6 Bull Runs as good as the ones in Pamplona

The 'encierros' (bull runs) in Pamplona may be the most famous ones, they're certainly not the only ones in Spain. Some aficionados claim that there are 'encierros' which are at least as good as the ones in Pamplona, if not better. These ones are among the best:

1. Cuellar (province of Segovia)
Cuellar claims to have the oldest bull runs in Spain. They were already mentioned in a document from 1215. Actually, the document states that priests shouldn't participate in the bull runs. Last week of August.

2. Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca)
Most of the famous bull runs take place in July and August. Looking for some winter challenge? In Ciudad Rodrigo, a beautiful sleepy town near the Portuguese border they run for the bulls in February, and they do so since 1494. Ranks among the best and most traditional in Spain.

3. Falces (Navarra).
Bulls running through the mountains. Third or fourth Sunday in August.

4. Iscar (Valladolid).
The mayor of Iscar is such a passionate bull runner that he participates in bull runs all through the country. In 2003 he got injured during the bull runs in Cuéllar. The bull runs in Iscar thake place in the first weekend of August.

5. Tudela (Navara).
Last week of July.

6. Sepúlveda (Segovia).
Charming little town not far from Segovia (one of the most beautiful towns in Spain). Every last week of August they organize famous bull runs for children. Don't panic: the bulls are not real!

Running of the bulls in Pamplona

I don't think I've ever seen so many Americans in Spain as at the Sanfermines fiesta in Pamplona. And not only Americans seem to enjoy this fiesta. It probably ranks among the Spanish fiestas that attract most foreign tourists. Of course, it's a nice and colourful fiesta (many people wearing white trousers and a white shirt with a red handkerchief around their necks) and it seems to continue for 24 hours a day (and it lasts for a week!). But to be very honest, I've never understood why this fiesta was so much better than so many others. Of course, the running of the bulls is spectacular, but then there are so many other fiestas with bull running where hardly any foreign tourists go (for instance the ones in Falces and Tudela). Anyway, tomorrow the bulls will start running again, until 14 July, daily at 8 am.

The reason Sanfermines became so popular in the Anglosaxon world is that writer Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in his book 'The sun also rises'. He called it a 'damned fine show'.
Little warning: the bulls are real, so if you decide to run, run for your life! If you're not entirely sober, think twice before you run (actually I would think twice anyway!). Every year people get injured, regularly people get killed by the bulls. Most of them are tourists, many of them are not entirely sober. If you don't run for the bulls, there's no reason not to try the local brandy: patxaran. I love the name as much as I love its taste.

Wine & Water Battles

Spain must be a country where the god of wine feels at home. The country not only produces some of Europe's finest wines, there are also some fiestas that are celebrated with Dionysian extasy. Next week the famous wine battle of Haro takes place. The origins of the fiesta go back to medieval times, when the villages of Haro and Miranda de Ebro used to have some conflicts. At the battle of wine the participants throw thousands of litres of wine at each other.Similar fiestas, but not as bad for your clothes, are the water battles in Vallecas (Madrid, half July) and Vilagarcia de Arousa (Galicia, half of August).

Between Siesta and Fiesta

Fiesta is just one letter away from siesta. Together, these two phenomenons are at the heart of the Spanish culture. I'd like to write about the siesta every now and then, but the main aim of this blog is to talk about the fiesta. What are the most curious Spanish fiestas? Where are the best wine battles? Where do you find the strangest medieval rituals? Which city has the best Easter Processions? Which fiestas were recently forbidden and why? ¡Qúe lo pasen bien!