There are approximately 264,000 bars and cafes in Spain. The country’s population is about 48 and a half million. That means there’s a bar or café for every 183 men, women and children. Not trying to show off my arithmetic skills, but with a population of about 29,000, that would work out to just under 160 bars and cafes here in Rota. There is a US Naval Base here, so I suspect the numbers of bars and cafes might be markedly higher.

As noted in my calculations I’ve included men, women and children, because the cafes especially are all lively watering holes filled with men, women and children. This provides a rich target for me to practice my fledgling Spanish listening skills. What I look for in a table for Carol and me is one close to a family with young children, ideally with one around the age of three. 

 There’s even a café right across from an ATM near us. I can look forward to running out of cash while here.

It’s the three-year-old that I tune into, because that’s about the age level for my current listening and speaking skills. I can happily report that I feel fluent in such statements as, “But I don’t want to go home.” “I want more gelato.” And, “I don’t have to go potty.” Carol says she feels like a young mother again, when I answer her in my newly minted Spanish speaking skills.

The main attraction of Rota’s many bars and cafes is that no outside chore, errand or activity need be undertaken without a stop off for a glass at any of these blessed establishments. We’ve yet to go food shopping without a bit of a respite of a cold white wine on the way back with our pushcart full of the week’s necessities. Looking for sandals and flip-flops? “Dos vinos blancos secos, por favor.” Sunscreen? Contact lens solution? Charcoal for our new Weber grill? Aluminum foil? A tomato? Back home, having to drive off to the local Albertsons for one of these last-minute needs would be a minor aggravation. Here, it’s cause for a minor celebration. There’s even a café right across from an ATM near us. I can look forward to running out of cash while here. 

Since we walk everywhere in Rota, there’s never a question of where to park. Plop and pour is the order of the day. The only downside might be that an officially designated weekend pub crawl now turns out feeling like a list of errands to run. Still, we soldier on.

The side benefit of living the Café Society life is all the walking we do without thinking about it. The average per day is about three to five miles, so that persistent phrase, “we’ve got to do more walking,” has all but disappeared from our daily conversation. It’s the reason why, when we return from one of these European excursions, we’ve broken even as far as weight gain is concerned.

With a six-week stint in Rota scheduled this time, we’re expecting similar results for our waistlines. And I’m hoping to improve my Spanish. I’m seeing improvement even after a week here already. When I am placing an order, be it café, grocery store or bakery, I order in Spanish. Invariably, the waiter, cashier or baker has looked at me, smiled, patted me on my head and answered me in perfect English.