Sangria Selection
by Roadquill
During the San Fermin festivities, avoid buying the sangria in a bottle from the local marts that are in the old town. It is nasty stuff. Much better to go the one of the supermercados just north of the bull ring, buy a bottle of reasonably good spanish wine, some fresh orange juice and some lemon lime soda and mix your own batch.
Monument to the war dead
by mikey_e
I know, this tip title seems to be suspiciously like the one for the Monumento a los Caídos, but they are actually for two very different things and no, I am not trying to double up on tips. This is in fact for a very modest monument, one that is so uncontroversial that it doesn't even make it into wikipedia or any of the more detailed guides to the city. It is located at the intersection of calles Navas de Tolosa and Tirajana, at the end of the Paseo de Victoria. The monument is actually quite interesting for two reasons. The first is the dates marked on it: 1872 and 1938, the Second Carlist War and the Civil War, which, in 1938, might have looked like a third Carlist War to some Navarrese supports of the coup, who thought that Franco would restore traditional political structures. The second is the design of this modest monument. The opposite side from the dates has two bas-reliefs that are quite similar to Fascist-era art in Italy, and I would bet that there was at least some Italian influence on the sculptor, and that the monument was erected in the 1930s, given these bas-reliefs and their contrast to the much more austere and classical lines of Franco-era monuments.
Parque de la Taconera
by mikey_e
Los Jardines de la Taconera are a splendid park that really does not disappoint. Sometimes its seems like you go to a park or to gardens and then end up being dirty or ill-maintained, leaving you with a feeling like you just went to a public part in a North American suburb. These gardens, however, retain their Romantic splendor and have plenty to admire and take pictures of. Taconera is thought to have come from the local Basque phrase for outside the walls (ateak-en-arat), as the park was originally outside the Mediaeval city’s walls. With the construction of the current fortified structure in the 16th century, it was included inside the walls, and actually encompassed the entire area up to the Paseo de Sarasate, which was swallowed up by the Primer Ensanche. The gardens have a number of statues and monuments, including the Portal de San Nicolas, the MariBlanca (a statue) and the large monument to the Composer Gayarre, which stands in the centre of the park.
SAN FERMINE 2005
by TANjarin
"Running with the Bulls"
The anticipation... waiting... wondering "what the hell am i doing?!"
It was agonizing!!! My body trembles even now, just thinking about it...
"When are they going to let us run?!" " I want to get out of here"
But it's too late... the path has been cleared...
3 minutes till the rocket goes off.... and FINALLY we are allowed to go!
WHEW!
I can't believe i even put myself in that situation...
I'm sureprised with myself... i said i wasn't going to do it...
BUT I did, and it was ALL WORTH IT!!!
Ok, so I may not have been anywhere NEAR the bulls during the run... but i *DID* run!! :D
"The longest run of my LIFE!"
by this time, it was TOO LATE to back out!!!
"WE MADE IT!!!!"
Now for the REST of the fun!! :) Yeee!