Pamplona is now immersed in Revelry

07/07/2009. Pamplona started off its Sanfermin 2009 fiestas yesterday with an incident-free txupinazo rocket

Pamplona has been celebrating Sanfermin 2009 since yesterday. There seems to have been no unusual incidents and the weather has stayed fine. Everyone who has come to Pamplona has been proving that, during Sanfermin, there is no rest, although there is always room for some improvisation, on the party scene.

From early morning the streets were filling up yesterday and the atmosphere was warming up as the hands of the clock were reaching closer and closer to the anxiously-awaited hour of midday. Large groups of local people came together for some early brunches - many of them eating at tables and chairs placed in the streets. As many people headed for City Hall square, bags and buckets of drink - cava and kalimotxo - were to be seen as well as tubes of ketchup. This meant that at midday, when the txupinazo rocket finally went off, many people were no longer in their spotless white gear but rather in various shades of soaking pink.

Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for arrived and Maite Esporrín, the city councilor honored with the task of setting off the opening rocket for Sanfermin 2009, almost forgot to light the fuse as she was so caught up in the excitement. Once again, the foreigners stood out for their propensity to wear flip-flops among the cobbled streets of the old part of town. Others seemed to have been warned about the Pamplona climate and came in raingear which covered most of their bodies. The brass bands livened up the scene and some neighbors from the balconies threw buckets of water to refresh the waiting crowds.
Perhaps because the opening day has fallen on a Monday this year, the number of people seemed to be slightly lower than last year. But, as always, streets such as Jarauta, Estafeta and San Nicholas in the old part of town were all jam-packed with people of all ages eager to enjoy the partying. The kids could enjoy the Giants and their entourage in the early afternoon when they made their first appearance of this year's fiestas. There was also a bullfight with horse-riding bullfighters - known as rejoneadores - and the public filled the bullring. Local man, Hermoso de Mendoza along with Sergio Galán had an triumphant afternoon in the arena.
As the hours passed the atmosphere grew more exuberant and by nightfall the first concerts were being performed in the Plaza del Castillo square, in Paseo Sarasate, in Plaza de los Fueros and in Antoniutti Park. And, of course, at 11.00 pm the first of the daily fireworks displays was set off to the delight of young and old alike. This first display came from the Caballer FX & Service SL fireworks.
After an intense day of partying and merriment the fiesta is now in a non-stop motion which will continue over the next eight days and which puts Pamplona in the worldwide epicenter of reveling and partying.