In Chapter 11, Jake and Bill board the bus to Burguete while Robert stays behind. The bus is crowded, mostly with Basque people - an ethnicity of this region that straddles France and Spain - and they pass around wine-skins to drink from. Later that afternoon, the bus arrives in Burguete, where it is cold and windy, even inside the inn that Jake and Bill are staying at. Jake and Bill eat and drink well, especially taking advantage of the wine that comes free with their paid room and board.

     The next morning, Jake and Bill hike out to go fishing on the river. They both catch several trout, eat lunch, and then lie down to take a nap. Before they fall asleep, Bill asks Jake is he was ever in love with Brett, and Jake replies that he was for a long time, but doesn't care anymore. The two men nap, and then hike back to Burguete, returning after dark. They spend the next five days fishing during the day and playing bridge in the evening with an Englishman named Harris, and receive no word from Robert, Brett or Mike during this time.

     Chapter 13 opens on a Wednesday, when Jake finally receives a letter from Mike, stating that Brett passed out on the train to San Sebastian, and they spent three days resting there. They then traveled to Pamplona on Tuesday, and will be awaiting word on how to rejoin Jake and Bill. This letter prompts Jake and Bill to catch the bus back to Pamplona that afternoon. Before they go, they have lunch and drink wine with Harris, who tells them how glad he is to have met them.

     Back in Pamplona, Jake and Bill meet Brett, Mike and Robert, and the group go to watch the bulls for the upcoming fiesta be unloaded. One at a time, the bulls are let out of their cage into a corral, where two steers (castrated bulls) are there to distract and herd them. One of the steers is gored during the process, but once all of the bulls are unloaded, they become a more docile group.

     After watching the bulls, they go to a café, with Mike and Bill travelling separately from the rest and stopping for several drinks along the way. Mike is drunk when they arrive, and begins insulting Robert, comparing him to the docile steer that hang around but don't say anything. Robert is angry, but remains mostly silent, and Mike continues insulting him for coming to San Sebastian to follow Brett around. Robert gets up to leave, and Bill follows, leaving Jake with Brett and Mike. Mike drunkenly explains that he's aware of Brett's affairs with Robert and other men, which she tells him all about, and only objects to Robert's pitiful behaviour afterwards. The three of them then return to the hotel, and all meet back later for dinner, where Mike pretends as if nothing happened, while Robert is quiet and stares at Brett throughout the meal. That evening, Jake reads in bed and drunkenly ponders his relationships with his friends, including Mike's meanness when he's drunk, and Jake's feelings of guilt over enjoying it when Mike is mean to Robert.

     For the next two days, the town is preparing for the fiesta, and Jake and the group lead a peaceful, friendly existence together. Once the fiesta begins, Pamplona becomes a non-stop party. People dance and drink in the streets, and the five friends find themselves partying the first night all the way until the following morning. Jake goes to be at around 4 AM, and awakens in the morning to watch the running of the bulls from the hotel balcony, while the others were still in the streets to witness it. The following day is the first bull fight. In discussing it beforehand, Robert cautions Brett not to look at the horses that are gored by the bulls, while Robert hopes aloud that he won't be bored, which Bill finds a smug and annoying thing to say. Before the fight Jake and Bill are taken by the hotel owner Montoya to meet the star matador, Pedro Romero, who is incredibly young and handsome. During the fight, Jake and Bill sit ringside while Brett, Mike, and Robert are higher up in the amphitheatre. After the fight, Brett says how much she enjoyed it, despite watching the horses being gored, and Mike makes fun of Robert for feeling sick while watching. On the second day Brett, who is very taken with Pedro Romero, and Robert sit ringside with Jake, and they marvel at his natural talent that far surpasses the other bull fighters.

     Chapter 16 opens on a rainy day when there are no bull fights, but the partying in Pamplona continues indoors. That evening, Jake is visited in his hotel room by Montoya, who tells him that the American ambassador in town asked to have a meeting arranged with Pedro Romero and another matador named Marcial Lalanda. He is concerned that Romero becoming involved with Americans won't be good for him, and Jake agrees, advising Montoya not to pass the message along to Romero.

     Jake goes to join his friends, and finds them drunkenly eating dinner. Bill keeps buying shoe-shines for Mike. Pedro Romero is also in the dining room, and asks Jake to join him, where they sit and talk about bull fighting, until Brett interjects and insists that Jake introduce them. Mike is very drunk, and yelling to Pedro Romero across the table, which Jake finds embarrassing. When Pedro and his friend leave, Mike is angry that Jake wouldn't let him talk to Pedro, and then turns his anger on Robert, telling him he doesn't belong with them and isn't wanted. When Robert refuses to leave, Mike gets up to fight him, but Jake steers him outside. Mike calms down outside, and Brett and Bill come out to join them to watch an attempted fireworks display that is going very poorly. They leave to go get a drink somewhere else, and are joined by a woman who is a friend of Bill's from Biarritz. Mike tells her how beautiful she is, and they go off with Bill towards a café. Brett says she'd like to stay put, and Robert offers to stay with her, but Brett rebukes him angrily, saying she wants to talk to Jake, and tells Robert to go to bed. When Robert leaves, Jake and Brett discuss how depressing they find Robert, and Brett is angry that Robert doesn't understand their tryst in San Sebastian didn't imply love on her part. Brett is also disappointed in Mike's behaviour, but Jake defends Mike, saying it can't be easy to have Robert around knowing about his history with Brett.

     Jake and Brett go for a walk together and look out and the scenery. Brett asks Jake if he still loves her, and after Jake replies "yes", Brett tells him that she thinks she's in love with Pedro. Jake cautions her against acting on her feelings, but Brett insists she must, and asks Jake to help her make something happen with Pedro. Jake agrees, and they go find Pedro sitting with friends at a café. Pedro soon joins their table, very quickly flirting with Brett in English. Jake leaves, saying he needs to find their friends, and when he returns twenty minutes later, Pedro and Brett are gone.