Okay, so there are a lot more fun exciting things going on here, but I couldn´t forget to share with you the new hairstyle that San Sebastians have come up with. A mullet, with the hair at the front really short (practically shaved) and THEN (this is the twist) the long part is full-on dreadlocks!! Yeah, I know it´s hard to believe. Now that I´ve said this I prob won´t be able to find one to take a pic of, but I swear it´s true. Ridiculous!
Anyway, back to what we´ve been up to... on the night of the 9th we left Barcelona on a night train to head to San Sebastian, a beach town on the northern coast of Spain known for it´s beaches, nightlife and seafood ´tapas´. I know we supposedly have tapas at home (kind of small plates of appetizers for those who haven´t yet experienced them) but they are NOTHING compared to the brilliant concept of tapas they´ve got goin on over here in Spain. We´ll get to that though.. got on the night train, and took one look at our sleeping beds and realized that there would not be much sleeping going on. You can´t sit up because there´s no head room and the pillow is as one of the girls in our ´compartment´described "a handkerchief". I had no where to put my pack so I had to put it at the end of the already short bed and `slept´ with my feet on top of my pack all scrunched up. Marie and I always say though: `ìt´s all part of the experience´. And what an experience that was!
San Sebastian is gorgeous, and we found an AWESOME hostel called `Lola´s Urban House´without too much trouble. It has brightly colored walls and little balconies that open onto the street. Perfect! The day we arrived, after some though, we decided not to go to Portugal during this part of the trip. We really want to get a good length of time in Greece and Italy, and thought it would be too rushed if we tried to fit in Portugal as well. I will go to Portugal after Marie goes home for a while anyway, so both of us are really happy with the way it worked out! Met some awesome girls from California at our hostel (Megan, Erin and Brittany) and we have partied with them here for the last two nights. Everyone here is so friendly and we have met people from all over the world -Sweden, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and a lot from the US (including some guys from Arkansas with some of the strongest southern acccents I have ever heard!).
Yesterday (the 11th) Marie and I went to the running of the bulls in Pamplona, or as it is called in Spain, `San Fermín´. I could never begin to describe to you the sight of it (but you know I´m gonna try)! You will have to see the pics and videos of it to get a feel. We went into the bull ring at 6:30am and got front row seats in the arena to see people running with the bulls. The running didn´t start til 8am, but the arena was packed with people who were drunk out of their minds from the night before and partying, drinking and singing all around us! Everyone was wearing red and white, the colors of San Fermín. The band came in and everyone went crazy. People were doing the wave, yelling chants that go back and forth across the arena, singing the song that everyone knows at the top of their lungs, dancing to the music. We joined in and took in the once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. Then when 8 got close you could feel the anticipation. Everyone´s waiting and waiting until the first couple of me come sprinting through the arena. Then a few more and then you can see that the people coming through have eyes the size of saucers and are running for their lives. Then suddenly the people parted like the parting of the seas and four bulls came charging right through the arena, with people following behind. It happened twice again until the last bulls had come through and hundred of people high on adrenaline rushes filled the floor of the bull ring. People were pumping their fists in the air and yelling and happy to be alive and uninjured after the run. If that wasn´t enough they then closed the ring and let out a young bull into the arena. He would run around charging at people and sometimes taking them for a ride. If someone grabs the horns of the bull, the locals get angry and whistle and yell because I think it´s considered amateur or an insult to the bull or something cultural like that. One guy got jump-kicked in the head after grabbing the bull´s horns when it was charging him. The locals were almost more dangerous than the bull if you grabbed that bulls horns. Would be nice if someone told tourists not to do that! They let out five bulls in total and then the stadium slowly emptied. We wandered around the people-filled streets, and the Plaça del Castillo where the majority of the people were drinking and eating and `soaking it all in´. We sat and had sangria and listened to countless marching bands going through the small side streets. It´s was an unforgettable experience and I am SO glad that we were able to be there.
Okay, this is getting long and the pictures will show the experience more than I can describe so I will stop here. There is so much to tell and I could never get it all written on here (though God knows I try, hey) - long story short we are having the time of our lives! Today is the 12th and we catch another night train back to Barcelona (oh joy, another `experience´ha ha). Then after spending a day (hopefully on the beach) in Barcelona we catch a flight to Athens at 11:30 at night on the 13th. Can´t wait to experience Greece! I will try to upload some pics tomorrow, I think I might be able to do it!
Glad to hear the weather has improved at home! Keep in touch and I will have many more stories soon!
With love always,
Lauren
Anyway, back to what we´ve been up to... on the night of the 9th we left Barcelona on a night train to head to San Sebastian, a beach town on the northern coast of Spain known for it´s beaches, nightlife and seafood ´tapas´. I know we supposedly have tapas at home (kind of small plates of appetizers for those who haven´t yet experienced them) but they are NOTHING compared to the brilliant concept of tapas they´ve got goin on over here in Spain. We´ll get to that though.. got on the night train, and took one look at our sleeping beds and realized that there would not be much sleeping going on. You can´t sit up because there´s no head room and the pillow is as one of the girls in our ´compartment´described "a handkerchief". I had no where to put my pack so I had to put it at the end of the already short bed and `slept´ with my feet on top of my pack all scrunched up. Marie and I always say though: `ìt´s all part of the experience´. And what an experience that was!
