España la Tercera Parte

Madness.  Controlled chaos.  Wild beyond belief.  Fun. Pure enjoyment.  These are some of the words I can think of to describe the opening ceremony of San Fermin 2013.  After grabbing some breakfast and a few large glasses of Sangria we headed towards the town square by following the other hundreds of thousands of people.  As you get closer to the square the pace of the crowd slows and the side streets are full of people standing around drinking and listening to music outside of the bars, supermarkets, and restaurants.  Our first priority was to find seating, preferably shaded seating since it was already getting hot.  We lucked out and got a table outside one of the most popular bars. One of the few, we later found out, that actually had a restroom.  My friends secured the table and chairs while I went inside to get drinks.

The bar with the white awning was our spot

 House music mixed with salsa was at the volume just below ear splitting where it reverberates through your body and envelops.  You couldn't help but dance to it uncontrollably.  Here was where I learned another lesson in Spanish women.  As I was semi-dancing and waiting for my Sangria pitcher and lemon beer a beautiful girl came up and started dancing with me.  I had figured out earlier that in Europe you can smile at any girl and they will smile back without the toxic or perplexed look that American women are so found of.  They accept the smile/ nod and complement it with a return smile.  It doesn't mean anything and they and you go back to what you all were doing.  It's a non-verbal way to compliment them and neither party over analyzes it.  I did this as I was waiting in line dancing and this time she came up and danced next to me and then spoke no less than 7,000 words in Spanish at a Bugatti's pace.  Freezing up I said one of the few Spanish phrases I was comfortable saying "No habla Espanol".  At this she motioned her head like sorry and then walked off.  Gentleman.... If this occurs to do not say "I don't speak (insert language)".  Just smile and figure your way through it or drag her off to one of your friends that speaks that language fluently and won't set you up for failure with some line about you being a murder or someone with horrible gas, otherwise known as a female friend.

Average side street

After this defeat I made my way back to our table.  Thankfully the lemon beer, sangria, and drum beats of the Spanish taking over The White Stripes 'Seven Nation Army' quelled this quickly.

We were all sitting there people watching when we met an amazing group of people; Emily, Marina, and Jeff.  They walked by our table and as I was about to say something I heard Jeff speaking English.  We had come to find the majority of people didn't speak or understand English so it was surprising to hear English in an American Accent.  I talked to Jeff and Marina a little and then we eventually all pooled our resources (tables and chairs were in high demand) to hang out.  Jeff and Emily were in the Marines stationed in Germany and Scotland while Marina was from Australia (somewhere near Sydney if I recall correctly) on a three month traveling excursion before heading to the UK for a job.  As the opening ceremonies neared the square was filled with at least 100,000 people with each side street packed to the brim.  It was more people crammed into one small place than I've ever seen.

We all held our bandanas up in the air.  Chants of "ole, ole, ole" and the drum beat of Seven Nation army was playing.  The energy was electrifying.  As far as you could see people had christmas morning smiles in anticipation of the rocket being fired signifying the start of San Fermin.  Once the rocket was off we were pulled into a local drum section as we waited for the girls to use the bathroom.  Then, it was on.

Our group of four was now seven, ready to experience all that San Fermin had to offer.  Quick to notice carrying outside beer and alcohol to the bars was acceptable and the norm we started with purchasing a gallon of Sangria and a bag of ice then turned down a random street and into the first.

Maily, Emily, Felicia, and Marina

The first song we heard was a dance/techno song we had all heard before (if anyone can remember the name I'd be grateful  My google attempts and then calling Crazy Amy to use her as a personal Shazam app went unfounded).  It fit the mood to a T.  The atmosphere was fantastic, everyone in the bar was dancing and cheering.  We all knew the song by the beat- then the voice came on and it was in Spanish.  Pretty obvious to everyone else, but we were all caught by surprise.  The tempo and tone matched what we felt and we flowed with the music.  After a few songs and non-stop dancing we were off again to see what else the city of Pamplona had to offer.

Jeff, Mario, and Maily

"Maaaaaaaaido".  Standing near a park Mario and Luigi were all too ready to have their picture taken for a euro or two.  We hung out with some guys from the Spanish military and then Emily, Marina, and I went off to find some more fun while Jeff took Mikee, Feli, and Maily to the stadium to purchase seats for the bull entrance the following day.

