The Bull Run

 Basically, it consists of running along certain stretches of the streets which have been previously walled off, and the aim of which is to take the bulls from the Santo Domingo corrals to the Bull Ring where, later that afternoon, they will be fought. A total of six bulls are "run" as well as two herds of tame bulls and the route, which runs through different streets of the old city centre, measures 825 metres.

There are three parts to this 8am run, which vary in difficulty. For those whose middle name is danger, Santo Domingo is a fast and furious challenge. Even dicier is the corner of Mercaderes. The rest should take on Estafeta, the easier part of the treacherous course.

A shorter run called the encierrillo takes place in poor lighting conditions at 11 p.m. along the route that the bulls take before they fight the next day. The run goes from the Gas Corrals to those of Santo Domingo. This one is exclusive and requires invitation from the town hall.

This dangerous race, which is run every morning between the 7th and 14th of July, begins at 8.00 a.m., although the runners will have entered the run at 7.30a.m. A few minutes before the race is due to begin the youths who will make the run entrust themselves to San Ferm?­n and sing three times before a niche of the Saint decorated with the scarves of the pe?±as, or social groups, which is located on the Cuesta de Santo Domingo. The song goes like this: "We ask San Ferm?­n, as our Patron, to guide us through the Bull Run and give us his blessing."

At 8 o'clock sharp the first rocket is launched announcing the opening of the gates of the small corrals' of Santo Domingo, while the firing of the second indicates that all the bulls have left. The animals run along the following route: up Santo Domingo rise and cross the Town Hall Square in order to run in line down the Calle Mercaderes. A closed curve leads into the Calle Estafeta, the longest part of the route which is followed by a small part of the Calle Duque de Ahumada, also known as the Telef??nica stretch, which gives access to the dead end street which leads to the Bull Ring. Once all the bulls have entered the taurine enclosure a third rocket goes up while the fourth indicates that the beasts have gone into the bullpens and the Bull Run is over.

The run lasts three minutes on average, which is prolonged if any of the bulls should get separated from its brothers. Although all the stretches are dangerous, the curve of the Calle Mercaderes and the stretch between the Calle Estafeta and the Bull Ring are those which hold the most risk.

At present overcrowding is one of the main problems of the Bull Run and increases the danger of the run in which the youths should not try to hold out for more than 50 meters before the bulls.

All sections of the route are looked over by a large number of security guards and first aid assistants. However, the danger of the run has meant that between 1924 and 1997 14 people have died and more than 200 been injured by the bulls.

The Fiesta de San Ferm?­n sees the city erupt into non-stop revelry at noon on 6 July and it doesn't return to its former sober self for some eight or nine days. During the chupinazo, an official fires a rocket into the skies above the crowds to declare the beginning of the festivities. This is followed by a blessing from the balcony of the town hall, which sends crowds into fits of rapture. Thousands of men (who have been busy warming up with songs and copious copas of cava) automatically tie on their symbolic red bandanas. Carnival chaos ensues.

The next morning at 10am the parading of the effigy of San Ferm?­n takes place through the streets, to the accompaniment of wild Spanish songs called jotas. Throngs of immaculately white-clad men follow the procession, rejoicing to the music of the penas, txistu players, pipers, buglers, drummers, mace bearers and escorts. San Ferm?­n is the patron saint of wineskin makers and wine merchants, which accounts for the prevalence of the Spanish porr??n (wine skin) and - towards the end of the fiesta - red wine-stained white overalls.

Later in the day there is a mass in honor of San Ferm?­n that is promptly followed by another moment of carnival madness by the name of the mom?©ntico. Comparsas (carnival groups) of giants, cabezudos (big-headed giants), kilikis and kaldikos (who are especially charged with chasing children) take to the streets in a rhythmic shuffle. Later, revelers attempt to block the City Corporation from reaching the vespers to the music of the Astrian Waltz, played by the band La Pamplonesa. Due to recent success of the barricades, this has sometimes been cancelled in recent years.

Pamplona is fantastic. Don't miss it. Take care and try to avoid the fate of one animal rights campaigner a few years ago, who ended up severely injured after being gored. Mind your back!