San Sebastian is gorgeous, and we found an AWESOME hostel called `Lola´s Urban House´without too much trouble. It has brightly colored walls and little balconies that open onto the street. Perfect! The day we arrived, after some though, we decided not to go to Portugal during this part of the trip. We really want to get a good length of time in Greece and Italy, and thought it would be too rushed if we tried to fit in Portugal as well. I will go to Portugal after Marie goes home for a while anyway, so both of us are really happy with the way it worked out! Met some awesome girls from California at our hostel (Megan, Erin and Brittany) and we have partied with them here for the last two nights. Everyone here is so friendly and we have met people from all over the world -Sweden, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and a lot from the US (including some guys from Arkansas with some of the strongest southern acccents I have ever heard!).
Yesterday (the 11th) Marie and I went to the running of the bulls in Pamplona, or as it is called in Spain, `San Fermín´. I could never begin to describe to you the sight of it (but you know I´m gonna try)! You will have to see the pics and videos of it to get a feel. We went into the bull ring at 6:30am and got front row seats in the arena to see people running with the bulls. The running didn´t start til 8am, but the arena was packed with people who were drunk out of their minds from the night before and partying, drinking and singing all around us! Everyone was wearing red and white, the colors of San Fermín. The band came in and everyone went crazy. People were doing the wave, yelling chants that go back and forth across the arena, singing the song that everyone knows at the top of their lungs, dancing to the music. We joined in and took in the once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. Then when 8 got close you could feel the anticipation. Everyone´s waiting and waiting until the first couple of me come sprinting through the arena. Then a few more and then you can see that the people coming through have eyes the size of saucers and are running for their lives. Then suddenly the people parted like the parting of the seas and four bulls came charging right through the arena, with people following behind. It happened twice again until the last bulls had come through and hundred of people high on adrenaline rushes filled the floor of the bull ring. People were pumping their fists in the air and yelling and happy to be alive and uninjured after the run. If that wasn´t enough they then closed the ring and let out a young bull into the arena. He would run around charging at people and sometimes taking them for a ride. If someone grabs the horns of the bull, the locals get angry and whistle and yell because I think it´s considered amateur or an insult to the bull or something cultural like that. One guy got jump-kicked in the head after grabbing the bull´s horns when it was charging him. The locals were almost more dangerous than the bull if you grabbed that bulls horns. Would be nice if someone told tourists not to do that! They let out five bulls in total and then the stadium slowly emptied. We wandered around the people-filled streets, and the Plaça del Castillo where the majority of the people were drinking and eating and `soaking it all in´. We sat and had sangria and listened to countless marching bands going through the small side streets. It´s was an unforgettable experience and I am SO glad that we were able to be there.
Okay, this is getting long and the pictures will show the experience more than I can describe so I will stop here. There is so much to tell and I could never get it all written on here (though God knows I try, hey) - long story short we are having the time of our lives! Today is the 12th and we catch another night train back to Barcelona (oh joy, another `experience´ha ha). Then after spending a day (hopefully on the beach) in Barcelona we catch a flight to Athens at 11:30 at night on the 13th. Can´t wait to experience Greece! I will try to upload some pics tomorrow, I think I might be able to do it!
Glad to hear the weather has improved at home! Keep in touch and I will have many more stories soon!
With love always,
Lauren
The groups of us outside our first tapas (pinxtas) experience in San Sebastian. From left: Erin (cut off), Marie, Brooke, Me, Megan and some random aussie.
Marie, Me, Brooke, Megan and Erin drinking wine straight out of the bottle on the floor of our hostel room. Nothing but class, you know!
In Pamplona, shortly after the running. We are PUMPED!
Me and Megan sporting our Tas Tas Bar hats in, you guessed it, Tas Tas Bar
The main beach in San Sebastian, filled with people as it was the first sunny day since we'd been there!
Yeah, those night trains are hit and miss! At least you had the compartment, try to stay away from the "couchettes", those are the seats that fold into "beds" and a curtain closes to give you privacy from the hallway. Running of the bulls sounds like such a phenomenal experience, lucky ladies!!
ReplyDeleteSorry, that comment was from Sarah!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you guys are having a blast! I totally saw a guy with a dreadlock mullet in Heathrow last year, I'm so glad someone else has seen it!
ReplyDeleteKeep having fun, I'm enjoying reading your updates as I sit here at my desk at work daydreaming about my next trip!
Eryn :)
Hey Lauren... I just got home and read your blog... it's awesome! I'm a little jealous because I just arrived in deadmonton. Anyway, keep writing and partying like only you can... :-)
ReplyDeleteHey, Lauren!
ReplyDeleteEnjoying your blog, and that running of the bulls sounds amazing. Look forward to the pictures. Aunt Marg