The girls and I found a large statue in the middle of an office complex that was dedicated to the San Fermin festival and took some pictures.  After that a local drum line showed up.  They played for what seems like forever.  We watched some local girls sprint up and proceed to dance for eternity; their heads moving organically while lost in the beat of the drums with their hips moving methodically to the taps.  As the crowd grew their sound grew.  This eventually led to Jeff and the rest of the crew finding us locked in a trance of happiness.

Drum line

Random, Marina, Emily, me

After coming down from euphoria, we kept walking to see what else was out there.  Each alleyway was more packed than the last.  Numerous bars and people continued to line the streets.  Drenched in sweat and starving we all decided we needed food.

There was an area of town that we had become pretty familiar with away from the city square.  We all figured this would be our best chance of finding some sustenance.  Our first stop was a local bistro that was packed with a two hour plus wait.  Next door to it lay a chinese restaurant.

Marina, a local, and Emily

Wearily I followed my friends inside and we were sat without a wait.  In a city that has one million plus imports for the festival something was wrong with this picture (besides eating chinese fast food in Pamplona).  Once we sat down we understood why. Somehow they managed to keep the temperature inside about 15 degrees warmer than the 85 degree outside temperature.  The group, less Emily and I, chose to order their food to-go.  "I looked at the menu and I didn't see General Tso's chicken or Orange Chicken or anything I liked".  Her words were the most beautiful thing I could hear at that exact moment in time.  With that Emily and I were off to find something, anything, else to eat.  We left the rest, using the bus station as our rally point.  After some mis-steps and a slight detour or two we ran into a fair (I'm still sad we didn't go on the ferris wheel).  There we found food.  Good food.  We each had a beer and some chorizo links on a fresh baguette with mustard.  This was way better than whatever Chinese/ Spanish food our friends settled for.  The only failure was on the french fries that Emily tried.  I think they might have been for decoration or made that moring and then used as decoriation since we didn't order them and they kind of looked like a center piece to a ham sculpture but overall it was exactly what we were looking for.  We took our time eating and talking about life and then made our way back to the RP and in route found Jeff and Mikee heading our way looking for us.

Our group made its way back to the square to see the route Mikee, Jeff, and I would run the following day from the bulls.  We hung out for a little bit longer and then figured out where we would meet Jeff in the morning before parting ways for the night.

It was a perfect end to a wonderful day.  A random occurrence, which- to be honest is usually the best, turned into one of the best days I'd had in a long time.  The music varied by the hour and the neighborhoods leading each of us to our own soundtrack of the day.  Each turn lead to more people and masterpieces of architecture from a city founded in the 1500s.  At some point I'll mix all the video I took and upload it to YouTube, but that won't capture our day.  With each of us having separate yet joined experiences we have so many stories to tell.  There are some days you can't re-create no matter how hard you try.  We have pictures and video to show our friends and family but it's the emotional connection each of us has that makes that memory so special.

*Side note- I just found one of the videos I shot while in the club and the song is 'Play Hard' by David Guetta featuring Ne-yo and Akon.  So.... It wasn't Spanish they were singing and I might have had a little too much to drink at that point.  The beat was originally in the song 'Better off Alone' by Alice DeeJay so I think I was kind of right in my mind, but who am I to judge my memories???  Here's the actual song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dbEhBKGOtY

España la segunda parte

España la segunda parte

It wasn't as hard to wake up Friday as I thought it would be.  We were going to San Sebastian today, only an hour by bus, to hit up the beach and see a different region of Spain.  This Basque city looked amazing from the pictures that I saw.  Once we arrived it was spectacular.

Maria Cristina Bridge

The city looks more beautiful than anything you could imagine.  San Sebastian reminds me of Monte Carlo in some ways.  It's romantic; romantic in the way a bottle of red wine with someone you love is.  Walking through the city you notice the architecture moves around you in a Fur Elise like fashion.  The buildings flow with the emotion of of the city, they envelop you with their ancient stories and then part ways for a cathedral that seems to almost touch the sky.

Good Shepherd Cathedral

We walked through the city looking for the beach and seeing some fantastic sites.  It's pretty easy to find the bay of Biscay, maybe a 15 minute walk from the bus station.  As you approach it the city again opens up exposing another treasure. Surrounded by impressive hotels and sidewalk bistros on one side and a giant statue of Jesus perched upon a hill is the beach.

