It's not really October if it doesn't include an Oktoberfest event- and since this October has been filled with Hugo healing from his surgery, we spent this Oktoberfest in Rota!
Fun fact: the real Oktoberfest in Germany takes place at the end of September through the first week of October, so we will have to keep that in mind for next year! Luckily for us, Rota hosted their own Oktoberfest activities on the weekend of October 12-16 that we weren't going to miss!
Friday, October 13: Rota Oktoberfest
After enjoying our Thursday night fútbol game in Sevilla, I talked Meghan into joining us for another night out at the festival! At 8 pm, we arrived at la Plaza de la Cantera to loud music, people dancing, and giant jugs of beer!
Being cash only, Bryan and I got in line to order drinks and noticed the cutest mugs with "Oktoberfest Rota" printed on them! We HAD to have one of these mugs for our collection, so we ordered the large beers and were stoked...until the "large beers" came out in a different mug and were HUGE.
These giant mugs were not what we thought we were ordering and, upon looking around, realized that most of the other Americans had made the same mistake...so we had plenty of beer for the evening but not a mug to take home! But bottoms up! We sipped on our giant steins of beer while enjoying the music, dancing, and a party atmosphere in downtown Rota!
As the night wore on, we eventually finished our giant beers and ordered two of the small beers that came in the correct mug! For €3 we could keep the mug, so we went home with one mug, while Meghan went home with the other! This was the perfect ending to an awesome day! While not the true German experience, we were beyond happy to see Rota hosting an event for the town that brought some German fun down south!
The next morning, we popped a few Aleve (ok, last night's beer was a lot and it wasn't the highest quality stuff!) before heading out to meet Jaime for a day trip of exploring even farther south!
Baelo Claudia: Conjunto Arqueológico Baelo Claudia
Our first stop of the day was Baelo Claudia, home to ancient Roman ruins along the ocean! With a pretty view, I understand why the Romans chose to set up home here! While less impressive than the ruins in Cadiz, this stop was hot, humid, and a chance to stretch our legs halfway along our route!
I will admit though, it looked like the cavea had been modernized to still host shows, so if we hear of any performances here, we will definitely have to come and see some culture! I mean, the backdrop to the theater is the stunning view of the ocean!
Bar Marrakech
Eventually, we made it to Tarifa, the southernmost city of Spain, and were ready for lunch! Since Tarifa is famous for its ferry system to Morocco, we figured this would be the place to eat Moroccan food- and things were yummy! Traveling with Jaime is great because she likes to try everything on the menu and is always down to share foods, so we ordered a ton of starters and meal options to share.
Frontera Mar Mediterráneo - Océano Atlántico
Then it was time to explore Tarifa! Honestly, we were a little hesitant to visit Tarifa today because of the poor visibility and haziness in Rota. Tarifa's lookout point is famous for seeing Africa, but all we could see was a mountain range at a distance. This just means we have to come back with clearer skies! But hey, we have seen Africa's moutains!
Tarifa is also the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea! It's crazy how much of a difference the waters are on each side of this stretch of land! The crystal clear blue waters of the Mediterranean right beside the murky wave-ridden waters of the Atlantic show the stark divide in bodies of water!
We spent some more time walking around Tarifa sightseeing and shopping in their open market before heading back home.
During our hour-and-a-half ride home, we talked about how bountiful southern Spain is with fun day trips! With the weather finally starting to cool down, Bryan and I look forward to many more weekend trips around the area to see more of our new home!
--Katie
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