Night before the Fight

Greg and I are preparing for battle.

Of the Tomato kind.

VALENCIA - After a long (12 hour with a transfer) overnight bus ride, we arrived in Valencia, third largest Spanish city on the southeast coast. I had book a hotel room in the city months ago, as this was to be our base for Wednesday´s festivities.

Tomorrow morning 6am, we are taking a train to Brunol, a small town outside Valencia. We will be joining 40,000 other (mad) people taking part in this year´s La Tomatina - an annual tomato fight festival! Little is know of the beginnings of the event, but legend has it that two diners were unsatisfied with their meal and decided to throw some food. They had so much fun that they reconviened the next year and invited their friends...

Years later, it has evolved into an all-out tomato fight! There is a rule though: one must squash the tomato before throwing it. No frozen fruits please! At 1pm, the church bell rings and the dump trucks spill their goods onto the ground and the fight begins...

Our battle gear consists of: one white t-shirt (with Canadian Ketchup Team 07 on the front and a big target on the back), one pair of shorts (to chuck after), one pair of socks and shoes (cheap to chuck after), one pair of goggles, and one waterproof camera. This last item will make me a target amougst the crowd...

If I survive, I will post the results of the battle.

In the meantime, Valencia has been good to us. Excellent accommodation, great food, beautiful city, and a hot beach. I have decided to stay another day here and forgo Ibiza for another time, due to the expense of booking flights or ferries at the last minute (it would be an extra 200 euro, plus the 50 euro club, plus drinks and food...) No worries, there is always next time!

Well, it is time to go and write our Team Logo on the white shirt with a Jiffy Marker!

Into the breach, my friends.

Wish me luck and I´ll see you on the flip side...