The view; the way the cove arcs out to the bay, and the Jesus (not Angulo) statue are all reminiscent of a smaller Rio.  The people are just as beautiful and very friendly.  We spent the afternoon on the beach people watching and relaxing.  For me, it was well needed.  We bought some beer at one of the markets on the beach and soaked in some vitamin D.  The scenery was varied but nice; families, singles and couples all enjoyed the beach in unison.

 Around 1500 we gathered our stuff, less one hotel towel we donated to the recycling bin and made our way back to the bus station.  The 1930 bus to Pamplona was booked so we had to wait for the 2020 bus.  This afforded us a little more time to see the city and find something to eat.  We settled on a place near the bus station that didn't seem too pricey.  The bartender spoke enough english to communicate well and the tapas looked really good.  There was a wonderful crab/ langoustine mixture perched atop a baguette that we devoured.  He even had to go tell the cook to make some more since the 4 of us ate all that was offered.  After some mish mash conversation with the guy I inquired about the regional wine.  He had been so hopeful and friendly I assumed he'd point me in the right direction for vino.  I tried some wine for 1,40 EU that he proclaimed was "WAY better than any Tempranillo you've tried".  He was right and with a few glasses of that and a pastry that I picked up from a local bakery in ninja like fashion while the girls were looking for something we were off to bus station for the ride back.
The ride back was a calming one.  The scenery is pleasant which lends itself to thinking.  Or sleeping in Maily and Felicia's case.  It made me wish I had brought along my headphones to listen to something while I took in the Spanish countryside.  While the train ride to Pamplona was more Rachmaninoff concerto no. 2 this  was Schubert's Serenade.  I could definitely move here.

 
Arriving back in Pamplona later than we originally planned we went back to the hotel for a quick change before heading into the city for dinner.  Finding most of the restaurants closing early in preparation for the opening ceremony our food luck ran out and KFC was the only thing open.  They let us know they were almost out of chicken and offered us a mixed bag of food for 19 EU.  I think it consisted of a drum stick or two, two breasts, and 4 tenders.  Next up was a couple drinks.  We stumbled around looking for a place before finally picking one where the locals were outside drinking.  Calling it quits early with visions of the San Fermin opening ceremony we hopped the bus back to the Zizur Mayor district and our Marriott.  The drinks had been cold, the staff was friendly and the night ended very well.

 

España la primera parte

España la primera parte

With so much to talk about that happened in Spain this is going to take a lot more than one entry.  Starting in Madrid, on to San Sebastian, 3 days in Pamplona for the San Fermin Festival, and then finishing up in Barcelona made for very different unique experiences.  I don't have the time or energy to try and combine everything into one massive narration.  Here is the first part and I'll chop up the rest into sections based on the content and allowable time.

The plane ride over wasn't bad at all.  Maily and I had a very engaging, partially fueled by alcohol, conversation.  Her inner fat kid provided numerous snacks (by my last count there were 9 different ones) for our 8+ hour flight and the Flipz had molded into one giant Flip starting its own conversation.

Giant FLIP!!!!

Normally its not difficult for me to sleep on a plane.  Or really anywhere for that matter.  Waking up at 5am CST did nothing to stop my energy level from hovering north of 1,000 all day.  Maily slept for a few hours here and there during the flight between our talks on life.  Even though our differences far outnumber our similarities we make a great sounding board for each.  I took turns listening to Portishead and then watching portions of 'The Dark Knight Rises', 'Act of Valor', and 'Fast 5'.  I guess I was more restless than I usually am and apprehensive about the logistics of how many connections we had to make in Spain travelling between the different regions.
We landed in Madrid at 7am (cst +7) ready to clear customs and drop our bags off at the train station.  The train didn't leave until later that afternoon.  Our plan was to drop off the luggage and then tour around the city.

After dropping the bags we had a quick breakfast at the train station.  This first impression proved to set the mood for Madrid and it's people.
Mikee: Huevos y Bacon por favor

Special Needs Pretty Waitress: (confused look) que?

M: Huevos Y..

SNPW: Si, Huevos...

