Tomatoes for Breakfast?

One of the most distinctive and wacky events of the European calendar is set to take place again on August 30th, in the tiny Spanish village of Bunyol.

La Tomatina, the tomato-throwing festival, means that the village quickly looks like the backdrop to a Tarantino film, as a 30,000 strong army of madcap maniacs gear up to fling tomatoes at one another.

For health and safety, it's customary for the fruit to be pre-squished before thrown, but participants need not worry about misfires, as a 125,000 kg ammunition dump waits to be used.

Participants may be a little giddy after a breakfast of chorizo, pancetta and more than a little rose wine, but for two hours the battle rages on – a tradition which has run since 1945 – when locals had a fairly boisterous food fight.

After the tomato rain, locals and visitors join in to clean the streets and local businesses, with many carrying on the good cheer in the sunshine.

Although only 9,000 people live in the village, Valencia is nearby, where revellers can find cheap hotels and escape from the mayhem.

This article is provided by Hotels Hotels Hotels suppliers of cheap hotels in Spain

Updated: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:00:00

Related Links:
Spain Tourist Board