#vq-2

Two Douglas EA-3B Skywarriors from Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 2 (VQ-2) fly past Gibraltar.

Photographed by PH3 Franklin P. Call, USN., on June 20, 1991.

Good morning!  Buenos Dias!

There is unfortunately not much that I remembered between the 3rd and 5th of June 2002, so today's story may cover all three days.

On Monday the 3rd June 2002, my father had an appointment about 10 AM at the NAVSTA base.  We had to pick him up about 3 PM at the southeast entrance of the US Navy base NAVSTA, at Cintura de Fuentebravia and Calle de la Guayaba.  That was the entrance that I even remember back in 1977, walking right out of the base - not knowing any better at age 5, and of course my parents being very consternated, but security there has tightened so much since then.  

That morning we woke up at 7 AM, had breakfast and we took my father to the NAVSTA base checkpoint at the east side, just off A-491.  At the checkpoint, even though everyone had their passports, only my father was allowed in.  We would pick him up from the same entry port about 3 PM.

I had some shopping to do at the Carrefour which was located at Centro Comercial El Paseo.  This was the same location that I remember going to in the 1970s but it had been built up over the 25+ years that we were away.  At the Carrefour, in the electronics department, I bought some extra rolls of 35 mm film and batteries for my camera.  I cannot remember what else I would have bought there.  I definitely did not find any new music by A-Ha.

Unfortunately that particular evening I cannot remember where we ate supper, I think it may have been in Rota, just southwest of NAVSTA.  

Tuesday the 4th June 2002 we woke up, had breakfast and checked out of the hotel.  We had tickets to the 11 AM performance at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.  It is next door to the Bodegas Sandeman sherry production.  The Equestrian art is basically a show of synchronizing up to ten equestrians in a row and marching in an orderly pattern.  Sometimes the horses will use only their hind legs upon direction of the human, and it's kind of a contest to see how long the horse will walk only on their hind legs.  The human riders wear pointy black hats, grey blazers with big black buttons, and black trousers.  In attendance I think there were about five hundred people.  And maybe 100 liters of Sandeman sherry sold that day, if not more.  

We stopped by the Bodegas Sandeman before returning to the car, and I drove along the Duque de Abrames to the A4 and went northbound, past the airport "XRY", where the A4 joined the AP-4 toll road.  I drove along the AP-4, stopping once to use the "aseos" and another time to pay the 5 Euro toll at Las Cabezas de San Juan.  I drove about 120 km/h on the AP-4 until Dos Hermanas, and then I had to take the A-398 to Carmona, where we would spend the night at our last Parador hotel with half-pension.  Carmona is similar to Arcos de la Frontera.  Its city center is on a hill, and those who have never been there before will have some difficulty driving uphill.  I drove to the Parador at Puerta de Marchena.  From there, that was the last time I had driven in Europe until April 2005.

We checked into the Parador, put our luggage in the rooms and then we walked into town for some sightseeing.  Supper would not be ready until past 8 PM.  We saw the Alcázar de la Puerta de Sevilla, Ermita de San Antón, and Plaza Blas Infante.  Some of the buildings along the way looked like the white paint had faded and the grey was poking out.  Going back to the hotel, the view towards Puente Romano and farther east, was very nice.  It had rained earlier that day but it stopped.

By the time 8 PM came around, we went back to the hotel to have supper.  We had the fixed-price menu as part of our half-pension rate.  Of course this included a bowl of gazpacho and diced vegetables.  And I could not say no to the iberian ham, steak or tocino de cielo.  We went to bed around 10 PM.  We would have to catch a plane about 11 AM for Madrid T3 and bring the car back to the Sevilla airport.

I hope you will join me for tomorrow's adventure.  Please bear in mind that there are a maximum of three stories left and I will turn 30 years old on Friday the 6th June 2002.