Weekly Topics/Archive
June 2014
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We bought fruits like peach at the supermarket in front of the hotel and
ate them in the car
to take vitamin C as usual.
We have looked round three supermarkets in Spain till now.
Though we don't choose particular ones, they are good at displaying their
articles for sale
at either fruit department.
It may be because many colorful fruits are displayed .
Anyway, the department is bright and they look very delicious.
I will come to want to buy them.
[Note] look round；見物する，article for sale ； 商品，fruit department ；果物売場
come to want to buy ～；～を買いたくなる
At 9:20AM, we leave the hotel for Rueda Village by car.
We arrived at Rueda in 10 minutes or so.
Our aim is to visit a winery here.
Vineyard extending all around |
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Before we go any further, we have time for breakfast.
We entered a cafe in the village.
There are many local people who use it.
[Note] Before someone go any further ； 何はともあれ，とにかく，vineyard ；ブドウ畑
According to Rueda's information site, the Rueda region stands 700 to 800 meters above sea-level and consists
of plains, with very long and cold winters, and dry, hot summers.
And also it has the continental climate with a significant difference between
day and night temperature.
The soils are rich in calcium and magnesium, stony but easy to farm, with
good draining.
Like this, Lueda has an environment suited to the growth of grapes.
White grapes have been cultivated since early times.
So Rueda is one of the representative district of Span producing white
wine involving Verdejo.
The winery we will visit has yet to be decided and we don't have any information
about it.
So we visited the village office to get information about it.
[Note] ～ meters above sea-level； 海抜800m，plain ; 平原， draining； 水はけ
since early times； 昔から，Verdejo；ヴェルデボ(ワインの銘柄)
Off course, Bruce-san who is fluent in Spanish asked a office staff about
it.
He gave the information to us in a kindly manner and also made an appointment
with a winery for us.
I guess the winery in the village keeps an open house for tourists.
The visit to the winery is scheduled for 1PM.
We decide to visit the local Catholic Church to fill up the time.
We visited a local priest to have him show us around the church.
I don't remember the church's name but it has the church with a majestic
altar.
It seems to be due to the abundant wine money to the village.
[Note] be fluent in ～；～に堪能である昔から，make an appointment with ～；～に予約をとる
keep an open house for ～； (人)の訪問をいつでも歓迎する
fill up the time ；時間を潰す，show someone around ～； (人)を～に案内して回る
altar ； 祭壇，be due to ～； ～によるものである
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| At Catholic Church in Rueda |
After that，we were invited by the priest to a cafe for coffee.
He changed his career from a school teacher and can speak English.
He is quite a intellectual like us.
He may have been hungry for speaking English.
He had a good conversation with Bruce-san.
He was the priest who is full of intellectual curiosity that he wants to
have a conversation with people
all over the world and know about various cultures.
He snapped a shot with us before saying goodbye.
[Note] change one's career ； 転身(職)する，quite a ； なかなかの，相当な
intellectual ； 知識人、 be hungry for ～； ～に飢えている
have a good conversation with ～ ； (人)と会話が弾む
intellectual curiosity； 知的好奇心，snap a shot with ～ ； ～と一緒に写真に納まる
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| At the cafe with the priest |
We got to a winery called BODEGAS MOCEN(ANTANO) at just noon.
It has a fancy front desk.
It seems that a female front-desk clerk can't speak English.
She called a young guy in charge of export for us.
He was kind enough to show us around the winery with her for about two
and a half hours.
[Note] front-desk clerk； フロント係， in charge of ～； ～担当の
be kind enough to do ～; 親切にも～する
According to this young man, he has been to Japan for business and has
been delivering wines
to Michelin starred restaurants and hotels in Japan.
He talked to us that sushi in Ginza was great.
The following is an underground winery.
The wines have been matured in the temperature-controlled stainless-steel
tanks.
[Note] Michelin starred； ミシュランの星付きの， mature； (ワインなど)を熟成させる
This winery is in the wide grounds with 3 floors under ground at a depth
of 20 m (Max).
The following is an underground storage place for the wines.
Let me show you several photos of the underground view.
Pls click the picture to see a full-scale version.
The bottling and packaging line are completely automated.
[Note] bottling line ; 瓶詰めライン
We went out of the winery to see the vineyard.
A variety of white grape called Verdejo is cultivated.
[Note] a variety of ～ ; ～の品種
This winery was founded in 1988.
The owner is also the owner of a restaurant chain in Spain.
The original starting point is to have wanted the white wines satisfying
enough to serve at their
restaurants.
He started his career as a bootmaker and then established the winery in
his lifetime, I heard.
He is a businessman like Kounoske Matsushita in Japan.
A lot of specialized books and art works which he collected with his financial
power were displayed
its library room and exhibition room.
[Note] original starting point； 原点，出発点， start one's career as ～； ～から身を起こす
bootmaker; 靴職人， in someone's lifetime ; ～一代で， financial power; 財力
The winery's library room |
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The winery's exhibition room of art works |
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After looking around, we have enjoyed sampling a white wine and a red wine.
[Note] sample ； 試飲（食）する
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| Sampling of BODEGAS MOCEN's wines |
Real Spanish wine is super delicious!
We originally planned to stop off briefly and sample at the winery, but
actually had a fruitful visit.
We would like to thank two people of the winery for assisting us in looking
around it for a long time.
It's 2:30 PM.
Saying goodbye to the winery, we headed straight for Bilbao.
The 310 Km trip is scheduled to take about 3 hours.
[Note] head straight for ～ ； 一路 ～ へ向かう
After an hour, we got off the express highway and had a lunch break at
a restaurant
in the countryside.
At 4:10 PM, we restarted.
We decided to drive not along a toll road but a free expressway.
The following are landscapes on the way.
Pls click the picture to see a full-scale version.
The landscape is changeing around Vitoria.
The northern part of Spain may have much rain throughout the year.
We had many more occasions to see a lush area.
We get caught in a shower when we got into Bilbao.
Drops of rain began to attach to the front glass of the car.
[Note] lush area；緑が多い地域，many more; さらに多くの，get caught in a shower；シャワ－に出遭う
drop of rain； 雨滴, attach to ～; ～に付着する，lush； 緑の多い，青々とした
We got to the hotel Hostal BEGONA a little before 7 PM.
After a while, K.Tada-san arrived at the hotel from Bilbao Airport by taxi
to join us.
He joined in our cycling tour after he attended the international trade
fair in the logistic field held
in Hannover, Germany.
He is a company president who is doing his activities energetically all
over the world.
[Note] join in ～；～に参加する，international trade fair; 国際見本市
drop of rain；雨滴, attach to ～; ～に付着する，do one's activity ; 活動する | |
