MAKING WAVES

FLAMENCO lovers with sea legs will soon be able to enjoy a highly original Mediterranean cruise experience in november.

Seven Seas Flamenco Experience consists of a voyage on board the Atlantis, which, with the Mediterranean as a backdrop, will put the gypsy artform centre stage. The cruise experience will transport flamenco lovers through four emblematic cities for an authentic flamenco experience at each stop; Cartagena, Almeria, Malaga and Cadiz.

THRILL: but with it comes danger and (below) a firework laden effigy of a bull most of the injuries are caused by other humans involved in trampling rather than any incidents with a bull.

Deadly

Although, of course, the bulls can be deadly. Since records started being kept in 1910, 15 people have been killed during the runs - mainly as a result of goring. The last non-Spaniard to die from a goring was an American tourist aged 22 in 1995.

Some 200 people, mainly from the Cruz Roja (Red Cross), provide medical services every 50 metres down the route, with 20 ambulances on stand-by which can take people to hospital in 10 minutes.

The event dates back to the 13th century tradition of transferring bulls from fields outside Pamplona to the bullring where they would be killed in the evening. During that run, youths would jump among them in a display of bravado.