Hetal Chirag
As a part of our MBA exchange program from Ryerson University, we went on a summer exchange program to Copenhagen Business School (CBS). We planned our trip in such a way that we could travel to different cities during the weekends and complete our academic credits during the weekdays. On one of the weekends in July, we planned a trip to Pamplona, Spain to try something adventurous – we decided to run with the bulls.
We travelled from Madrid to Pamplona using 4 different modes of transportation which included a flight, an inter-city bus, a metro, and a shuttle. As soon as we entered the city, we started seeing people in red and white. It turns out that the red neckerchief and the white attire is a traditional dress code for the San Fermin Festival. The very first thing we did was to buy our outfits and join in the festival spirit. We purchased our outfits right at the bus stop and checked into our hostel. People from all over the world come to Pamplona during this week so all the hostels were overbooked and overpriced.
After freshening up and putting on our red and white outfits, we went out to explore the city. It seemed like the whole city was a big street party. Everyone, from young kids to teenagers and adults our own age to elderly ladies and gentlemen, were all dancing, singing, and enjoying the music on the street.
Still surrounded by old walls, Pamplona has maintained its Gothic cathedrals from as long as 14th Century. Apart from the San Fermin Festival, Pamplona also has some beautiful architectures and fascinating places to visit such as the old town, Castle Square, Navarre Museum, Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real and Taconera Park. Most of these places are almost walking distance from the Castle Square in Pamplona.
