The Philadelphia Peña and Taurino Club
Our Guide to the Festival of San Fermìn, Pamplona
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. Check out Sam's brave run here: click here. 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 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 Dessert of the Year. 10 July 08. Restaurant San Fermín on San Nicholas, 44. Home made fig ice cream.
Sam and the Firework Bull
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 1st time.
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 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 Bull of the Year. The 5th toro on July 9 of the ganadería Fuente Ymbro replaced the scheduled 5th 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!
May 9, 2008 - The 5th Step of 2008
For la fiesta bull runners, it’s really the home stretch. Only one (1) more step. Profuse sweating and night terrors are now de rigeur, along with twitching eyes and tapping fingers. White pants are being ironed. Now is the time to lament the fact we should have all started working out in January.
Let us know what your July plans are at: thephillypena@comcast.net.
We’ll be arriving in Pamplona the afternoon of July 7, after a few days in Madrid. Upon arriving in Pamplona, most importantly, we’ll be eating. In our 1st year in Pamplona, we ate like slobs in the streets. Surprisingly, there is limit to the number of bocadillos you can gag down. Later, we discovered that Northern Spain is the culinary capital of the world. No kidding – big city restaurants are merely trying to copy the real thing in Basque country.
But, now is the time to be making or to have made reservations for lunch and dinner; otherwise, you’ll be eating a lot of congealed jamon. What a shame. Anyway, this is what we’ll be doing. "Picnic" usually means we packed something from the grocery store for the bullfights.....or we intend to mooch of someone in the Plaza del Toros.
Monday, July 7, 2008 Dinner – San Fermin (San Nicholas, 44).
Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Lunch – Rodero (Arrieta, 3). Dinner – picnic.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Lunch – Asador Epeleta (Calle Aralar S/N in Lekunberri, which is NW of Pamplona). Dinner – picnic.
Thursday, July 10, 2008 Lunch at Monasterio de San Juan de la PeZa (14m south of Jaca). Dinner – San Fermin (San Nicholas, 44).
Friday, July 11, 2008 Lunch – picnic on the beach in San Sebastian. Dinner – tapas crawl in San Sebastian. Really, this is the King of all Tapas Crawls.
Sat., July 12, 2008 Lunch – "steak frites" on the beach in France in Hondarribia / Fuenterrabia. Dinner – TBA in Pamplona.
Sun., July 13, 2008 Lunch – Casa Vallés (Reyes Católicos, 10 in San Sebastian).
Dinner – Europa (Espoz y Mina, 11).
Monday, July 14, 2008 Lunch – TBA in Pamplona. Dinner – Josetxo (Plaza Principe de Viana, 1). This is the Official Formal Dining Experience for the Philly Pena.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Lunch – picnic on the beach in San Sebastian. Dinner – one final tapas crawl in San Sebastian.
March 2008 -- The Bulls.
The Casa de Misericordia (the House of Mercy), which was established in 1706, houses the elderly in and around Pamplona, and supports itself, in part, by organizing the bull fair for the annual July fiesta. Celebrating its 50th year of the Feria del Toro, the annual fair poster has now been unveiled.
The Bulls.
The Casa de Misericordia (the House of Mercy), which was established in 1706, houses the elderly in and around Pamplona, and supports itself, in part, by organizing the bull fair for the annual July fiesta. Celebrating its 50th year of the Feria del Toro, the annual fair poster has now been unveiled.
Further, the various bulls breeds for the morning run and bullfights have been announced. However, we still await the schedule for the list of matadors, and the days each bull breed will run.
For now, we must be satisfied with the knowledge of the bulls breeds, and that we are familiar with some of the ranches. Some familiarity with the bull breeds is very helpful in the running, along with intimate knowledge of the softest cobblestones along the run course. The following breeds will be participating in the 2008 fiesta:
MIURA – these bulls usually run on Sundays, and while the largest breed, are commonly regarded as the noblest and least likely to gore runners. Except when they do. Because of their immensity, the fights are usually messy and extended. These are the official favorite bulls of the Philadelphia Pena and Taurino Club. We always run with them, and always wear a tie to see them fight, and celebrate with a nice dinner.
