Dia 1: Pamplona

Today, we arrived in Madrid. I met my group in the airport, Las Barajas, and we took a bus up north to Pamplona, the first city on our tour. The landscape of the north is beautiful. It ranges from the plains surrounding Madrid to the mountains of Navarre. We stopped about halfway at a restaurant on the side of the highway for a traditional Spanish meal of fish, wine and fruit. The restaurant even had a live peacock!

After the five hour bus ride, we arrived in Pamplona, at the Public University of Navarre, where we began our tour of the city. Pamplona is the capital of the region of Navarre, which was annexed with Spain in 1512. The city is most famous for the festival called Sanfermines, or the Running of the Bulls. It takes place in July over a period of eight days where the Pamplonians celebrate their patron saint, San Fermin.

We took a bus to the heart of the city, La Ciudad Vieja, and explored the beautiful gothic cathedral. The streets of this area are narrow and made of stones. Where the bulls run, you can see marks on the street from their hoofs. From there, we explored the Ciudadela, the old fortress that used to keep invading armies out of the city. Now the walls still stand and it is used to connect La Ciudad Vieja to the more modern neighborhood of San Juan.

Tarea:

Research and define the following terms:
1. Las Barajas
2. Pamplona
3. Navarre
4. Sanfermines
5. San Fermin
6. La Ciudad Vieja
7. La Ciudadela
8. San Juan