Oh well the erratic nature of our internet connection continues. I can see the Guardian, LEP and even the Skelmersdale Advertiser as well as the BBc site but it won't connect to my e-mail server or Facebook or Google mail or my blog site. So back to stockpiling.
Thursday 24 June
We went to Pamplona today. Its about 25 miles away and so unmissable. At least its not the feast of St Firmin - yet. But in two weeks the place goes bonkers. The bull running starts and goes on for 7 days. The arrangements are being put in place with the wooden barriers being put in place at all the junctions on the route and the shops selling t shirts advertising the event. Some are tasteful others including the one with mock blood spatters a lot less so. Still it must be the only bull related event in Spain where the bulls have the upper hand. We walked most of the route which is fairly short but then there were no bulls chasing us.
The old city is full of narrow streets made to feel even narrower by the tall apartments around them. The atmosphere is busy but not horrendously so and the scale of it is quite small. We went into the Plaza del Castillo, the main square, and had the menu del dia at the Cafe Iruna. Its a wonderful belle epoque dining room which puts quotes from its most famous customer on its menu. The whole place is Hemingway crazy down to having part of the cafe called The Hemingway Bar complete with a statue of the man himself at the bar! He publicised the bull running and turned it from a local event to an international one so they gave him a street outside the bull ring.
The Cathedral is wonderfully cool even if it's being restored and parts are off limits or in the case of the front invisible under scaffolding and screening. The quiet of the cloisters are only interrupted by the sound of a small fountain allegedly surrounded by railings made of the spoils of victory over the "evil" Moors. The other oddity was the work in the cloisters to disinter the bodies buried under the floor and it was fascinating to watch one archaelogist carefully brushing soil away to expose the small bones in one grave whilst her colleague removed the soil from the next grave in a barrow leaving the skeleton exposed.
A visit to Lidl finished the day as we stocked up for the weekend.
Friday 25 June
Today is a domestic chores day.
Saturday 26th June
Went to Vitoria/Gasteiz. The city is really very nice with an old medieval quarter and a livley more modern wrap around. The trams are good as well - shows what you can do with some public spending! They were having a youth festival and bands were playing in the main square. It was like a heavy rock show with loads on black tee shirts and tattoos all over but very friendly and relaxed - even if the amps were cranked up to the maximum! Against this background people were getting married in the church overlooking the stage and coming out to have a boogie on the platform in front. The weather was getting more and more sultry by the time we got back so taht about an hour later we had a grade A thunderstorm.
Sunday 27th June
The weather had dried off and we stayed close to home to watch the Grand Prix and that game. Think we should have gone out after the Grand Prix (won by a German from 2 Brits but all driving Britsh cars). I think Mark Webber should get Red Bull to change its slogan - "Gives you wings" is not a good idea on a racing car. Still once more as the day wore on the weather got closer and in the last half hour the thunder has come back. Hey Ho! PS there is a general strike here on Tuesday - we think - to protest about the Government cut-backs!
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