All Around Rota!

While we've been waiting for our house to be officially ours (for rent) we've been walking all around town, and, with the help of a tour, exploring this town that has become our base home!

Culture, architecture, food, drink, late nights, beach... these are all things Spain, but also all things Rota!

This past Wednesday the class I was taking took us on a tour of Rota. We started off walking down by the marina to see where the ferry to Cádiz was and to also visit the fresh fish market.  I couldn't read hardly any of the signs, but I'm looking forward to finding recipes for them from the locals! 

One of the natural coast lines between the beaches that are so abundant in this area.

That's Cádiz in the distance and is one of the oldest cities in Europe.

Next we headed away from the beach and into the town towards our next stop, the city's cathedral.

The entrance into the town through one of the perimeter walls

Walking up from the beach to the cathedral.

A great piece of stone mosaic in the sidewalk of the plaza

Nuestra Señora de la 0 en Rota

Entering into the church there was a door into the small outdoor plaza where they kept plants

and this is the old well for watering the plants in the entryway

In the center of the church there was the main area of worship

The mahogany carvings were impressive.

On the sides of the main area there were chapels, all decorated with a different style.

Another adjoining chapel

One of the basins for holy water (although they were all dry on this day)

Next came our visit to the castle, which has been turned into the town hall.

Castillo de Luna

In these hot climates, it's common to have an outdoor space within a building.  There is plenty of shade and sometimes airflow that provides cooler temperatures than inside some of the rooms.

This is a remnant of the Moors occupation in this castle, and was a spot for washing feet and hands.

This is the room where all the politicians meet and shows more of what the castle is currently being used for.  Before the church was built (it previously was a mosque), this room served as the castle's chapel.

This is the oldest part of the castle, said to be from the 12th or 13th century.

A view from the top of the castle looking over the outdoor part of the building.

And this is a view over the city of Rota!  Off to the right of the center of the skyline you can barely make out a red and white water tower.  That is the Naval base, and is also a guide that some look for when they are looking for Rota while out in the water or from Cádiz.

 

After the tour we went to eat at a local restaurant where we had tapas (appetizers), tinto de verano (red wine mixed with a sweet citrus soda), and a main dish of our choosing (chicken or fish).  Our guide and teacher for the week told us that Spain's three unofficial national sports are eating, drinking and dancing.  Food and Drink are cheap and plentiful, and walking through the town you will often hear flamenco music. 

Here there was potatoes with herbs and olive oil (I can't think of the name off the top of my head), arranque (the orange dish, which is pureed stale bread, tomatoes, peppers, and other spices), fried peppers, and carne al toro (delicious stew beef).  You'll also see the pitcher of tinto de verano in the center :)

For the Spanish, everything in the day is later.  A reasoning I read was because during WWII Spain was pushed into being into the same time zone as Germany, which set their sunlight hours later in the day.  Another reasoning is that in Spain, the summers are HOT (we are lucky with the sea breeze), but it forces workers to take time in the afternoon to conserve energy and siesta after their lunch.  They return back to work in the evening when the temperature is cooler, but it also means their dinners get pushed back later as well. 

Here we see an effect of the late nights: a later breakfast!  The picture below shows the typical Spanish breakfast, which we went to eat around 10:30am.  There is no menu at this cafe, because why would you want anything else for breakfast than yesterday's rolls, nicely toasted, with tomato and cured ham on top with drizzled olive oil?  A delicious start to your day, with a side of cafe con leche (espresso with steamed milk and optional sugar), only runs you 2€ a person here (about $2.70).

So after paying our 4€, maybe a little shopping at the markets (where I got a liter of local sherry for 3€ and a loaf of fresh bread for 50 cents), it's time for lunch and siesta!  After siesta, it's time to go out and grab some tapas and drinks.  The typical Spanish way is to go to one place, get a tapa and a drink, and then go to the next place to repeat.  After you're done sampling the drinks and appetizers of the town, it's starting to finally hit dinner time at 10:00pm, when the sun is just barely going down.

A local bodega that specializes in their own sherry from Sanlúcar de Barrameda

50 cents for a glass of local sherry? Yes please!

This is how light it is at 9:50pm.  Soon people start to wander to their dinner destination, if they don't just choose to continue eating tapas all night :)

After wine and paella, it's time to either walk back home (if there's work in the morning), or it's time to wander some more for drinks, dancing, and socializing.  It's not uncommon here to see children out until midnight, especially on the weekends, and whole families are eating and spending time together everywhere you look.  To me, this is a country with the right priorities.  As I've always said, and as now I've heard in Spain, life's philosophy should always be "work to live, don't live to work".  Take time for family.  Enjoy your food and drink.  Drink to enjoy the drink, not to get drunk.  Above all else, Relax!

¡Viva España!