Everything I need exists within 200 km of Pamplona...

Navarra, Northern Spain, and a little bit of France offer the most diverse bits of country I’ve found yet.  After spending the Easter holiday running up and down the coast, from Bilbao to Biarritz I realize how lucky these people are to live here.  Great food, fantastic wine grown in your backyard, mountains and beaches - all within 2 hours’ drive.  With expanded immigration within the EU, Navarrans are seeing a significant influx from other countries - especially Eastern Europe.  And who can blame them!

For whom the bell tolls...

I converse with so many people every week who don’t realize that the clock is ticking on San Fermín, and has been for some time.  Others do realize it and are starting to panic over the fact that they aren’t quite sorted yet on housing and balconies.  My favorite e-mail this week arrived with the subject line “HELP, HELP HELP!” continued with “PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE” then “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.”

Wherever you are in the planning process, I hope you’re making progress.  I’m doing all I can to make things available here on the site.  More homeowners are adding their Pamplona apartments and balconies.  I’m also doing the tough duty of sampling the cuisine in Pamplona’s finest restaurants. If the meal meets my high standards, I’m putting them on the list for our nightly dinner groups.  We have already acquired two “impossible” reservations at two of the finest restaurants.  In fact, one of them was booked through 2009 for the running of the bulls, but my persistence paid off, and they made room for us.

Hope you can join us!  It’s going to be a fantastic San Fermín!