The GCW Tour, Spain & Morocco: San Fermin, Day 4

When the niece eats a meal she generally leaves a single bite of each thing for the end, and then finishes them off such that she saves the best for last. We got sort of the same effect from all the hassles securing a spot on a balcony for the running of the bulls. 

Assured we had a spot, and having sorted out -- at least vaguely -- the numbering system of a seven floor building that renders the attic level apartment as "five," the niece and  I were up again at 4:45. The party was, of course, still going strong when we got to the city center at 6:00.

This time when we rang the bell at 6:30 they let us up. It was a nice view from the attic level, if a little high. Happily, though, at seven they determined they had too many people coming so they palmed us off on a neighbor up the street. All things considered, it was a better view. So while we lost out on the provided breakfast -- no major loss from what I could tell -- we had a great view for the bulls, and the hundreds, if not thousands, of crazies who run with them.

It's definitely a sight to behold, and I'll post pictures just as soon as I can.

But for anyone planning a trip to Pamplona for San Fermin, here are my recommendations for making it actually worth your while:

1. Plan far enough ahead that you can get a hotel in the city center, rather than the burbs. If all that's left is HotelBed4U, wait til the following year.

2. Pull a Juliet and reserve a spot on the balcony. Best vacation dollar you'll ever spend. Just make sure you've got accurate instructions on how to find the place.

3. See a bullfight. It's a little campy, and a little boring, but it's actually a useful reminder of how narrow the line between life and death really is.