Express By Holiday Inn Pamplona

... hopping back on the bus to go to the hotel at 7.45pm. After the sangria, it was a little harder trying to remember to speak Spanish rather than French as we are now so practiced in our french phrases. It was also hard to remember what room we were in! The cards don't have numbers and we just couldn't remember. Luckily Dan had an idea and yes, it turns out room 507 is us, not 407!

Dinner was served at 8.30pm ..an early dinner just for us according to ...

... many things...

Arriving at Los arcos, i was very happy to see Damon and Tim along with some new people I hadn´t met. This area of Navarra is fiercely independent, and the antispanish grafitti, signs and sentiments have become even more intense. I saw the title of this entry on the way into Los Arcos, along with banners demanding that the Spanish police and troups stay out of the town, or else.

A little emotional setback came in the form of learning about what >I ...

... albergue being gone. It is incredible how much I sleep though, especially when I have earplugs in. For example, this particular hostel had 200 people in one building, somewhat separated by two open floors and makeshift cubicles.

George and I got some breakfast and waited for the pharmacies to open at 9. We spent a while there, George buying a knee brace and I buying bandaids, antiseptic, and more sunscreen. About ten, George felt reinvigorated and ...

... to her. They are buddhists and were very interesting, but a little too whimsically french for me to relate to well. Real and Hank also caught up - Real is in his 60s and is from canada, but lived and worked in france for a long time as an english teacher. Hank is 75 years old and from the netherlands (i think)... he is amazing... a few years ago he walked out of his house their and ended up at santiago a while later. Unfortunately, Real lost his wallet along this days walk ...

... project (not looking for divine inspiration—it’s a religious architecture project). Next, I went to La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that is still in the works that was designed by the famous Spanish architect Gaudí. The cathedral, which is supposedly neo-gothic, began construction in 1887, more than 100 years before I was born. It will be completed when I am 40 (in the year 2030). That’s with cranes and power tools. Don’t come ...

... till, I was trying to think of my plan. My plan was once I see the bulls, to not be in front of them and run beside them. A good plan I thought. Except that I couldn´t see down the street at all because there was a billion people on the street. Being that I´m a short guy, I tried to find something to lift myself up with. The next thing I knew, I heard the rocket go off and then a flood of people running towards me prematurely. I knew this would ...

... spot for a bit of a break and fresh air. We had a bit of trouble getting through the road blocks on the way back home, but we managed to arrive back pretty easily. Tonight we stayed in for some supper and lots of laughter and conversation, until Vivian, Sebastián and kids (including Giba who's close to Ennio and slept over) left at about 10:30ish. I chatted with Moira for another hour or so before collapsing into bed exhausted from an unfortunate bad night's sleep the previous night.

... horn signals that the bulls have been let out of their cages somewhere behind the plaza. People start jogging at this point, it's rather hard to get a couple thousand people moving quickly. You're forced to spread out over this roaded area as much as possible. If you take of sprinting at this point, you'll make it to the bullring (full of people) wayyy before the bulls and get all kinds of food and drinks thrown at you again. If you don't move, the police will push you along ...

... avec des fusils et du poivre de cayenne pour les repousser.... pleins de gens qui ne voulais pas etre la ce sont faite battre par la police... juste trop fou pis ce mots etait faible, moi et moi amis avons remonter la rue les bras dans les airs au cas ou pour sapprocher de la rue ou les tauraux on passer, tout a bien ete et jai pu les voir mais de 10 pieds dou jetait... vraiment poche considerant tout ce que javais faite pour en arriver la, jen ...

... watch your **** garrett this foo is trying to pickpocket us" he got mad and slapped me on the head with his hat: what the ****; i gave him the evil eye and the boys were right behind me, so nothing happened: what a scrub!! ****! turkey; hungary; germany, and now spain...........thats great: oh well; i guess thats the way things go somtimes: so yes; we are in paris!!! got to see the pompidou center today: it is the best museum i have seen ...