After arriving in Spain nearly four weeks ago, I figured it is time to send out a quick update on things Katie and I have done!
During the first couple of weeks, Katie and I went on a movie bender by going to see Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning in our on-base theater, Barbie at our on-base drive-in theater, and Oppenheimer at a Spanish theater in Puerto de Santa Maria. Fortunately for us, some of the Spanish movie theaters nearby play movies in English with Spanish subtitles, so we were able to understand all of the dialogue. It was also a pretty cool experience going to a Spanish movie theater!
After Oppenheimer, we visited a tapas bar with Meghan and one of her friends from ECU; we enjoyed a ton of different items, but my favorite was either the duck ravioli or the pork-stuffed buns!
During my second week in Rota, I was enrolled in the Intercultural Relations (ICR) course which Katie took a few weeks prior. Katie enjoyed her field trip during the class so much that she decided to join me on my field trip day.
Our first stop was at the Rota Flea Market where Katie and I bought some fun decorative pillows to use for our outdoor table and chairs. When Katie saw the sign saying two pillows for €5, she walked away with 4 matching ones. The woman loves a good bargain!
What's not pictured is us figuring out how to get these pillows home on the back of our scooter later that afternoon (just imagine two people, one scooter and Katie holding two pillows off each side.) We looked like two clowns but laughed about it the entire ride home!
Our next stop was at Cooperativa de Pescadores del Mar de Rota, our local fish market right next to the marina. We were informed that fishermen are constantly bringing in fresh fish and that it was all at a super cheap price. You're probably thinking though, it still has the skin, heads, and probably the guts too; not to worry, if you ask them to clean it for you, they will!
We were lucky to visit with Leo, my ICR teacher for the week, and another of her coworkers, who both recommended their favorite fish for us to come back and try. Katie isn't big on fresh fish, but this may be a spot I have to check out in the future!
After checking out the local fish market, we headed to Plaza de Bartolome Perez where we grabbed a couple of coffees and pastries at Confiteria Torremolinos.
After our quick pastry break, we visited the Castillo de Luna, a castle built in the 13th century that also functions as Rota's city halls. The best part was the rooftop where we got some stunning views of downtown Rota.
On Saturday, July 29th, we headed to the Ikea in Jerez to grab a few items we knew we would need around the house. After spending nearly 4.5 hours roaming the store, we were finally getting near the end when we stumbled upon the children's area. We found a stuffed stegosaurus which made us think back on the great times we had with Stego and Meg in Japan. You know Katie made us pose with it to send them a pic that we were thinking of them! Dang, we have made some great lifelong friends!
On Sunday, July 30th, Katie and I visited a local church in Rota. Most of the churches in Rota are Catholic, and the only two protestant churches in town are Bethel Baptist Church and the protestant services offered on-base. Katie's friend Meghan recommended Bethel Baptist, so we were sure to check it out.
The congregation was very small, but Pastor Mike and all of the members were very welcoming. This is the first time Katie and I have PHYSICALLY gone to church since we moved from CA (we had been watching church virtually for the last two years.) Although it was quite small, we felt a real sense of community and definitely will be regular visitors in the future.
One day while at work, I received a screenshot from Katie of a Traeger grill for sale on Facebook marketplace. That afternoon, Katie and I drove over to this couple's home and bought their grill and a wall mirror. Unfortunately, the grill wouldn't fit in the car, so I dragged it three blocks down the street back to our place!
I know Katie is incredibly excited about this purchase. Since we lived in a second-floor apartment in Sasebo, we had nowhere to use, or store, our grill, so we sold it. Katie can't wait for me to fire this guy up and knock off the rust on my grilling skills.
On Thursday, August 3rd, Katie surprised me with a dinner reservation at Restaurante Kammala. Katie had visited here during her ICR class and with Gram when she visited a few weeks prior, so she felt like she had to take me.
Katie enjoyed the sea bass while I enjoyed the baby pig (sounds gross, but it was delightful.) After splitting a bottle of wine, and enjoying our salad, entrees, and tons of bread with olive oil, we shared two desserts; Katie and I each split the Apple Crumble and the Citrus Kammala. The Apple Crumble was good, but the Citrus Kammala was dreamy. It was possibly the most tart dessert I've ever had, and I absolutely will have to eat that again!
After spending the last few weeks locally exploring Cadiz & Rota, Katie and I are looking forward to some upcoming trips around southern Spain and Europe! Stay tuned to read more about our adventures!
¡Salud!
Bryan
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