Today was the day! Stego had been sending me cryptic emails for the last couple of weeks letting me know he'd be coming to visit Rota!
For those who don't remember, Stego and Meg are great Sasebo friends of ours, and Stego was my roommate on the ship for the entirety of my tour aboard the USS America and the buddy I ran my first (and only) triathlon with in Japan. Stego and Meg survived Malaysia with us, smuggled into the Marina Bay Sands Hotel for a night of bougie living in Singapore, and completed our final trip in Asia together in Taiwan before Katie moved to Spain. Meg and Katie even called in sick to work together to surprise us in Okinawa on a port call! To say we have made memories together is a severe understatement, so hearing that at least half the gang would be back together in Spain for a few days was beyond exciting!
After Japan, Stego and Meg moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where Stego is a Department Head at a helicopter squadron (HSM-48). It's typical for DHs to go on one shipboard detachment as the Officer In Charge (OIC) during their tour, and Stego lucked out with a detachment on the USS Normandy. After visiting northern France to partake in the 80th Anniversary of D-Day Events, their ship came down to Rota for five days!
Stego informed me that the ship's CO was being incredibly strict with their liberty policy, so he would have to "check-out" with at least two other pilots the entire time. It sounds like we'll be having a few more guests hanging out with us!
Thursday, June 13: Stego Arrives in Rota
After picking up Stego and GOAT, we made our way back to the house. The boys were hungry and wanted a taste of true Spanish cuisine, so we tried a restaurant in Rota for the first time: La Maceta. After enjoying some sausages and good croquettes as starters, our entrees left a little to be desired. Since I had my PRT the following morning, it was time to get an early night's rest, so immediately following dinner, Katie and I made our way back home to bed while Stego and GOAT enjoyed some time checking out downtown Rota.
Friday, June 14: Golf & Downtown Rota
The next day, after finishing my PRT early in the morning, I was let loose a little early from work so I could meet up with Stego and the other pilots to finish their round of golf! Katie was their DD, so she was soaking in some sun on the golf cart while getting to know the other pilots Stego is responsible for. I got to join them for the back 9, and even won $66 after Stego and Teapot bet the other four pilots that we could beat them at best ball!
After golf, we made our way to Fuego for dinner, which never disappoints! Following dinner, we met up with Meghan & RJ for drinks downtown at some of our favorite bars: Kenthia & Arcos! Between throwing darts and downing drinks, this night was a great way to merge our military family- a little bit of Sasebo with our Rota people made for a great night!
Saturday, June 15: González Byass Wineries & Kammala
You know Katie wasn't letting Stego visit without showing him some history, so we headed up to Jerez, the sherry capital of the world! After a late night out, we were up at a decent time on Saturday for a tour and tasting at the González Byass Wineries, an internationally renowned Sherry winery just 30 minutes from our house.
We started our tour with a short train trip around the grounds, where we learned how sherry is made, aged, and bottled. The smell of sherry in the warehouses was rather pleasant, and I believe I was the only one to share that sentiment. The scent was strong and gave us a little smell of what was ahead in the tasting portion of the tour.
It was cool to learn that sherry gets its coloring from the oak barrels that it is aged inside. The demo below showed us what fresh sherry looks like when it first enters the barrels, compared to 50+ years inside the barrels!
In one of the warehouses, we were greeted by a large black barrel in the middle of a wall with six barrels on each side of it. We learned that Queen Isabella II visited Tio Pepe in the mid-1800s, and to honor the queen, the company created the large barrel in the middle called Cristo, and the twelve barrels surrounding it were called el Apóstoles. Each of the 12 barrels has the Spanish name of a disciple decorating the outside. Even though these barrels were made almost 200 years ago, they still use them to age their 30-year sherry!
Near the end of the tour, we found another warehouse with numerous barrels signed and dedicated to famous people from around the world! Orson Welles (director of the 1940s film Citizen Kane), Steven Spielberg, Roger Moore (an OG James Bond), and the Spanish Royal family are just a few recognizable names we saw on signed barrels.
