Monday, June 10, 2024 - Pamplona

 The breakfast room was  VERY crowded,  conversations noisey.  Nevertheless we managed.  Francisco met us and began our walking a d history tour of Spain and this part of the world before it became Spain. Humor and laughter were liberally sprinkled into the stories, and that kept our attention. We spent time in the cathedral, which he  called ABC another beautiful  cathedral, not another blasted cathedral.  Graves of rulers of this state of Navarra, a striking and controversial crucifix, Roman ruins, and beautiful and noteworthy cloister, as well as rooms offering symbolic experience of light and dark, and personal reflection made this visit a very memorable one.

  We next visited the home of a woman who with her husband now deceased have collected everything possible about bull fighting and the running of the bulls, a nine day even beginning July 7 to celebrate the festival of Fermin, a person killed because of his religion and who now is regarded as a holy person.  Visitors wear white to represent his holiness and red scarves which represent the blood he shed. In the museum we saw the heads of six bulls who were killed in the bull ring, clothing of matadors and other persons who participate in the bull fights, photos, paintings,  and memorabilia filled the homemuseum, usually open only during the nine day festival. We then saw the RSE program of the Camino and the festival. Six bulls run about a half mile from their pens through the streets to the pens at the bull fighting ring. Thousands of people,  mainly young guys run ahead and around the bulls for fun. Some are injured.  Our guide knows that his ten year old son will run within friends when he is around 18, and that his son won't tell his dad before he runs. Six bulls each of nine days, most are killed by the  matador. The president decides, based on the performance of the matador during the 25 minute time of bonding with the bull.

  We enjoyed a glass of wine and several tapas as we discussed bullfighting with Francisco and Augustin and the museum owner. Saying farewell to Francisco we were led to one of many private clubs in the country. Originally for men, women and families are now welcome to join a club. I think it is similar to a social hall owned by a group of people who pay to join and pay yearly dues.  They sign up to use it and bring in their food which they can prepare there. Today Augustin had hired a group of three men to prepare and serve the food. Sangria was on the tables in pitchers. I had only one glass, paella, beef cheeks in gravy on mashed potatoes  and lemon sorbet filled us up and kept our conversations lively and long.

  It was already 330pm. A few of us visited a large department store with a cafeteria and great view of the city from the 7th and top floor. A short nap before our agreed meeting time and we were off again to the large coffee  and tapas Cafe where we had been treated by Francisco for a coffee break this morning. The location has important history and is busy all day. Fifteen of us ordered tapas and wine or beverage the way Augustin had instructed us last evening.  Lively and lengthy conversations kept us socializing into the evenin we finished our time together with ice cream and a slow walk back to the hotel.

It is now dark, and we depart tomorrow morning to walk the Camino and then drive to San Sebastian.


  Gute Nacht


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday, July 13, 2025 - Travel Day to Kyoto

 We selected breakfast items and picked up some requested items for Kenji rom the grocery store across the street. Karin had already started a load of laundry while I was still asleep. In our room we ate our purchases. I had a banana, a small bag of shelled edamame,and half a ham,cheese and llettuce. It was p,enty to hold me over four our 1130 reservation at a shabu ahabu restaurant.  Karin had researched inexpensive shabu shabu restaurants and found this one out of the main  touristy areas and in a metro mall. This meal had many parts: a choice of broth which is simmered on a burner at the table. On c houses a meat and how much  eat. One chooses  two dipping sauces and what kind of rice,  oh yes. The. There was a large bowl of fresh vegetables some of which I didn't recognize. I put them and the meat into the simmering broth.  With spoons to stir the ingredients there were lots of things on the table. The  meal was delicious,  super deliciou...
Read more

Sunday at the Dome and sore feet

Although it was cool the sun was out, and it was dry. We had breakfast in a neighborhood Cafe which we like. Along with coffee milk I had a lentil and couscous and vegetable salad, and Karin had a Spiegelei and muesli. This is a great way to begin the day. The food and environment, and company were perfect. We walked to the Senenfelder U Bahn station to Alexanderplatz, and we had difficulty locating the bus stop for bus #100 to bring us to the Dom for the 10 AM service.  Road work as well as construction continues in this city.  After asking directions and few times we found the correct stop and bus and made it to the Dom on time. We stated we were international visitors and were ushered a special seating area slightly above the congregation where we were given headphones and an audio device to receive live translation.  The choir was the Swiss chorus which we heard last evening. Throughout the service they sang the Bach Lutheran mass which we enjoyed last evening. It was...
Read more

A New Week Begins in Wermelskirchen

With the homemade muesli breakfast the week began happily. Fresh oatmeal flakes, sunflower seeds, another teaspoon of seeds, one banana, dried prune and apricot pieces, walnuts, almonds, and other nuts, homemade yogurt, and a little milk, Anja let the mixture sit for ten minutes before we began eating.  It was delicious. We then went outside. Anja cut back dead flowers from bushes in the front.  I picked up the material and placed it into a large plastic container.  When the battery hand shears needed recharging we left for Remscheid to do a little shopping. Herbert did his daily physical therapy exercises. He then went grocery shopping which he enjoys and Anja doesn't enjoy. She wrote the list on her cell phone, i.e. Handy, he saw the list on his Handy because the two devices are linked somehow. When he had completed the shopping he wrote on that list page that he had purchased everything. Slick.  Shopping at the Allee Center Anja point out the number of mall shops ...
Read more