BALCONIE S, BOLD RUNNERS,AND BULLS

Every year, a million people run with the bulls in Pamplona, in the region of Navarra, Spain. The feast of San Fermin, the co-patron saint — along with Saint Francis Xavier — and first bishop of Pamplona is a week-long celebration from July 6 to 14.

This tiny town explodes into fiesta fever, initiated at exactly 8 a.m. each morning with the encierro: six bulls and a few guiding steer are made to run a distance of 825 meters from their corral in Calle Santo Domingo, through the narrow streets of the old quarter, to the bull ring, where the traditional bullfight is held. Runners —brave perhaps, but more foolhardy, and absolutely drunk (50 percent of them are first-timers) — run ahead of the bulls, try to run faster than the 560-kilo bulls to avoid being gored by their horns, and live to brag about the experience. This takes three to four minutes.

Visitors, after partying the night before, must be in the area by 7 a.m. to be allowed to enter these privately owned balconies, which have been paid for way in advance: a safe and great vantage point, with light, crispy churros and thick, smooth hot chocolate served. Braver souls watch in front of or behind protective wooden boards on the crowded streets. Newspapers list the number of accidents that happen every year.

The pastores (bull “shepherds”), with their sticks, place themselves behind the running bulls and make

Or eight days of music, processions, dancing, bullfights and fireworks in Pamplona.

sure the bulls run in the right direction. There are six bulls that take part in each evening’s bullfight, with two randomly-picked bulls to each of three matadors. Sadly, all six bulls are killed after each bullfight.

The history of Pamplona’s running of the bulls could have started in the 13th or 14th century. The first official celebration of San Fermines was in 1591. From a simple celebration then, it has evolved into eight days of music, processions, dancing, bullfights and fireworks enjoyed by children and adults, locals and visitors alike.

Attendees wear the traditional all-white clothes with a red handkerchief embroidered with their town’s coat-of-arms and a red sash.

On the last day (July 14), people sing the farewell song, as they look forward to next year’s celebration: “Pobre de mi, pobre de mi, que se han acabado las fiestas de San Fermin.”

(Poor me, poor me, the San Fermin festivities have ended.)

The atmosphere is festive and contagious, whether one stays a week or just a day and a half. It is an absolute thrill to see and hear the unstoppable power of the bulls, the adrenalineinfused energy of the runners racing, the accidents — as men and animals mingle and make sharp corner turns at top speed. These short minutes can only live in the memory of those who have actually been to Pamplona.

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Runners run before the bulls, try their very best not to be gored by the horns, and live to brag about it. Fifty percent of the runners are first-time thrill-seekers.

There is always a sea of people all in white, with red bandanas embroidered with their respective towns’ coat of arms, and red sashes. Visitor alert: splashing tinto (red wine) at each other is a playful practice, when people get drunk. Red blotches on...

Fireworks at the Citadel park have been lighting up the Pamplona sky every night from as far back as 1595.

Kilikis are human-like caricatures with large heads. They run after children and adults and playfully hit them with foam truncheons.

Drunk-happy in the plaza. Eight days to celebrate with friends and family. There are not enough hotel rooms to accommodate all the visitors. Some just sleep in the park or in their cars.

A light, cholesterol-free dinner: jamon iberico sandwich, chicharron, chistorra and queso.

Four-meter-tall giants and large-headed puppets called Gigantes y Cabezudos travel through the city during the festival, parade and dance to music. These four pairs of kings and queens of di erent races are 150 years old.

A Zaldiko (a horse with a rider) plays with kids on the streets. He carries a soft foam truncheon and pretends to hit the pedestrians.

Our host, Angel Urio, pours sidra (cider) from a vat in a sidreria, which also serves delicious bacalao, callos and hamon iberico.