We began noticing a peculiar pattern from the Pamplona church bells.

We arrived by train from Madrid, grabbed a taxi, and were immediately impressed by the green, well-kept beauty of it all.. With manicured parks and modern bridges dotting the way, this was a nice departure from the gritty urban setting of Madrid. Approaching the city walls, we were blown away.. Built nearly five hundred years ago upon the banks of the Arg river, the walls tower into the air, the old city perched above, with an eyeful watch on the Pyrenees and the valley below. Although despite the city’s wealth of historical and natural beauty, we were perhaps most fascinated by the Pamplona church bells.

Pamplona Church Bells:

If not familiar, siesta is a traditional period of afternoon rest practiced widely throughout Spain. Each day around 4:00pm the overhead storefront doors come sliding down, and for a few hours, Pamplona becomes a ghost town. And then come the bells.. At 6:00 pm, there is a light tapping, almost nudging one from their nap.. Again at 6:30, louder this time, hand rung bells from the towers of multiple churches.. At 7pm, like a relentless alarm clock, not taking the snooze button for an answer, they beckon the workers back to their posts. Then once more, loudest and longest, and the storefronts lift their doors, the streets filling again with a hungry crowd. Each night, different churches seem to be in charge of the wake-up call. Here’s what we heard around 7pm, on our night of arrival: