The running of the bulls.

[Rodney Mills]

Today marks the opening of the Fiesta de San Fermin and the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Sixty odd years ago today my late wife and I started our retirement jaunt around the world in Pamplona. I had already taken her to the bullfights, and she hated it and cheered for the bull. We were not there to go to the fights but to watch the street party goers in the street then watch the people running ahead of the bulls from the pens through the streets to the arena. No I didn't run, I couldn't even if I wanted to as I was in the recovery stage of having blown out my two knees skiing.

It's got to be one of the biggest pizzups in the world. Everybody carried a Bottella,(including us.) a leather covered flask from which you squirt the wine into your mouth from a foot or more away from your mouth. The running course is fenced in by a wooden barricade and the runners lead or try to from the bulls the bulls being led by led by three cows. there's part of the fencing were runners can climb and escape out of the road and the path of the bulls other than that it's hit the deck and curl into a ball to protect your neck and the family jewels and the odd doorway. The object of the running is to stay ahead of the bulls from the stockyard, through the streets and into the arena and do a couple of dodges from the pizzed off bulls.

We had a good spot behind a barricade and close enough to the bulls we could have stroked them as they ran past. After that. it was a nap as dinner hour doesn't start until 10pm in Spain. I never figured out when the Spanish sleep other than a nap in the afternoon. You can't go to sleep early as the woman are nattering in the streets watching their kids play until 10pm when it's in for dinner.

We loved Spain but you also look forward to leaving so you could get a nights sleep. There was just my late lovely wife, me and the memories of Hemingway's books and the movies made from them

"We had it all, just like Bogie and Becali staring in our own late late show. and we sailed away to Key Largo too. Cheers, Rodney

[Doc Vernon]

Have watched some of those on TV , over the Years and still say that most all of the People that actually take part in the Main front line are absolutely Crazy!!
But its just another Sporting and Boozing day for the Mad Spaniards i guess!
LOL
Must be quite an exciting time though to be there in the Flesh i guess, well thats if you have any Flesh left! LOL

[j.sabourn]

#1 Rodney did you ever do the street carnival in Trinidad ? , not like the Sydney one as not a gay person in sight, but steel band and after steel band for two days , instead of the wine it was bottles of Old Oak Rum. Big prizes for new music and the costumes. The would be toreadors of spain are probably hoping to be picked up by some talent scout and making the necessary postures, so could be called poseurs. Cheers JS

[Johnny Kieran]

I did the carnival in Trinidad JS, great nights.

[John Gill]

Visited Rio several times on the meat boats- never got to see Carnival.

[j.sabourn]

The second engineer and myself were the only two Englishmen on the ship with the others all landed immigrants to Canada. The deck crew being Trinidadians. The 2/E who was from Seaham harbour and self used to have a couple of rooms booked at the Turf Hotel opposite the racecourse as the ship was a sweat box at night with no a/c and were there every 6 weeks.
Won’t go into particulars but it was a time to remember . Carnival time was great .JS

[Johnny Kieran]

I used to stay at the flying kipper. Not sure if it was the Mariners club, or what it was in those days?
If I remember right, there was some kind of trouble in Trinidad whenever I was there? Some kind of uprising? I just forget.

[Johnny Kieran]

Visited Rio several times on the meat boats- never got to see Carnival.

First time I went there the carnival was on.

Just had a thought, whenever I was in Rio, there was always some kind of carnival going on. I think now that it was Brazil winning the world cup that was being celebrated on my first visit?

[Rodney Mills]

John. No, the only island I went to was Jamaca, assume you went to te carnival, sounds like a lot of fun. Cheers, Rodney

[j.sabourn]

#7 The only uprising I saw every 6 weeks 1967 to 1968 was trying to get up after doing the Limbo Johnny. !! JS
#9 Jamaica was where all the trouble was I was told. Most of the deck crew on that ship had been there at least 5 years. Every time in Port of Spain used to be a couple off for a trip , they were on British Articles of agreement whereas the rest of us were on Liberian Articles. The crowd were that well off they used to pay the stevedores to go slow so as to get an extra day in port.
JS..