JANDILLA – this breed is often dangerous, and fast. Gorings are common and non-goring injuries occur at a much higher rate with these bulls. In 2004, they gored eight (8) runners. In 2005, their run lasted over an excruciating five (5) minutes. In 2006, they were not welcomed back to the fiesta. In 2007, a brown bull was separated from the herd, and charged runners up and down the callejón. With Jandilla, we do not aim for a good run, but only safety and survival.
CEBADA GAGO – these bulls, which perennially appear during la fiesta, have a high rate of gorings. They are noticeably faster than other breeds. Their runs deserve extra care.
DOLORES AGUIRRE YBARRA – it seems to us that this breed is run on days that are commonly crowded, such as early in the festival or on weekends. Usually, there is less than two (2) gorings, which should almost be expected because of the crowds. However, because they run with huge numbers of people, this breed leads in non-goring injuries (i.e. falls, collisions, etc.). Remember, if you fall, do not get up.
FUENTE YMBRO – these bulls first (1st) appeared in 2005, and they run fast. In 2007, there was not a single gored runner. In 2006, there was only a single goring. In 2005, no one was gored. So, I’m thinking they’re due.
VENTORRILLO – this breed has never run during San Fermin. According to its ganaderia, these bulls have been specially bred for San Fermin and have large heads, large horns, and, oh how nice, a heavier weight. That hardly seems necessary. How about laser beams and roller skates?
NÚYEZ DEL CUVILLO & CONDE DE LA CORTE – neither of these breeds have run in Pamplona in some time. Accordingly, I know nothing about either. In fact, we would appreciate the advice of any reader as to their experience, as a little knowledge assists in mental preparation (which is why we look at the pictures of each bull in the morning papers, every time we run) and in developing a run strategy. It’s good to know which breeds are fast and which tend to lose their herd formation.
In the coming weeks, the matadors will be announced, the fiesta poster design will be unveiled, and the festival program will be released. We can’t wait.
February 2008 - The Hills are Alive With Loud Music for Over a Week That Never Stops and Rings in Your Ears.In the perdurable decree of our dear friend, Ray Mouton, "whenever you are in doubt during Fiesta, follow the music." Last year, we arrived in Pamplona about an hour after the Chupinazo, and from behind the hermetic seal of our rental car in our underground hotel parking garage, we could already hear the not-so-distant din of the never-ending music of Sanfermin.
We quickly changed into our Pamplona whites, and watched band after band pass our balcony below. It didn’t stop until after midnight on the 14th. The streets of Pamplona teem with musical notes. Just start following any group that wanders by, and eventually you’ll be a full-fledged member of the band, with musicians trying to hand you their instruments, or trying to buy you lunch. Invariably, I find Ari in such a mix, playing French Horn #3, and perusing tapas menu with his new best friends.
Sometimes, four (4) separate bands will meet marching through an intersection, and battle for who get to pass through unmolested. In the late afternoon, roving bands and singers move from hotel to hotel and provide entertainment for those just too weary to still be out in the streets. There’s also music in the bull ring, which includes the formal (and often drowned out) Dianas, that is the formal marching brass band of la fiesta, and much, much, much less formal bands of the las penas, the official Pamplona clubs designed toward Sanfermin mayhem. These groups have become part of our favorite times of la Fiesta. Aside from the morning run (and lunch) (and the fireworks) (and dinner) (and Hotel Yoldi), I look forward to a pena deciding its that time of the bullfight to play the Theme from the A-Team. In the words of my father, I love it when a plan comes together.
They’ve also added da-da-da-dah words to the 20th Century Fox Theme, as see in this clip: "Distant Ring Music." Ah, subtlety, thy name is Sanfermin. There are plenty of opportunities to get an early start on learning the local music on I-Tunes. I try to learn the lyrics to a new song every year.
My personal favorite album is "Ven a Sanfermin!!," by Raices Navarras, a group which sings outside our hotel every year.
Also, you can try
"Las Penas de Pamplona," by IruZeko Penak;
"In Front of the Bull," by Fermin Music;
"Toros and Toreros en Pamplona," which is an album of music commonly heard during the Pamplona bullfights; or
"Errobi Kanta Baionta," which presents authentic Basque jotas (dancing) music.
In fact, if you search for "Pamplona" or "Sanfermin" on I-Tunes, many, many options are available. So, grab your Txistu (ta-dah) or your tuba, learn a jotas or two, and we’ll see you in the streets!