M: Bacon (pauses) , Bacon (points to it on the menu)

SNPW: oh. BaCON

This was followed by me ordering Leche (milk) and after 15 or so minutes her bringing me a near boiling glass of milk.  Maily explains to SNPW that I wanted a glass of leche frio and she looks confused and takes it away.  I make a joke about her probably putting it in a cooler and will bring the same one out later.  20 minutes later a slightly less boiling and still roof top mouth pizza burn level glass arrives. After this incident we bolted from the train station on pursuit of the city and me worried about ever ordering a glass of milk in Spain again.

The buildings and museums were amazing.  Each time you turn a corner the city reminds you of the 9th grade World History class textbook with photos of palaces, courtyards, and fountains melding together like a classical concerto.

As we passed a historic museum a 700 year old church would be next door.  Europe has a certain feel in the architecture that America can't re-create.  It's not just in the design or the age of the buildings; it's the planning of things that evoke a grand romance with the surroundings.  Lush gardens and huge trees are found downtown.  Even the modern buildings have parks and sculptures.  The city planners worked with the natural landscape greenery instead of leveling it to build thousands of generic square office buildings lacking any sort of creativity.

Mikee and Feli

In the middle of Madrid, after walking around for a couple hours we found a huge park, one that would be torn down in the US to make way for high priced office space.  350 acres of serene beauty make up the Buen Retiro Park.  We found a hill that was shaded by 30' trees on all sides to lay down for a minute and catch our thoughts.  Felicia took a quick nap, Mikee and I people watched and Maily was attempting to solve the worlds global reliance on fossil fuels and deciphering the Voynich manuscript.

Thinking Maily

After our rest, food was in order.  We left the park and found a really cool area near some hostels with multiple restaurants.  It was relatively early for lunch in Spanish terms (12:30) and that may have had something to do with our service.  To call it a train wreck would be kind.  To call the waiter indifferent to our presence would be generous.  The positive take away would be remembering that in Spain the house red wine is always great and always cheap.  Usually 1 Euro and never higher than 2 Euros a bottle of the house wine is regularly found for 3 Euros which is the same price as a small bottle of water.  The term "house" is also significantly different in Spain than in the US.  Some restaurants classify Ripple a house wine here.  In Spain the term house is referred to wine from that region, sometimes made in house and usually made down the road or in the closest village outside the city.  Since it's cheaper to get a bottle of wine than a bottle of water you should enjoy this moment and drink as much and as many different kinds as you can.

Our frustration of the service and other encounters with the local Madrid folks had us angry and a lack of sleep only compounded that frustration.  Madrid beat us down right up until we got on the train.

To all my fellow travelers.  When you can, travel first class. We booked our train tickets online beforehand (the Renfe site is a MESS) in advance and paid about 23 euros for first class.  2nd class was 19,50 euros and the upgrade in cost is well worth it.  Hot towel treatment, a 5 course meal, a half bottle of wine (or 2 if little one next to you doesn't like it), and extremely friendly staff.  Maily slept for the majority of the trip and I was 6 years old again seeing the Grand Canyon.

 I probably woke Maily up every 10 minutes for the first hour excited to see something new: "Look a castle!!!!  A Monastery!  Did you see all those vineyards, did you see the olive tress, what about the city built into the mountain??".  I doubt she'll ever take a train with me again or She will make sure to get noise cancelling headphones beforehand.  Things like that excite me.  After I could tell she was getting annoyed I slipped on my headphones and played some classical orchestra to provide a sound track to the scenery.

Three short hours later we arrived in Pamplona.  Attempted to check in to the wrong hotel, made it to the correct hotel, were again underwhelmed by our food service and then crashed.  When I started my day it was 5am on Wednesday and it was now 1am Friday morning with a 9am wake up to spend the day in San Sebastian.  We were now also well aware that out of everyone we met or had contact with in Spain one person spoke English.  It was going to be a challenge communicating but inspite of the service and the attitudes of the Madrileos we all had high hopes for what was to come.

Madrid Train Station

Madrid

Lessons I Learned today:

• Always ask for the house red
• Never order milk
• No matter how grand the train station is, it will still feel and look like a rock concert port-a-potty
• 1st Class rules
• Not everyone is as excited about the scenery as you are
• Flips melt to epic proportions
• Gummy anything is best on flights
• Huevos Y (insert everything) is on every men and everything is served with eggs
• No one speaks English
• I look Spanish and they think I can speak Spanish.  The Spanish also look white instead of the slightly less dark hispanic complexion that I thought they would.