So I am going to be one of those people who uses to term YOLO to describe this blog post, not because I'm trying to sound cool, but because yesterday really was a 'you only live once' kinda moment!
Wake up call at 5am, breakfast at 5:45am and then straight on the buses for the 1hour journey from Valencia to Bunol. Why so early? Why Bunol? One answer... La Tomatina!
Once we got to Bunol and started our walk down into the town, everyone seemed to have one question they were asking the locals along the way... (Not before overcoming the Spanish to English language gap!)... How did La Tomatina get started?
The old man selling cups of local brew or sangria out the front of his house told us it all began when Don Juan, a Spanish villain and notorious womaniser, was pelted with tomatoes in response to his dreadful singing voice and appalling guitar ability.
The little kids who were trying to make some extra pocket money by looking after backpacks for the day, told us it was started by a group local rascals raiding a fruit-stand in the town centre and hurling them at each other in a fleeting, moment of madness.
And the local women who were eagerly selling their souvenir T-shirts, sunglasses or paella told us that over 50 years ago a parade, honouring the town’s patron saint Luis Bertràn, ended in carnage when a local produce cart was crushed spilling thousands of ripe tomatoes onto the streets. In true Spanish-fiesta spirit they were promptly picked up and launched at anyone in sight.
Whatever legend of La Tomatina we heard on the day or choose to believe, nothing comes close to describing what it feels like to partake in La Tomatina...it is an OMG moment and one everyone should experience at least once in their life.
How the day unfolded...
Once a year the sleepy mountain village of Buñol comes alive with thousands of people and truckloads of tomatoes for one of the most amazing spectacles you will ever see!
We were one of the first groups to arrive.
But it didn't take long and the small 10 meter wide street was full.
The morning action gets underway when a ham is placed on top of a tall, greased pole in front of the local town hall. God knows how, but we ended up being right in front of the pole when it was raised!
The Tomato chaos can only get underway once someone is able to climb the slippery pole and grab the ham.
There were hours of standing watching the hilariousness as heaps of people try to scale this pole, climbing over each other, in order to be the illustrious one to claim the ham.
Once the ham is snatched the chanting rises to a fever pitch as the trucks roll in and dump masses upon masses of ripe & ready tomatoes in the centre of town, Plaza del Pueblo, and the surrounding streets.
The signal for the beginning of the throwing is the firing of five bulbous (tomato-packed rockets) out of a canon and into the air.
The crowd erupts into a deafening roar and this launches everyone into a flinging and slinging frenzy.
I was glad to have red hair...
Otherwise if I was still a bottled blond I would have worn a lovely fanatics swimming cap!
To make it better or worse we again ended up being right in the middle of the Plaza del Pueblo, where the locals with hoses cooled us off and turned the tomatoes into purée very quickly.
By the end when the last canon blasted I was shin deep in tomatoes as we attempted with the 40,000 other people to make an exit to higher/dryer ground!
After being hosed off by a local, it was time for 1,2 maybe 3 pints of sangria, a tortilla roll, a moment to catch my breath and some sun to dry off!
Then began the long walk out of town, where along the way there were dance parties, locals hanging over their balconies hosing people off, lots and lots of outdoor BBQ's, drink stands and stalls selling fresh clothes, sunglasses, thongs, bags etc.
Amazing day... The pictures can't describe the feeling of being there in amongst the biggest food fight in the world!
Back at the hotel, a long shower, a quick sleep to get rid of the blood shot eyes before heading into town for the after party!
What I learnt-
- Unless your on the outside of the fight or walk back into the middle after its over, there are too many people to go swimming in the tomato!
- The grease that covers the pole is like a lemon body butter!
- My Dicapak Camera Case was a godsend! Perfect for capturing the day and kept my camera super safe and dry!
- When your in the middle of the fight, It is too hard to stay with your friends, it's best to just go with the crowd and the fight!
- Sangria has never tasted so good after swallowing so much tomato and water!
