¡Hola! Founded in 1989 in the Food Court of the Echelon Mall in Voorhees, New Jersey, by Peter N. Milligan and Aryeh ("Ari") L. Deutsch, the Philadelphia Peña and Taurino Club celebrates all things Festival of San Fermín between July 6 and 14, and all things Philadelphia, PA and its surrounds the rest of the year.  Email us at thephillypena@comcast.net. 

Here's Peter, after a bull run, in the Plaza de Toros.

 
Here's Ari, after a bull run, at the Cafè Iruña.

If you see us in Pamplona, we'd love to talk (or help).  So just grab one of us!  To contact us at home in the U.S.A., try email at thephillypena@comcast.net.  Kind strangers helped us in the beginning, and we're privileged to pass on sage advice on Pamplona and any aspect of the fiesta.


The Philadelphia Peña Pañuelo


Peter and Ari waiting for the rocket in 2008.


Victorious Brothers in Plaza de Toro, 2008.

September 1, 2008 -- Rest for the Weary.

We’ve been back since July, but (frankly) we needed a couple of weeks (months?) to recover - and the water has been really nice down the shore. So, we won’t see you until January 2009, to start the next staircase countdown. From the date of this posting, only 310 days left. Yikes.

This past July, Ari and I took our wives and my kids along to Pamplona for about half of the fiesta and some time beforehand in Madrid. Our past horror stories of spilt blood and wine and splashed mud and ashes were thoroughly debunked. I think we’ll have a hard time keeping them away in the future. I cannot possibly overemphasize how much fun the fiesta is for kids.

Sam and the Firework Bull

Check out Sam's brave run here:  click here.

Ari suffered bruised ribs when cowardly pushed from behind (presumably by a Frenchman) entering the plaza de toros (click here), and my back was left quite bruised when I was pushed from behind by a cabestro running downhill on the callejón. I didn’t fall at all, which was unlike any other year; and, we ran on Santo Domingo for the 1^st time.

Make sure you look at our new photographs under the "In Harm’s Way" tag above. And, drop us a note about your 2008 exploits to thephillypena@comcast.net. If you post photos or video online, let us know. We already made a new friend from France who found himself in one of our videos.

Otherwise, here are our 2008 Philadelphia Pena and Taurino Club Awards.

2008 Meal of the Year. This is easy. On 7/11, we walked into at c/Fermin Calbeton 12 in the old section of San Sebastian, and our man behind the counter quickly sized us up saying "Do you like meat?" Uh, chaaah. He made us "to order" some tender cow’s cheek (uh, from the face), as seen here. So, so yummy. We returned on 7/15, as it was the best pintxo I’ve ever tasted.

2008 Best New Tradition. We used to watch the fireworks from the corner of the park near the overpriced and horror inducing food tents (Do you have 50E? Here’s your sandwich). This year the new bus station was (finally) opened. The open grass field above the underground bus station is the perfect place for viewing the nightly fireworks. Seriously, you might not think this is a big deal. It is. So there.

2008 Best Old Tradition. Every night, music and dancing are held at the Plaza de la Cruz at 2000 during San Fermin. You have to be 80+ to dance, but the music and atmosphere is strictly old-time-y Pamplona. Local kids play on the swings, and you can wrestle someone’s grandpa for a spot on the benches. Plus, if you have to pick just one night, chose the band "Carisma." Trust me, and you’ll thank me later.

2008 Fireworks Award. Ranking Pamplona fireworks is very difficult. The worst San Fermin fireworks are still the best you’ll ever seen outside of Philadelphia in 1976 or the Beijing Olympics. When a pyrotechnics show stands out above others in Pamplona, you’ve seen something. On 7/13, we saw Pirotecnia Zamorano Caballer of Valencia put on the show of shows. My chest still hurts.  Check it out here.

2008 Run of the Year. Keeping in mind that we finally decided to run Santo Domingo because of the weekend crowds, including the Miura run on 7/13, Ari and I broke off our best run on 7/14 with the breed, Nunez del Cuvillo. We found a large gap between the casbestros and toro herd. I came in right and front, and Ari brazenly wandered right into the herd.

2008 Parking Job of the Year. Don’t be silly. On 7/7, I parked our obscenely large Opel Zafira in a moped spot in the underground lot at the Hotel Maisonnave. It was the only parking spot left in Spain. And, it just fit.

2008 New Friend of the Year. With wives and kids in tow, we broke down and leased space on a balcony. We met Javier from Immonet Vivenda at c/Estafa, 23. Great balcony and great guy. Check out his website here.

2008 Dessert of the Year. 10 July 08. Restaurant San Fermín on San Nicholas, 44. Home made fig ice cream.

2008 Bull of the Year. The 5^th toro on July 9 of the ganadería Fuente Ymbro replaced the scheduled 5^th bull, who broke its horn on the picador’s armor. We found fulfilling this stand-in obligation moving.

2008 Moron of the Year. This guy. Taking pictures, which is against the rules, reflects a lack of understanding of what is going on, and risks the lives of others around you. Too bad we couldn’t find a photo of me giving him an early breakfast, of cobblestones and fragments of his teeth. Fool.  Contact me directly about the bounty.

So, until January 2009, Gora Iruña and Hasta Pronto!

Any questions?  We happily answer any question -- email at thephillypena@comcast.net.