A Day in the Sun
By Bill Grant
Running with the bulls in Pamplona and oil wrestling in Istanbul.
I vividly remember running through the narrow and winding cobblestone streets of Pamplona that early July 7th summer morning - hearing the thundering hooves of a dozen aggressive bulls getting closer as I approached the funnel-like entrance to the bull ring. The adrenaline rush was indescribable as I joined the throngs of runners that had assembled on the compressed dirt floor of the arena to fight each of the bulls that were soon released to challenge us. Some of the more daring amateur matadors met the challenge with their tee shirts serving as makeshift capes, and others, such as myself, kept our distance, staying close enough to hop over the protective wooden perimeter walls when the bulls directed their charges our way.