More about the best/worst trip

So, the Castle de Javier was beautiful on the one hand, and super touristy on the other. Just about the whole bus had to go to the restroom once we stopped, and then most of us also bought some roasted almonds on the road leading up to the castle since there were many snack booths. The almonds were ok, but nowhere near as good as roasted almonds at Good Ol Days! On the bus ride to the Castle, the tour guide had explained all about Francisco de Javier and his life and works, and how the castle was built to defend the valley of the river Aragon in the 10th century. It was only finished as a true castle in the 14th century. Javier was born in the castle in 1506 and is the patron of Navarre and Catholic missions. The castle itself is beautiful in construction and the surrounding countryside only adds to the beauty. However, inside, there are too many additions of walkways, roped off paths, etc that make it so touristy. The castle also held a large collection of paintings of Javier's life. We took a tour of most of the castle. The last bit I saw before leaving the castle was the Tower of Saint Christ, where a crucifix from the 13th century hung in a room of frescos representing the dance of death. Jesus is smiling on the crucifix, indicating his triumph over death even as the dance of death continues around him. This crucifix was the very opposite of the German version in Puente la Reina. Megan and I also explored the dungeon before leaving the castle to head back to Pamplona! On the way I napped, and then did some homework before dinner. Dinner was better than the night before, with salad, baked chicken, french fries, weird flan, and yummy scrambled eggs. I went out with Megan, Tara, and a group of others I met on the trip, had a lot of fun, and of course stayed out far too late for having to be up at 7:30am. I stole food from breakfast again for a lunch, and in a bit we all left for the tour of Pamplona (once all hung-over people had been dragged from their beds...). The tour was really interesting and I learned all about the Festival of Enfermines (Running of the Bulls, among other things). Only 25 people have died since the festival started! But...over 200 get injured every year, though the guide says they're the stupid, drunk ones who have know idea what they're doing. At one point, Megan and I ducked into a shop because I wanted to get a postcard. Well, not only were there no postcards, the shopkeeper and her son were SO slow that when i finally bought a shot glass for Zach, they took way to long and Megan and I couldn't find our group when we came back outside. We ran down the road and found other groups and walked along till we got to the bull ring, where our group was also. We learned how to lead a bull through with the cape and many other things. On the way back to the hotel, we learned about Ernest Hemingway, who made the Pamplona area popular with his books and had a lot to do with some areas of the town. Then, it was time to go home..I napped a good amount of the way home, though I heard that I missed a really good Spanish movie. After I got home (just in time for dinner!) Megan and I watched a movie and then went to sleep; we were exhausted.

Sunday was another day of relaxation, the last day of study week. I should have gone outside and enjoyed the day, but I wanted to be lazy and nap and read instead, so I did!

The rest of this week has been uneventful. The days have gone from chilly and cloudy one day to sunny and 65 the next. Today it's back to sunny and 65 again! I had a really fun night dancing with Megan, Britney, and some of Britney's friends on Wednesday, and yesterday Megan's sister Stephanie arrived. I'll have a lot of fun exploring the city with Megan and her sister in the next week!