If he were still alive today, he would be the
typical-looking granddad with a thick white beard and the rather shrewd look of a man who
has lived through a wide range of experiences: experiences which have lined his face with
thick wrinkles and given him a pile of stories to tell to his grandchildren. And, although
his controversial character can provoke a wide divergence of opinion of all kinds, nobody
can deny in this day and age that his liaison with Iruñea has left a lasting trail which
continues to be followed by thousands and thousands of foreigners who, just like he felt
himself when he first arrived in 1923 for the San Fermin Fiesta, are dying to partake of
the Fiesta and get the feel for all that excitement that Hemingway tried to put into his
book "Fiesta" (The Sun also Rises).
The other day, just after the "chupinazo" went off at twelve
o’clock midday, we took a stroll past one his old haunts, the newly-renovated bar,
"Café Iruña" and we saw his silhouette and we went over to say hello to him.
We got round to having a little chat about old times and his "affair" with
Pamplona.
When did you first come to Pamplona and how was it then ?
I came here for the first time exactly 76 years ago, way back in 1923.
At that time I was sending articles to "The Toronto Star" and I wanted to do
some on Bullfighting. I heard that there was some good fights to be seen in Pamplona and I
came down to see the action. I was really taken with all that I saw in the town during the
Fiesta. Music in the streets, the crowds of people all out and living it up, and of
course, I was really taken with the bull-running which I thought was one of the most
striking traditions I had ever seen in my life. The whole thing felt like a real discovery
that left a lasting impression on me.
And that first visit led to an immediate succession of visits
during the following years ?
That’s it. I came back the next year and during the next four or
five years. From the outset I took to the whole atmosphere of the Fiesta that Pamplona
repeated year after year, everything was great fun …the bull-fights, the
bull-running, the eating and drinking…the dancing, the women…the friendly
people…etc. I made some good friends and I came back to see and enjoy the Fiesta with
them.
I suppose you know that lots of things have been said and
written about you and what you did in Sanfermines …that you were quite a swinger,
even getting into some brawls and broils at times. What did you really like to do when you
were here ? What kinds of places used you to frequent ?
Look, whenever someone, for whatever reason, becomes a public figure
then they have to put up with all kinds of comments, and there’s not much that they
can do about it. So I don’t pay much heed or care very much what someone might have
said or say or indeed may say about me particularly the way things are now. When I first
came here I was just a young reporter for a Canadian newspaper and nobody knew me at all.
At that time there were very few, if any, English-speaking visitors and I stood out a bit
I suppose, ‘cause at that time the Fiesta was just mainly a local affair for the
people of Navarra. I was fascinated by the Fiesta and I came back the next year and I ran
in the bull-running and I guess I got a hang-up for the whole scene. I really enjoyed
meeting up with friends and having a few jars round the Plaza de Castillo- The Café
Iruña was our general headquarters- but we hit lots of places - The Casa Marcelino was
good for grubbing in after the bull-running…then the bars like the "Txoko",
the Hotel "Perla" or The "Quintana" to talk about the bulls…or
the "Torino" and so on. I used to like to bring down some friends and show them
the scene, surprise them with some of the things I had been discovering and get them into
the swing of things during the Fiesta.
How did you come up with the idea of writing about The
Sanfermines ?
I guess it was an impulse thing after seeing the action during the
Fiesta. It made such an impression on me that I felt I had to get it down in writing and
give an account of that great week between the 6th and the 14th of
July. I had the idea of doing a book on bull-fighting themes and I started to apply my
magnifying-glass and get a real picture of all the details on the Fiesta a year or two
after my first visit. Right after the Fiesta in 1924 I started to write a first draft and
a couple of years later the book was published.
There are thousands of foreigners who come every year for the
Sanfermines and now the international "Peñas", or clubs, play an important part
in the Fiesta - Are you aware of the hornet’s nest you opened all down these years
since you first published your book ?
At first there was no immediate reaction and I never imagined it would
turn out the way it has. It seems that the book has been read by an awful lot of people
and they seem to want to check out if what I describe is real. I suppose some of the
things I describe were a bit wild for some people. And of course, when I got the Nobel
Prize and all that a lot more people heard of me and read my books more. In 1923 there
were only a handful of foreigners in the town, but over the years the number has steadily
grown and now it’s surprising the vast amount of foreigners that come to Pamplona. I
guess there are some people who will have cursed me to high heaven for what I did and
others who would like to thank me. I certainly always enjoyed the Fiesta and I sure hope
that everyone can have just as good a time as I did.
By the way have you by any chance heard of a small swinging
business from Pamplona and which organizes a "Visitors day" for the foreigners
in their honor and invites them to some wine and tit-bits ? What do you think of that,
then ?
Sounds good. And maybe they should watch out ‘cause they just
might find a surprise when they go to their party. It’s quite a while now since
I’ve been able to slake my thirst and I really feel like having a drink or two and a
bit of a chat with some fellow-travelers…
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