Day 4
Granted, I am no expert, but I have spent 36 hours in Pamplona as an exhausted but enthuthuasitc traveler, and may I just say that this place seems to me the best kind of European city? It’s grand (giant baroque or neoclassical wham-bam buildings abound), but quaint (90% of the bars fit just 15 people), and there is SO much green space if you were a crap person or a movie villain you’d say, “Well, that’s just wasteful!” It feels at the same time sophisticated, majestic, friendly, and calm. As evidence of its enchantments, i decided to just test my blisters with only a tour of the cathedral and a quick walk around but ended up wandering for hours and six miles. My blisters aren’t happy with me but my brain is ecstatic. The airy Plaza de Castillo had a book fair for goodness sake! 20 stalls! IT’S A WEDNESDAY! What kind of magic is this place?!
Pamplona is a good time to pause and examine my deep love of overseas grocery stores, as a tourist that is. Yes, I urge you, on your next visit to an exciting international destination, to visit the largest monument in town, the biggest place of worship, and THEIR GROCERY STORE. It’s fascinating, and if you’re doing it like me, you get so many treats at the end of your visit. Turns out Spain has amazing lemon Crest toothpaste (Molly’s review 10/10, bringing some home), a more-than-a-gallon jug of red wine for $6.01 USD, and so many new potato chip flavors it will blow your mind. You get to see how big the packages are (an indication of outlook, ease of transportation, income, yes?) and what the marketing focuses on, etc. All that helps you learn about the culture you’re in, and nobody cares that you’re treating their store like a museum as long as you buy something at the end. And when you do buy something at the end? Nobody speaks to you in English — you have to buck up and get through it best you can, and that’s how you learn to be a better guest in that place, learning more words as you go and getting more confident. One thing in St. Jean that I loved at the grocery stores is that the clerks and the customer say “bon jour NAY” at the end of the transaction, which I hadn’t heard anywhere in the tourist areas at all. Maybe the grocery store is where the local folks are most relaxed and authentic, because they don’t expect tourstis there? I’m happy to exploit this until they figure out it’s my favorite thing ever and i’ve been lurking in aisle after aisle, watching and observing ever since I got a passport. :-)