A blog from BullBalcony.com about Pamplona and the Festival of San Fermín, including the Running of the Bulls. Come with us to Pamplona, to the most fun and outrageous fiesta on the planet!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
WHERE CAN WE LEAVE OUR LUGGAGE DURING THE SANFERMINES??
Saturday, November 12, 2011
TIPS for RUNNING WITH WILD BULLS in PAMPLONA! Part 1
The first question I get asked about running with the bulls is, do you have to "sign up" ahead of time to run? The simple answer is "no" - you do not "sign up" for the run, but there are definite rules that runners need to follow. Here are the basics: During the Festival, the bulls run every morning from July 7 - July 14, inclusive. This is done in order to move the bulls from the corral at the edge of the old city to the bullring where they will fight later that evening. Since there is a bullfight every night of the San Fermines, then there is a bullrun every morning. Each morning, the police allow anyone -18 years or older - interested in running to enter into the Plaza Consistorial, or Town Hall Square, in front of the Town Hall, aka "Ayuntamiento". This is the only place that runners can gather before the run. All the rest of the unknowledgeable tourists spread themselves up and down the route of the bullrun and are very sadly disappointed when the police force them from the streets before the bullrun begins - then there is very little time left to navigate through huge crowds in order to enter the bullrun at the designated areas. Please note that at about 5:30am, revelers are forced from the street so that the city can clean the streets before the bullrun begins. This is done more for the safety and security of the bulls than it is for the runners. The city pays big dollars for these fighting bulls, and they do not want any bull to get injured during the run. If a bull were injured during the run, then that bull would not be eligible for a fight that night. Next, we will explore what happens once all the runners gather in the Town Hall Square. Stay tuned for Part 2. |
Sunday, June 19, 2011
WHAT is the SIGNIFICANCE of the FOUR ROCKETS that go off, EACH MORNING of the BULLRUNS?
There are four rockets that you will hear, and the safety of the people running with the bulls depends on the correct and prompt firing of these rockets.
The first rocket is lit at 8:00am, sharp, signaling that the gates have been opened at the corral on Calle de Santo Domingo where the bulls just spent their last night. The second rocket signifies that all the bulls have left the corral and are now loose on the streets. The third rocket is fired to tell the runners that all the bulls have arrived to the bullring. The fourth and final rocket is lit when all the bulls are inside the bullring's corral.
The bulls are released each morning of the bullruns – July 7th, through, and including, the 14th – at 8:00am, sharp.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
HOW CAN WE PREPARE OURSELVES for RUNNING with the BULLS in PAMPLONA?
Many of you have asked us for suggestions as to how to run with wild bulls...
If you do plan to run with a pack of six, wild, angry, and frightened bulls, we suggest that you do yourself, and those who love you, a real favor:
Read and study the very important information about "Running with the Bulls" at this great website: http://www.partyearth.com/cities/pamplona.