We even found a small ladder leading up to a glass of sherry for the mice to enjoy; the legend goes that a worker discovered a mouse trying to get into a leftover glass of sherry late at night, so he fabricated a small ladder to make it easier for him. Now Tio Pepe continues to keep the glass of sherry full for the stray mice to enjoy! I guess if you have to be a rodent in another life- request to be a mouse in Jerez!
Now, it's time for what we were all most excited for: sherry tasting! We tried three different types of sherry and a sherry spritz:
Tío Pepe Una Palma: a drier white-wine-style sherry
Alfonso: a darker, smooth sherry
Solera 1847: a thick, dark, sweet, dessert sherry (nobody's favorite)
Croft Twist: everyone's favorite, the sherry spritz!
We had a great time sitting around laughing and eventually realized we were the only people left in the tasting room! After heading back to Rota, we enjoyed a mid-afternoon nap before dinner at Kammala! We figured it was time for a little siesta- gotta give Stego the full Spanish experience!
Katie and I have made it a requirement that everyone who visits us must eat at Kammala! This trip was a little bit different though, as we ordered everything for the table to share, so the wait staff brought larger portions than normal! We enjoyed our regular favorites like the gyoza and pumpkin salad, in addition to adding some new tastes like the grilled tuna and pumpkin risotto! As always, this place was delicious and a lovely dining experience.
It was even fun to have a playful bet on the final bill total. Stego shot high at $530 for the 6 of us, while Meghan won with the closest bet of $315. That's right- our fanciest restaurant with family-style portions and three bottles of wine costs us $60 a person!
Sunday, June 16: Cadiz
After an eventful Saturday spent with Stego and Teapot, we dropped off Teapot and picked up the two youngest pilots in the group, Sister and Ol' Mish, from the ship. Then we made our way to Cadiz! The Market was closed on Sunday, but we found a long line of people waiting for churros, so we knew we had to get some. 300 grams of fried dough (roughly 2/3 lbs) for €2 wasn't a bad deal, so we enjoyed our freshly-made churros as we took the guys on a tour of our regular sights.
After seeing the Roman Amphitheater, Cadiz Cathedral, and La Caleta, we found a delicious empanada shop right in the middle of town! After wandering around for a while longer, we found ourselves hungry for more, so we stopped at Katie and I's personal favorite: Tiki Taco!
After an enjoyable day in Cadiz, we made a pit stop at Viveros where the guys all bought a Spanish tile sign with their names! Katie helped them pick out the signs- gotta make sure those military wives back home approve of their choices!
Back in Rota, we dropped off Sister and Ol' Mish at their hotel, while Katie, Stego, and I enjoyed some delivery pizza at the house from La Palma!
Monday, June 17: Goodbye USS Normandy
I unfortunately had to go back to work on Monday morning, but Katie passed the day by playing DD again for the guys. After picking up Teapot from the ship, she drove them to the NEX for last-minute necessities before they went back underway. Then she took them to Cash Diplo so they could buy Spanish wines and gins to take home on the ship. (Did you know that each ship has a liquor locker for sailors to store their purchases while underway? There's a fun little fact for you!)
Right after work, I met Katie, Stego, and the boys on the beach for a few hours. There's not much better than a sunny afternoon on a Rota beach, and Stego's gang agreed!
Around 7 pm, we headed back home for them to pack their bags. We dropped them off at the ship around 8 pm that evening so they could be ready to go for their departure early tomorrow morning.
It had been 11 months since I last saw Stego, and nearly 13 months since Katie had seen him. In the time since we last saw him, he's become a father to a beautiful 2-month-old baby girl, Brynlee, bought a house in Florida, and taken over the role of AirBoss aboard this ship. It's crazy how time flies, but this is one of those rare friendships where time and distance don't matter.
Throughout the weekend, Katie sent Meg tons of photos and reminded her that Stego isn't allowed to visit without her ever again! FaceTiming with sweet Brynn and seeing Meg in her new Mama role was the sweetest thing ever. We are hoping Stego, Meg, and Bryn come visit us again very soon so we can have the gang (plus one) together again! Some friendships last a lifetime and it's people like the Ballesters that make military life memorable.
11 months has been way too long brother, don't keep us waiting that long again! Until next time!
Much love,
BJ
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