- In amongst 40,000 people you can still meet some people that went to your High School!
For more pictures check out my Instagram!
Wake up call at 5am, breakfast at 5:45am and then straight on the buses for the 1hour journey from Valencia to Bunol. Why so early? Why Bunol? One answer... La Tomatina!
Once we got to Bunol and started our walk down into the town, everyone seemed to have one question they were asking the locals along the way... (Not before overcoming the Spanish to English language gap!)... How did La Tomatina get started?
The old man selling cups of local brew or sangria out the front of his house told us it all began when Don Juan, a Spanish villain and notorious womaniser, was pelted with tomatoes in response to his dreadful singing voice and appalling guitar ability.
The little kids who were trying to make some extra pocket money by looking after backpacks for the day, told us it was started by a group local rascals raiding a fruit-stand in the town centre and hurling them at each other in a fleeting, moment of madness.
And the local women who were eagerly selling their souvenir T-shirts, sunglasses or paella told us that over 50 years ago a parade, honouring the town’s patron saint Luis Bertràn, ended in carnage when a local produce cart was crushed spilling thousands of ripe tomatoes onto the streets. In true Spanish-fiesta spirit they were promptly picked up and launched at anyone in sight.
Whatever legend of La Tomatina we heard on the day or choose to believe, nothing comes close to describing what it feels like to partake in La Tomatina...it is an OMG moment and one everyone should experience at least once in their life.
How the day unfolded...
Once a year the sleepy mountain village of Buñol comes alive with thousands of people and truckloads of tomatoes for one of the most amazing spectacles you will ever see!
We were one of the first groups to arrive.
But it didn't take long and the small 10 meter wide street was full.
The morning action gets underway when a ham is placed on top of a tall, greased pole in front of the local town hall. God knows how, but we ended up being right in front of the pole when it was raised!
The Tomato chaos can only get underway once someone is able to climb the slippery pole and grab the ham.
There were hours of standing watching the hilariousness as heaps of people try to scale this pole, climbing over each other, in order to be the illustrious one to claim the ham.
Once the ham is snatched the chanting rises to a fever pitch as the trucks roll in and dump masses upon masses of ripe & ready tomatoes in the centre of town, Plaza del Pueblo, and the surrounding streets.
The signal for the beginning of the throwing is the firing of five bulbous (tomato-packed rockets) out of a canon and into the air.
The crowd erupts into a deafening roar and this launches everyone into a flinging and slinging frenzy.
I was glad to have red hair...
Otherwise if I was still a bottled blond I would have worn a lovely fanatics swimming cap!
To make it better or worse we again ended up being right in the middle of the Plaza del Pueblo, where the locals with hoses cooled us off and turned the tomatoes into purée very quickly.
By the end when the last canon blasted I was shin deep in tomatoes as we attempted with the 40,000 other people to make an exit to higher/dryer ground!
After being hosed off by a local, it was time for 1,2 maybe 3 pints of sangria, a tortilla roll, a moment to catch my breath and some sun to dry off!
Then began the long walk out of town, where along the way there were dance parties, locals hanging over their balconies hosing people off, lots and lots of outdoor BBQ's, drink stands and stalls selling fresh clothes, sunglasses, thongs, bags etc.
Amazing day... The pictures can't describe the feeling of being there in amongst the biggest food fight in the world!
Back at the hotel, a long shower, a quick sleep to get rid of the blood shot eyes before heading into town for the after party!
What I learnt-
- Unless your on the outside of the fight or walk back into the middle after its over, there are too many people to go swimming in the tomato!
- The grease that covers the pole is like a lemon body butter!
- My Dicapak Camera Case was a godsend! Perfect for capturing the day and kept my camera super safe and dry!
- When your in the middle of the fight, It is too hard to stay with your friends, it's best to just go with the crowd and the fight!
- Sangria has never tasted so good after swallowing so much tomato and water!
- In amongst 40,000 people you can still meet some people that went to your High School!
For more pictures check out my Instagram!
