber Locutorio is usually open until about 11pm, each night. This internet location has computers rented by the hour, and other services, as telephones for international phone calls, scanners, photocopies and fax. Tel. 948-227-922.

5th STEP of the SAN FERMIN LADDER!

Just a quick note to remind all of you that today marks another milestone on the way to the sanfermines, 2012! Yes, today is the 5th day of the 5th month! We are getting closer and closer to our long-awaited San Fermín fiestas, 2012, and the official countdown to euphoria is well under way!

For those of you who are new to the sanfermines, the "steps" of the official "San Fermín ladder" refer to the milestones that we die-hards celebrate, as we get closer in time to the fiestas in Pamplona!  
As the song tells us: In English - The 1st of January, the 2nd of February, the 3rd of March, the 4th of April, the 5th of May, the 6th of June, the 7th of July - San Fermín!!"

In Spanish, the words are: Uno de enero, dos de febrero, tres de marzo, cuatro de abril, cinco de mayo, seis de junio, siete de julio - San Fermín!"

Watch this fun video here, to enjoy this lively San Fermín song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxzr-YcgxKE
In honor of what the sanfermines stand for, there are some things that you can do - today! - in order to get ready for the greatest fiesta on the planet!

First, call your work place, and tell them that you are calling in "well", and that you will feel "even better" today when you eat some churros for breakfast and sip sangria with your tortilla for lunch!  Next, go out and throw sangria on your friends and - better yet! - on lots of unsuspecting people you don't even know!  Next, early tomorrow morning, take your kid's drums outside and walk up and down your neighborhood streets beating the drums until you wake up as many tired neighbors as possible!
Next, throw more sangria on even more friends and unsuspecting passers-by! Go out and dance the "jota" in any public place - we did this at our local grocery store last week! - great fun to watch the reaction of the store's customers! Also, stay up all night tonight, and tomorrow night, and the next night, to get in practice for the real thing!  Repeat all suggestions above, until you collapse from fatigue, and then get up and do it all over again!

Yes, today, we are on the 5th Step of the San Fermín ladder....Now, go out and have a blast!

4th STEP of the SAN FERMIN Stairway!

Once again, we are happy to announce that we have arrived to yet another step, along the San Fermín ladder - today is the 4th day of the 4th month!! Go out and celebrate with sangria; go dance the "jota"; stay up all night and get your body conditioned for the sanfermines!! Yes, we are well on our way to euphoria, 2012! VIVA SAN FERMIN! GORA SAN FERMIN!

 
 

 

HOW to RUN with the BULLS - Part 2

So, you have decided to "run with the bulls" in Pamplona, and you now know that you do not need to "sign up", per our last post on this topic. So far, so good. Here is what you can expect next: Since you read the last post, you know that all runners gather in the Town Hall Square, the "ayuntamiento", at least an hour before the run. Thus, you are now packed into a small area between the wooden barricades with about 3,000+ other runners. There is so little room that everyone is standing up as there is nowhere to sit down. In addition to the Spanish and Basque languages, you will hear conversations of all types going on around you, in just about every language. At this point, everyone is calm but there is a nervous edge to the chilly air. You can feel the rising anticipation underneath the calm at this point. Don't be surprised to see policemen, at this point, wandering through the streets and scoping out the crowd. They are looking for unsuitable runners. As I mentioned in the last post, while this is insanity and all hell is about to break lose in an hour, it is organized insanity and there are rules. If you appear drunk, the police will eject you immediately. (One friend of ours was even ejected, just before the bullrun started, for wearing a shirt that had been seriously stained with sangria while sitting with the social clubs - called the 'peñas' - during the bullfights the evening before! Apparently, the police had assumed that he had been drinking during the night, and, so, they threw him off the bullrun route!) The police are also looking for people carrying cameras or wearing 'helmet' cams on their hats. If they find that you have either, you will be ejected without question. If you have open-toed shoes or other inappropriate dress, you will be ejected immediately. If you are ejected, it is suggested that you not put up a fight or make any dispute with the police - they are very serious about their jobs and will not listen to any appeal. They probably won't understand your language, anyway! If you are selected for rejection, you are rejected - it is just that simple. Remember, these animals are their prized bulls that the city pays handsomely for, and their priority is the safety of these bulls from the corral to the Plaza de Toros. Next, we will talk about the last few minutes before the event begins.

What about PARKING during the sanfermines??

Many of you have been asking about where to park a vehicle during the very crowded dates of the sanfermines -

If you plan to bring a car to Pamplona, please know that all streets in the old city are blocked to traffic, during the fiesta dates of July 5th, through and including, the 14th. Parking is sometimes available at the airport; along the perimeter of the Parque de la Taconera (see photos above); and in the residential area called "Rochapea", across the Río Arga from the old city, and about a 15 minute walk to the fiesta. Here is the link for where the Rochapea area is located: http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLJ_enUS311US311&q=rochapea+pamplona+spain Please be aware that leaving a car for several days, or even overnight, may be risky.

What are the words to the PRAYER to SAN FERMIN, and when is the prayer said?

Many of you have asked us about the PRAYER to San Fermín:

First, the prayer is not recited, as in traditional prayers. This prayer is sung - you may hear the chant here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87zYW-Y32hM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJQZF13fKAk&NR=1

These are the Spanish words to the prayer:

A San Fermín pedimos, por ser nuestro patrón, nos guíe en el encierro, dándonos su bendición!!

English translation:

To San Fermín, we ask - for being our Patron Saint - guide us in the bullrun, giving us your blessing!!

This prayer is sung at three minutes before the bullrun, at two minutes before the bullrun and at one minute before the bullrun, at the statue of San Fermín, which is placed in a special niche, designed for this purpose, on Calle Santo Domingo, which is the first segment of the bullrun.

Please note: Chanting this prayer before the release of six wild, frightened bulls does not guarantee a successful bullrun, without mishaps, however.

VIVA SAN FERMIN!

GORA SAN FERMIN!