La Tomatina, SPAIN
Airing Date: May 2nd, 2005
Every year, on the last Wednesday in August, 5 trucks, carrying around 100 tones of tomatoes, arrive in main plaza in Bunol, near Valencia, for the annual La Tomatina festival.
The tomatoes are purchased from a nearby village called Chilches by the Town Council of Buol, especially for La Tomatina. La Tomatina costs the Council Town of Buol around AUD$30,000!
La Tomatina has blossomed into a full-blown fiesta that coincides with the festival for the town's patron saint. For a week leading up to the epic battle, the town of Buol is filled with parades, fireworks, food and street parties, attracting up to 40,000 visitors for its main event La Tomatina. The night before La Tomatina, the narrow streets beneath the town's imposing Medieval bell tower are filled with tomatoes in a much more palatable state than they will be the next day!
On the day of the main even, the crowd starts to build in the town's plaza Calle del Cid. The tomato throwing starts in earnest after someone has scaled a slippery pole to snatch a ham from the top. Tomatoes are then thrown in a food fight frenzy continuing until a siren sounds - signifying the end of La Tomatina and not one tomato can be thrown there after!
A mass exodus then occurs as the crowd follows the leader to portable showers set up in fields just outside the town. As the crowd washes themselves (which can take hours), firemen come in and hose the town square - so that in a few hours you can't tell that the whole town was literally covered in tomato paste.
La Tomatina will take place this August.
Further information:
Thai Airways International fly to Madrid from
$1880 ex west coast.
$1945 ex east coast.
Includes taxes / charges. Subject to exchange rates. Conditions apply.
www.thaiairways.com.au.
Iberia return to Valencia from
$421 ex Madrid.
Prices include charges/ taxes. Subject to exchange rate. Conditions apply.
www.iberia.com.
Prices correct at 02/05/05.
