As I drove to work the other day, I was attracted to a story on National Public Radio (NPR) about a man who runs with bulls.
I listened to this story and pondered, does this man actually run with bulls? Who would do such a thing? After my shift ended and I found myself still contemplating the insanity of this concept, I Googled ‘running with bulls’. To my surprise I came across an array of Google results, and more specifically, came across the location where this story was set.
Running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain is a highly popular event that is part of the San Fermin festival, the most renowned festival in Spain, which honors Saint Fermin, the co-patron of Navarre. This festival occurs every year beginning July 7th – 14th.
In this event, players run with 6 bulls and 9 steer. The bovine competitors run from their “off-site corrals” to the bullring where they will be slaughtered. Side streets are blocked off and barricades are used to make a direct route for the bulls. Many injuries occur but from the description I heard on NPR, the event can also be euphoric, exciting – a real once-in-a-lifetime experience.
With this being said, I thought what an interesting idea for this week’s travel blog. Do you need a little, or a lot of excitement in your life? Do you do outlandish and outrageous events similar to this one and feel like this would be an amazing experience? If so, I have found a reasonably priced ticket to Spain through Expedia, this flight is around $1600, but please hurry because the festival ends on the 14th and you may miss your chance to run with the bulls in Pamplona.
If you are looking for a hotel deal, I found a great deal at a beautiful, modern facility: Suites Mirasierra Pamplona. This hotel looks beautiful and clean and offers is close to the city’s center. I found the deal through hotelscombined.com for about $116/night.
