Nick did it again. During our first trip to Japan in 2014, he arranged a dinner party with his co-workers so they could meet his parents and we could get a feel for the people he works with. He said, "Don't worry, they all speak English." Well, I couldn't understand a word any of them spoke. The Japanese accent is so strong that it's hard to understand when they try to speak English. Not the case in Spain. For one thing, Nick only works with Americans here in Rota, Spain. In Japan, his whole team were local Japanese engineers. Half of the Naval Base Rota, Spain are Americans and half are Spanish. It's a Spanish base and Nick says the Americans are guests here. We toured the base yesterday and even though it is geographically larger than the base in Japan, it is a lot smaller in population, so it definitely has a more spread out feel to it.
The Spanish aircraft carriers are not as sophisticated as the U.S. ones, thus the sloped ramp for the jets to "ski jump" on take-off because they don't have the catapult system to launch like the U.S. carriers. We also saw a Saudi Arabian destroyer. Nick didn't know why it was in port but said they were probably refueling because Rota has a big fuel reserve on base.
I hope I don't get arrested for posting these photos because Nick kept telling me to put my phone down, "for security reasons". He always says that whenever we tour his military bases. Like I've said in previous posts like here, during a visit to Yokosuka, being in this military environment is whole different ballgame. You really get a feel of what serious business military stuff is. Since our stay here, we keep seeing military helicopters fly by. I asked Nick, "are those Black Hawks?' He said "no, they're Seahawks. Black Hawks are Army and Seahawks are Navy." To me, they sound like Black Hawks from all the movies I've seen, you know like in the movie Black Hawk Down. The sound of them flying around here sort of gives me the creeps, like war. But that's what it's like being around Nick's job. It's serious business, no fooling around. The other thing you think about is how superior the U.S. military is. I can tell when Nick talks about his job, he is proud. We know he loves his job. Like explaining how the Spanish aircraft carrier doesn't have the take-off catapult system like ours do. Nick has worked on those catapult systems with jets landing and taking off right in front of him so he is indeed proud of our U.S. military capabilities because he's a part of it, like in this photo from 2016.
I'm just glad he is not military, he just works with them so he will never have to go off to war. He's happy, we're happy, all is good. It just isn't your normal, everyday job with Black Hawk helicopters...I mean, Seahawk helicopter... flying around overhead everyday. Aside from the base and all the military stuff, Rota is a beautiful town, a resort town, actually. We also toured the town itself and it is beautiful. It reminded me of Newport Beach in California where we use to go a lot when I lived in Orange County growing up. Lots of small houses, apartments, bars, restaurants right on the beach, everything within walking distance; a playground for the Beach Life.
We could get real use to living here. And Nick is. And so has his co-workers who are all Americans living here, too. We met one couple who plan to retire in one year and have already established a place in Portugal where they plan to retire. They have been living here for seven years. Nick and his friend, Jerry, arranged a gathering with all of us including Nick's boss at a local winery called Esencia de la Torre. Just as in Japan, we got a nice feel for people he works with - and they all speak English! We loved talking to them all but the real star of the show was Manuel, the winemaker/owner of the winery pictured in the blue shirt. He is quite the character, for sure. He loves to tell stories, drink wine, make new friends and find any reason to open another bottle of wine.
He had a table set up for an evening of wine tasting with lots of tapas in between. His team kept bringing out more and more.
We started out with a dry or sweet sherry which is a speciality here. He likes to get samples right from the barrel as he explains the whole process of making sherry.
Winemaking is definitely his passion and carrying on the family business in this 300 year-old winery.
I can't even tell you how many different samples we tasted.
We did taste four different vermouth samples that were made up in the kitchen with his team. They are trying to decide on which recipe to use and we got to sample them and vote. The had different levels of sweetness and different undertones, sort of fruity or spicy. I'm not a vermouth connoisseur but these were actually sort of tasty. It's like the way Bruce and I never really liked gin until we tasted really good quality gin and then...hummmm, yummy!
During the whole evening, we felt like we were in a friend's dining room having a dinner party except the environment was a 300 year-old winery with unlimited wine from the wine cellar that was just steps away. It was really a special experience, for sure.
Of course, we felt like we were best friends with Manuel by the time the evening was over. (I felt sorry for Nick and his co-workers who had to work the next day...) But it was very much the kind of party you would have in Spain; good wine and sherry, tapas, lots of laughing, never in a rush, and of course, it goes on late into the evening which are how the Spanish are.
Because we all know, tomorrow afternoon is siesta time.
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