Pamplona is most famous for its annual July San Fermin festival where 'The Running of the Bulls' features a daily bull run, 'Encierro'. This festival was depicted in the writings of Ernest Hemingway as it made such an impression on him that he chose the fiesta as the backdrop to his first successful novel, 'The Sun Also Rises'. We arrived a month after the revelry had finished which meant we were able to walk the Encierro without risk of being trampled on by six charging bovine beasts. The length of the run is 875m and goes through four narrow cobbled streets before entering into the bull ring. During San Fermin the city is driven by music, bulls, drinking and general madness. In mid-August the only sign of the previous month's antics were the holes in the ground for the fencing along the route and the posters advertising the event. It would be good to be in the city for the festivities during San Fermin one day, but maybe not in a bull running capacity...

In its downtime, Pamploma is a charming little city with great food, friendly people and pleasant walks in its green parks and along its stone-paved streets . We enjoyed a short visit to the cathedral with its Neoclassical facade and Gothic interior and heard its extraordinary loud bells chime. The Museo de Navarra is located in a 16th century hospital and included a rich collection of Roman artifacts, mosaics and art from various periods, including a Goya painting.

Onward bus to San Sebastian, 90 mins.