Ciao!

The next three weeks I'll be in Italia: Pisa, Firenze, Poppi and Roma.
Then off to Prague and Austria then back home! I'll keep you posted.
Ciao!

A canal tour on Ronald's private boat.

One of Ching-Yin's former roommates friends recently moved to Amsterdam for work and was able to privately book his company's boat. What was very nice was that Ronald invited us all out to the boat having only met us once at a Chinese dinner the week before! (mmm... taste of culture)... what is sort of odd but true is that you usually don't see the many visible minorities driving these boats as I guess the majority of the boats are owned by companies or wealthy locals... so at certain times I felt like a tourist attraction myself.. well especially the part where Ronal pulled an Austin Powers and blocked the whole canal while making a turn and having everyone on Harlemmerstraat see and with two canal boats waiting for us.... but that was all good as well! pics from that day follow...

Ronald picks me and CY up at Waterlooplein.
Meeting up with EC and C at Spui or Single more by Spui/Singel.
We found them!






just like driving a car.

Officially 3 months behind... shit!

yup that's right... man at least my facebooking is up-to-date.. well sort of.

Tokidoki

My new favourite brand is this Tokidoki! But apparently people back home already know about this Japanese-influenced italian designer. Saw some of their stuff in Barcelona and it's really neat! (and expensive).

Yoga... in Catalan!... finally a guided class

Today went with Anne to do a guided class in Barcelona... I would say my first in the last four months and it was amazing. Was nice to be in a heated room and practice with others. highly recommend the Yoga Dinamico Mandiram studio just at the Catalunya station.

Finally all of Pamplona has been posted!

Now I have calabria next... shit that's ten days worth.. and then berlin, paris, lisbon, barcelona, edinburgh, more italy later, prague and vienna... not to mentione the other things that go on in amsterdam...

aiya.

Spain Day 3: Markets, Fire Bull, Pobre de Mi, candle lighting and fireworks!

Last Day and night in Pamplona and it has been one crazy ride... I think after partying all night and watching the bull fight.. we crashed at about 9am and didn't wake up until 6pm... so I missed the lunch.. the largest meal in Spain and Maria said her mom was wondering if I was okay... oh I just can't keep up! but still had amazing food when I woke up nevertheless!

Another scorcher of a day outside...


Nice to know under the wikitravel guide.. under the "sleep" section.. they recommend many people sleep in the parks or wherever there is space.. so true...

We decided to check out the stalls and until night and then attend the various festivals on the last day of San Fermin!




Various shops where you can find lots of hand crafts and other soveneirs for the festival.



Afterwards to went to the city hall square and waited for the "bull of fire"... more so comething for the kids.. but still impressive nevertheless.





Later ran into Vani and got to have one more shot with her before leaving!At midnight on the 14 th July the fiesta formally closes with the ceremony called the "Pobre de Mí." This takes place in front of the Town Hall, where the fiesta was opened 8½ days earlier.

The video below is of the major that closes the ceremonies and then people start singing the "Pobre de Mi" song.







Very nice tradition but still with an amazing amount of people and children out at that time... you actually have some people crying beacause it is an event that people build up for the whole year. Other than this time.. the city of Pamplona is very very quiet.


In the last years a new fad has come into fashion - so new that there is no official name yet for this rite - whereby the people, after having sung their sad farewell to the Fiesta, head for the church of San Lorenzo, where the statue of the Saint is kept, and they deposit their necktie and candles on the gates of the old church.




Lastly after picking up some boccatas and a large bottle of san miguel... Maria and Naria and I go to the park to watch the last fireworks f the festival.
By about 12:30 I headed back home to pack and crash for my early bus where as Maria was going to party all night... I wish I did because she got to see the "villavesa" which is when there are now no more bulls to run and people like to run in front of the first bus leaving the city or some guy goes on his bike and people run away from this one cyclist. read about it here. Haha.. too funny.After another 4.5 hour bus ride back to Madrid.. it was too hot to go anywhere (44 degrees) outside and plus it was siesta time when I got in so everything was closed and so I just headed to the airport and I ran into Lena and Juan... um... enjoying each other one last time before saying goodbye!.. we were on the same flight back to Amsterdam... craazy!
Thank Maria!!! I had an unforgettable and exhausting time in Pamplona and will definately return one day to do it right form the beginning.