In the Baztan Valley,
annual rainfall is 2,500 litres per square metre, whereas the figure
for La Ribera on the banks of the River Ebro is a meagre 400 litres.
The terrain in Bardenas Reales, particularly in Bardena Blanca, is
uniform, with tough grasses and hillocks that stand out on the horizon.
Yet some miles to the north, in the chalky crags the River Salazar
has fashioned ravines and gorges, some of which are extremely deep,
such as the Arbayun ravine, with walls almost four hundred metres
high. Such differences in the terrain means that there is also a great
diversity of food products in Navarre, the thought of which makes
the most demanding gourmets' mouths water. Hemingway popularised the
hazardous attraction of the encierro or bull running during the San
Fermin festival, but this world-famous feature of Navarre must not
be allowed to conceal the rest of its wealth.
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