We are staying in Calle San Nicolas a popular bar street in medieval Pamplona where the bar tops are decorated with a bounty of brightly coloured tapas treats. The street is awash with pink decorations to celebrate the festival of La Calle de Rosa, the pink or rose wines that are famous in this Basque region of Navarra.
As I was casually watching the workers tying the pink balloons above bar entrances and twisting pink streamers as they wove them through the balconies of these wise little terraces, I noticed a plaque. It was not celebrated, hardly noticeable for to see it your eyes would need to be looking for it, or moving slowly across the ancient facades.
There at number 21-22 San Nicolas Street, was a small tribute to Pablo de Sarasate from the late nineteenth century. The tourist office knew little about him, the vegetarian restaurant in his name was closed, but google would know a lot I thought, and was open.
In July, when Hemingway is earnest in his passionate pursuit of the bulls, during the Fiesta de San Fermin, there is lots of ‘aficion’ being expressed at another fiesta only a bull’s roar away.This is a musical fiesta, a tribute to one of Pamplona’s famous sons, violinist and composer Pablo de Sarasate.
It was largely due to this maestro that Spanish music so influenced many notable European composers. George Bernard Shaw once said: “Though there were many composers of music for the violin, there were but few composers of violin music.” With some words to his critics he went on to say that Pablo “left criticism gasping miles behind him.” He did however watch the running of the bulls from his balcony,but while many were cheering them on, many other citizens were simultaneously cheering him on, their native son.
