Once a semester, USAC takes its students on an out-of-town excursion and this semester it was to Pamplona, Spain which is known for the Run of the Bulls. On our way to Pamplona, we stopped in the town of Olite and visited a beautiful palace, El Palacio Real de Olite. There are three main parts to the castle: the old portion, the ruins, and then the "new" portion that was built in the 15th century by the king of Navarra (region where Pamplona is located)." Old or new, every single room and part of this palace was stunning. They gave us the last half an hour of the tour to run around and go anywhere in the castle to take pictures it was like setting elementary school kids loose in Disney world LOL. I climbed from tower to tower, from room to room wanting to take it all in. However, the coolest part for me was that I actually took the tour in Spanish and understood a good portion of it! Just proving that my skills are improving with each day :)
Next stop was actually Pamplona. Now Pamplona is part of Basque country like Bilbao but it is in the region called Navarra so it is definitely different from Bilbao. They have their own set of customs and traditions and one of those is called San Fermin. It's celebrated every July in honor of Navarra's Saint Fermin and the tour guide said it's a non stop party for a little over a week. It starts when everyone arrives at the city hall that is pictured below. They show up in all white with red scarves (to symbolize the blood of Saint Fermin) and as city leaders give their speeches and when it strikes 12:00PM that day, they tie it around their necks for the whole festival. During the festival is when the Running of the Bulls occurs. This is the world-renowned event that we all have seen in which people run away from the bulls down very narrow streets--and yes the streets are very narrow! The run should only take about 1 minute and a half to run but it is said to be one of the scariest minutes of your life. The tour guide told us that every year someone has died from the US or Australia and of course many are injured! It would be my luck that I would be that person so I could NEVER EVER EVER do something like that but hundreds of people do it every year. Once again though, I respect that it is part of the culture and that people are so excited to take part in it!
Fun Fact: The Run of the Bulls takes place each morning at 8 AM after the festival starts. It is not just a once-a-year event like many people think. After the run, the bulls are gathered in the stadium where they are used for bull fights later in the day.
Fun Fact: The Run of the Bulls takes place each morning at 8 AM after the festival starts. It is not just a once-a-year event like many people think. After the run, the bulls are gathered in the stadium where they are used for bull fights later in the day.
I liked that I was able to see a different part of Basque country and learn about the different culture. I realized studying in Spanish Basque country is like trying to study two different countries at once. You have to study the different cultures in various regions in Spain and then the different cultures in regions of Basque country! I'm so thankful that USAC allowed us to experience Pamplona and I look forward to learning more about the Basque country in my time here!
Until then...¡Agur! (Bye in Basque)
Until then...¡Agur! (Bye in Basque)