La Tomatina – The World’s Messiest Food Fight…

La Tomatina always takes place on the last
Wednesday of August in the sleepy village of Bunol some 40kms west of Spain’s
third largest city, Valencia.

This is an EPIC food fight of proportions
you just won’t believe, with seven trucks dumping over 200,000 pounds worth of
ripe tomatoes into the streets for a food war that has to be experienced to be
believed.

Here we cover our top tips for surviving intact, getting the most out of your tomato battle day, and enjoying the festival to its fullest potential.

La Tomatina tomato throwing tours
  • Photography – If you do plan on bringing a camera you need to adhere to a few of the councils guidelines. No tripods, no selfie-sticks and no massive cameras will be permitted in without first gaining permission from the Bunol Council. With phones and smaller cameras for picture and video purposes make sure they are either waterproof, or are in a waterproof container. Even something as ordinary as a plastic sandwich bag can ensure your device is not totally wrecked at the end of the tomato battle.
  • Accommodation – If you are planning on staying in Bunol itself options are very limited so it is best to book well in advance. Most revellers stay in nearby Valencia where there are thousands of accommodation options and plenty more sights and activities to see and get involved with.
  • Clothing/Protection – If you plan on getting into the thick of the action then the clothes that you wear for the tomato fight will be destroyed, you will throw them away, that’s for certain. Make sure you take a change of clothing with you to Bunol and keep in mind that there are no changing rooms so it’s behind a car, rubbish bin or building that you’ll be doing a quick change. Goggles can be a good idea for keeping tomato juice (acid) out of the eyes although you are forever cleaning them. A peaked baseball cap is the best bet in our opinion for protection of the face and eyes. Loose fitting clothing and footwear should be avoided.
  • Tickets – Again, you must get these well in advance through a company such as La Tomatina Tours as they do sell out and there is a 20,000 maximum allocation.
  • Times – The first actual event on the day of La Tomatina is the “Palo-Jabón” where a giant pole is covered with soap/grease and people attempt to climb the pole to reach a hanging slab of ham at the top. Often hilarious to watch. This starts from about 8am in the morning with the tomato fight kicking off around 11am. Please note there are NO EXACT starting times for either of the events. The tomato fight lasts only an hour and a half at most.
  • The Tomatoes – You must crush the tomato in your hand before throwing them as they can do serious damage to someone’s eye otherwise. Do not under any circumstances rip peoples clothing, throw projectiles other than tomatoes, or argue with officials as those are the easiest paths to ejection from the event.
  • After – The best way to clean yourself after the event is to head down to the local river (all roads downhill lead to the river) where the council has erected twenty or so temporary showers. You can also find temporary showers at the train station although these are usually far more crowded. If the showers are full you can always just jump in the river.
  • More – Most importantly enjoy yourself and have fun, respect other revellers and give assistance where required to anyone in any pain or difficulty. La Tomatina is an event for all experience and to enjoy, not just for your enjoyment.
La Tomatina tomato throwing photos and details

Well there we have it, an abridged survival
guide that’ll certainly get you through the day, but like all events we cover there are
plenty of websites out there who provide detailed information on the event with
the highly recommended La Tomatina Tours among the best to check-out for
full La Tomatina event disclosure, day trips and
hotel tour options.

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Royal Ascot’s Relaxed Dress Code Welcomed – But Don’t Forget your Hat…

Royal Ascot racegoers are certainly accustomed to dressing to impress for this most social of events and in what is a stunning turnabout in policy, as part of what’s being called a ‘diversity drive’, Ascot has relaxed some of the dress codes to be more ‘inclusive’ for some race fans. Co-ordinators of the event have announced that guests will be able to pick a sex clothing regulation they ‘feel most comfortable with’ meaning for the first time ladies will be permitted to dress like men and of course, the other way around – providing the garb they choose still adheres to the Royal Ascot guidelines.

Royal Ascot Ladies Day - what to wear?

Since the Regency times of the early 19th century
in England, Ascot has insisted on a strict dress code for the Royal Ascot
event. It was the iconic Beau Brummell, a one-time close friend of the Prince
Regent (Later King George the 4th) who is remembered as the
preeminent example of a fashionable ‘dandy’ man and as the driving force behind
the dress code for men in the Royal Enclosure. Beau even advised gentlemen that
they should always clean their boots with champagne ‘for a better shine’. Many
of Beau’s influences and dress guidelines for the event unbelievably still
remain to this day.

The exclusive Royal Enclosure, often referred to as ‘the
heart’ of the event, has always had tight rules in regards to dress. But in
2018, the event broke with usual convention by permitting racegoers to wear
jumpsuits in the Royal Enclosure for the first time and organisers this year
have announced they would try to appeal to a wider range of visitor by putting
on a ‘party atmosphere’ and incorporating a ‘more vibrant feel’ to the
enclosure.

The relaxed dress codes have been welcomed by respected LGBT
and Transgender figures here in the UK with Britain’s first transgender jockey
Victoria Smith commenting that it was ‘really positive’ and that racing was
‘starting to become more accepting of difference’.

The commercial director of Ascot, Julie Slot, has said: ‘Fashion and style are an important part of the Royal Ascot experience for all of our customers’ and certainly this year, more than any other, Ascot appears to be embracing change like never before.

Ladies Day Fashion at Royal Ascot

There have been other alterations in the dress code policy
with regards to all enclosures and its recommended that if you are attending Royal Ascot Ladies
Day
or any other day of the horse race festival that you view the all
the information contained in the The
Royal Ascot Style Guide
(In association with Cunard) which can
be viewed and downloaded via the official Royal Ascot Website.

For further information on Royal Ascot including details on
enclosures, great value day trip hospitality options, dress codes and more
please do check out the Ladies
Day Ascot
website.

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