Pamplona, Navarra, Spain 15 July, 1995

Naked PETA supporters aside, there is a lot more to the San Fermín Festival week that you may have already discovered. Many things happen to be as memorable and as part of the festivities as the ‘Txupinazo’. And that is the rocket that initiates, officially, the overtaking of the city by Bacchus and his 40,000 closest thieves. My favourite will always be the “other” run of the bulls, the Villavesa run.

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Circa 1986

My grandmother, ‘amoma’ in my ’second’ mother tongue, was many things. She was not just the force of evil that made me take a tablespoon of liver oil every time I went over to her house. She was also the one who brushed my hair back so tight with her pearl hand brush that my ears ached. Eventually, I discovered her other life and I forgave all the vile dollops and the brushing of my curls.

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Who in their right mind would have considered saying ‘Nay’ to a trip to the White Island? It took me about three seconds to agree to it. 4 a.m. starts may not rock my boat, but when the boat is full steam towards the Med, you just can’t help but nodding, smiling already.

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