Today is the second day of San Ferm�n (AKA the Running of the Bulls) in Pamplona, Spain. I am enjoying watching the "Encierros" (bull runs) on TV here in Madrid but am disapointed that I could not go this year, I took a week off last week to go to Mallorca so San Ferm�n was not in the game plan this July, maybe next year. Aside from being Pamplona's (and one of Spain's) biggest parties, it has turned into quite a drunken fest these days but is worht seeing once. I went for 2 days in summer 1997 and had a great time. Here are some San Ferm�n links that I have put together for you all. Get ready to run and enjoy the virtual party :
www.sanfermin.com - in Spanish. Includes a live webcam above the Calle Estafeta.
www.viapolis.com/webcams/pamplona.htm - Viapolis.com comes through again with this webcam footage of the Plaza del Castillo that is streaming but not exactly live.
www.sanfernmin.net - Some great Real Media footage of the "Encierros" of 1999 as well as a program for the current year's festivities. In Spanish.
www.sanfermintv.com - In Spanish. Seems to be a decent effort but some pages incomplete. The link to the Rebroadcast (Retransmisi�n Online) does not seem to work. www.terra.es/sanfermin - Some cool Real videos of the festivities and "Encierros" that you can even buy. Lots of videos, photos, etc. In Spanish.
Just an added note, I just heard on the news that this festival week in Pamplona there are 1.5 million people while only 250,000 live there year round, ouch !
Just got the latest from the news on Antena3 (www.a3n.tv), today's festivities saw a Spaniard and a New Zelander fined 25,000 pesetas ($125) each for grabbing a bull inside the bull ring, which is prohibited during the festival. I saw it on the boob toob and they nearly tackled the thing. Must have been some rugby players bored in the off season.
Looks like I am the only one into the San Ferm�n thing, oh well, I guess I will just talk to myself.
5 days into the festival, today there were 7 injured by the bulls in the "encierro" of this morning. The bulls seemed to run in a closed group which is not too common and there was no escape for some runners, although no mortal wounds were caused.
I would also like to mention the increased number of foreigners who do not know how to run properly and show up at the "encierros" drunk (you know who you are out there!). These poor runners spoil the festival and tradition for everyone else, a real shame !
Actually I like my bull to be in the form of a steak, "medium rare, please!", instead of on the hoof. It's easier to eat, and less likely to trample you while doing it.
That said, the running of the bulls has become so popular with people throughout the world that there are groups making plans years in advance for a step in that direction.
I guess to run with the bulls, you have to be drunk, and if you run with the bulls, you shouldn't be drunk. A Catch-22 I think. But in my case, cowering in a corner dressed in plate armor at least 1" thick would be the best choice.
I can just picture some guy from the US being out there, figuring that since he was a fast runner, he'd navigate the course in just a few minutes, and bolt over the fence... then finding out he's going to have to go through 5,000 people just to reach the bull ring, and half of them have either fallen down, or are about to. It's time to put those hurdling skills to work.
As I said, make mine medium rare, add a salad, and baked potato, and I'm styling.
JP
Posts: 121 | Location: x | Registered: 21 June 2001
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