Realizing that my time in London is starting to come to an end is really depressing. But I’ve started to take more advantage of living so close to Europe (apparently Brits don’t count themselves as European) by spending the last couple of days in Pamplona with my favorite Godsister Maria. With a flight out of London Luton at 6 in the morning, I decided not to sleep the night before so I could walk to Victoria Coach Station to get the 3 AM bus to the airport, where the display book of the week was… Stardust. I kid you not. Naturally I bought it and read it before landing in Madrid. If you want to read it I warn you that it is not anything like the movie.
Pamplona was a glorious 30+ Celsius when I met Maria, who caught me up with all the Navarra gossip, before seeing my wonderful Godfather Emilio, Maria Jesus, Maria’s Abuela and Suna! In the five minutes of arriving, I quickly changed into Maria’s clothes, because they are better than mine, and went to watch Maria and her radio friends do a broadcast.
That night Maria and I played dress up, and went out to a long, nice dinner with 30 people who work with her, and had a several hour meal. After each course I kept thinking how proud my Daddy would’ve been, especially as I ate jamon! As Maria tells me, I’m not a vegetarian in Spain. For some reason that girl can make me do anything.
After trying desperately to understand Spanish for the better part of three hours, and trying really hard not to fall asleep after being awake for 40, the group went out dancing, which fortunately I can do on autopilot. Around 4 in the morning some of Maria’s friends that I knew from spending last summer in Pamplona came out, and we had a massive jumping reunion, and decided that they should probably soon call my Dad to plant the idea of taking me back to San Fermin this year. But the night did not go entirely smoothly, as between 5:17 and 5:30 my US phone was taken. I immediately went looking for it, and called it with my London phone, where someone answered and told me they had no intention of letting me have it back. But we got back to Maria’s house at 6:30 in a thunderstorm when my US phone called Maria, and later Jokin, Ali, Hilary, Kristen and God only knows who else.
Later that day, after sleeping for about 3 hours I returned to my running route around Pamplona, back to exploring the ruins of the fortress and already missing it knowing that I would have to leave soon. We meet one of Maria’s friends for a drink at an English pub, and then went out with some of her school friends for an awesome nachos dinner.
The next morning we woke up at 9 which seems ungodly early there, and set out for Huesca where we would get to visit Jokin! The drive was absolutely breathtaking, and I wanted to stop every five minutes to hike and explore. But as we were wearing heels and dresses and Maria isn’t the number one hiker this hardly seemed like the best idea. Jokin’s apartment is absolutely amazing and palatial, and it smelled like the incredible roast chicken that inexplicably had a can of beer stuffed inside of it. Maria made a squid paella (in it’s own ink!) and we had a great lunch before Jokin had to leave for his game. Maria and I went an hour later (after having an adventure hiking across a field) to our special players
section seats, practically on the field. The game was really good and ended a tie, even though a goal was disallowed that would have won it for Huesca. After the game Maria had to do a phone interview broadcast, and we had a magical WAG moment when we sped away from the field in Jokin’s car.
That night we watched the Osasuna game from the radio station and it was incredible to see. I have a completely new respect for sports broadcasters. Not that I could understand anything, they were talking so quickly my head was spinning. Since I had to leave early in the morning, and Maria had an exam the next day, we went back to her house and had a late dinner celebrating the last time I’d eat meat until I go back to Spain.
I was sad not to have been able to see my other wonderful Godfather Eduardo and Ana, and their grandson Javier, clearly I’ll have to go back soon and make amends.
Welp, I have to finish my last essay before leaving for Paris tomorrow with Caitlin, so I’m theoretically going to stop listening to my new favorite Spanish music and get back to work. I’ll leave you with some of the songs though, and you can have your own dance parties. Just imagine I’m there too please.
Location: Pamplona, Spain, Navarra
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Sounds amazing! You’re getting to see so much! I hope your whole trip is this wonderful!
Claire!! Long time no see!! Your trip sounds amazing so far! Though you seem just a tad busy. =) Have a wonderful time in Paris and I can’t wait to hear about that!