Nobody quite knows exactly when it began, or what motivated the first tomato to be thrown across the streets of Bunol. Not that anybody complains now mind, given that the annual tomato festival, headlined by a massive food fight, draws in the crowds and revenue to the generally sleepy Spanish town. Importantly though, it’s a lot of fun.
Today (26th August), La Tomatina takes place. This year’s event is (believed to be) the 70th anniversary of the event and thousands of people are expected to gather together in the narrow streets of Bunol, throw tomatoes around, generally get messy and then jump in one of the rivers that intersects the town to try and clean up a little.
Like we said, it’s a lot of fun.
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With 365 days in the year it’s quite easy to lose track of time and see days blend into weeks and weeks into months. It’s also easy to get dates mixed up, something which can be a little detrimental to our personal and/or professional lives.
However you can be excused for being a little confused about Waffle Day because it actually takes place twice a year.
So why does the waffle get to have two days?
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As a sports fan there is nothing worse than watching a penalty shootout. It’s a moment that undoubtedly sends millions of grown adults jumping behind the sofa just as kids would hide behind cushions when watching horror movies. Fear; it has that effect upon people.
But there’s also something immensely enthralling about these gladiatorial events. Take tennis, for example, where players square off in a personal battles; or even reality shows where singers, bakers and performers take each other or in a series of head-to-head battles from week-to-week: It’s a familiar format, one that brings out the best in people but can also force people into deep, dark crevasses from which they may never escape from.
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Stop the presses!
In news that might come as a surprise to the generous readers of this blog, we, the British people, are the second worst tippers in the entire world. According to a report, published by the Global Tipping Index, we’re only behind the French when it comes to being tight-fisted so-and-sos.
Unfortunately, we have previous: Two years ago a similar study, conducted by ICE, found that one in three Brits tip poorly when abroad. We aren’t a nation of shopkeepers; we’re a nation of Mr Pinks.
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Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have recently been tucking into some leafy greens, making history in the process. For many of us, lettuce may be an afterthought; a food items that we expect to find tucked into our salads and placed in our sandwiches. But in space it’s a different matter. Everything is highly regimented and well, lettuce is a little bit superfluous isn’t it? Not anymore.
“The astronauts have a pretty amazing diet, with a lot of different foods,” Gioia Massa, a NASA researcher said. “But they don’t get fresh vegetables often.”
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You may remember that earlier this year the World’s Best Restaurant for 2015 was announced and that the famed Spanish eatery El Celler de Can Roca walked away with the coveted prize.
Other noteworthy talking points from the list included perennial winner Noma dropped down to third; the charming Osteria Francescana Modena claimed a deserved second place; Lima, the Peruvian capital, is something of a culinary hotspot these days; and that the French were unhappy with the omission of a Gallic restaurant in the top ten.
The last point isn’t that surprising….
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Author
Damien Wilde