Study Abroad: Pamplona, Spain

“Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might..."

So said Ernest Hemingway, who spent a good amount of time drinking and eating and celebrating in the fiestas of Pamplona, Spain. 

Pamplona is the capital of the Navarre provence in Northern Spain. Most people know it for the celebration of the Running of the Bulls, where the streets are packed with people being chased by bulls. Pamplona was a major point of protection, being defended by massive walls and a giant citadel. 

We walked the walls of the city, which had been poetically conquered by the people of Pamplona themselves, explored the immense citadel, and appreciated the unique atmospheres of this Spanish town. 

And so we spoke our favorite lines of Hemingway's while sipping hot cups of coffee in Café Iruña, and admired the charm of the city that he loved so well, wishing that we could be there for the celebrations, and see the city center full of people, life, and color. 

Thanks Madi for the photo!

  I don't think I will ever tire of traveling through Europe by train. That's the only way to do it, really. You see so much more of it than you would by plane or bus. There's just something about seeing the countryside fly by you, while you're on your way to some new destination.