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Where's the party?
The world's biggest food fight takes place at the Plaza
Del Pueblo in the small town of Buñol in
eastern Spain.
La Tomatina happens every year on the last Wednesday
in August and is the highlight of a week-long local festival
in honour of the town's patron saint, San Luis Bertràn,
and the Virgin Mary. The actual tomato throwing lasts
for only two hours between 11am and 1pm
What's it all about?
During the week leading up to the world famous tomato war,
parades, fireworks, music, dancing and the paella cook-off
contest draw visitors to Buñol for the annual fiesta.
When the day of the great battle dawns, local shopkeepers
diligently cover their shopfronts with sheets of plastic and
twenty thousand local folk and tourists take to the streets,
as trucks loaded with around 125,000 kilos of ripe ammo roll
into the Plaza del Pueblo. Between 11am and 1pm, the
streets are awash with juice, pavements are spattered with
pulp and the participants transformed into walking, talking
Bloody Marys.
As soon as the siren signalling the end of La Tomatina is
sounded, the massive clean up operation gets underway. Water
is pumped from a nearby Roman aqueduct and by mid afternoon
there¹s barely any trace left of the messy melée
that has taken place, much less the stench of fruit lingering
in the streets.
The first Tomatina took place in 1945, but no-one seems to
know exactly how it all started. Some say it began as a fracas
between a group of friends, others claim the tradition was
started at an anti-Franco rally. One of the most likely accounts
is that brawling bystanders at a carnival parade seized the
contents of a nearby vegetable stall, and began throwing tomatoes
at their opponents. Initially the authorities did their best
to ban what quickly became an annual battle, but in 1959 they
eventually entered into the spirit of the event and it became
an institution.
Whatever the real reason for the first tomato war, one things
for sure: these days participants need no excuse to pelt each
other with squished tomatoes, they do it just for the heck
of it!
Getting There
The nearest airport to Buñol is 30 miles away
in Valencia. To get to the festival you'll need to
take a local bus or hire a car to drive there.
It is also possible to get to Buñol by train, either
from Valencia or from Madrid.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Buñol is limited. There are places
to stay to suit all budgets in nearby Valencia, but it¹s
still advisable to book ahead. For information on places to
stay contact the tourist information at Valencia
Other expenses
La Tomatina is the ultimate free for all. You don¹t need
to a ticket to take part, just turn up and muck in.
Because most people who take part in the Tomatina come to
Buñol on a day trip from Valencia, all you'll need
is money for your train or bus fare and perhaps for a bite
to eat after the battle. As you'd expect, many of the participants
are alcohol fuelled, even in the morning so you might want
to bring some beer money with you too. A return ticket from
Valencia by train costs around US$3, or US$2 by bus one way
(there are no return bus tickets). See below for contact details
for train and bus timetables.
Once you're there
Don't wear your holiday best and beware that anything
white won't stay clean and bright for very long. It¹s
usually boys versus girls, and it rapidly becomes something
of a wet t-short contest. People wearing baseball caps or
carrying cameras are considered prime targets for everyone,
so if you¹re determined to take pictures bring a see-though
waterproof bag.
There aren't many rules to tomato warfare, but those that
do exist are in the interests of safety and public decency:
l) You can throw tomatoes and tomatoes only.
2) They must be squashed before you throw them, otherwise
they can cause a nasty bruise.
3) Although the locals tend to rip each other's clothing,
it is officially forbidden and as a visitor, you will be expected
to behave.
Local attractions
Apart from La Tomatina, there isn't much in Buñol
to keep the visitor out of mischief. It is worth sending time
in nearby Valencia, which is renowned for its lively nightlife
and as the birthplace of paella.
The fantastic Las Fallas festival is held in Valencia
in March, when the people parade through the streets with
15 metre high papier-mâché sculptures (known
as fallas) which are constructed by local artisans and made
to look like politicians or celebrities. These grotesque structures
are set alight on the last night of the festival, amid much
jollity and celebration.
Other highlights of the province of Valencia include a visit
to the medieval fortress town of Morello, the Roman
ruins at Sagunto and the historic palm gardens at Elx.
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