Monday 22nd October - The Rock
Today was a day for the Rock of Gibraltar. We arose earlier than usual and after preparing fruit and other delicacies, we departed for the west and Gibraltar at about 10.30 a.m.
We were soon on the motorway towards La Linea which is the entry point to Gibraltar. The weather was disappointingly misty and drizzly but we had high hopes that it would improve late in the day, affording us great views from the 'Top of the Rock'. n about an hour, we were at La Linea and parked the car in an underground car park. Then we had a ten minute walk, through some shops, to the border where we had to show our passports to desultory border guards who seemed to be completely disinterested in us out or our passports. With that we were inside the British territory of Gibraltar. At this point, we had to cross the runway of Gibraltar airport. This we did and when we got to the other side, the alarms went off and the road across the runway was closed as an EasyJet plane was about to taxi to the end of the runway and then take off. We waited as the plane taxied to the west end of the runway and then took off towards the east.
We then walked into the town and found ourselves at the Grand Casemates Square where we decided to take a break at the Cornish Bakery for coffee and pastry. We sat outside and watched the, mostly tourists, wander about.
Then it was onward up Main Street which was crowded and lined with shops, mostly selling souvenirs and trinkets, some jewelry and the occasional clothes store. There were several iterations of Debenhams and one Marks and Spencer, to remind one that this was a British territory. We did have a mission to find some egg coup and a tea cozy which were missing from the ample inventory of the place at which Bill and Paivi were staying.
More or less at the end of the main street lies the funicular, cable car which takes you up to the top of the rock. We lined up waiting to buy tickets all the while being assailed by taxi drivers who wanted to drive us up to the top for the same price. We resisted their invitations and after having waited for a while, realized that we could buy tickets on line and did so on MAC's phone which allowed us to 'fast track' onto the gondola. The trip to the top was steep and uneventful with the ground below soon being shrouded in mist. At the top we were met by the famous Barbary Apes which legend says are a mark of the British presence. If the apes leave, so will the British, so it is said.
We walked around the various paths until at one point Bill was attacked by one of the larger apes who sought to get into his backpack where he/she presumably thought there was food. Shortly after, Paivi was also assaulted by an ape and MAC had to rush to her rescue. The animals can seem to be calm and disinterested in humans until they spot a bag of some sort and then, we saw several incidents where they tried to steal bags from strollers and other people's hands. Some visitors behave in a very stupid way around the animals and another, I saw, was sitting with his legs dangling over a wall below which was a sheer drop of several hundred feet.
After spending some time watching and photographing the apes, we went to the Restaurant Mons Calpe for lunch. After lunch we visited the gift shop and walked around the upper terraces where there was some lifting of the mist and more of the town and surrounding sea area was visible, before deciding to walk down to the base.
After walking a short distance we were unsure that we were walking in the right direction and decided to retrace our steps and take the next gondola down so that we could visit the Botanical Gardens.
We disembarked from the gondola and walked the short distance, up the steps to the Botanical Gardens. Here there are many different trees, plants an shrubs as well as a children's education area where there were butterfly feeding stations which attracted some colorful butterflies.
Then, we walked back down Main Street, bought egg cups and a woolly hat which will do tea cozy duty and returned across the airport runway to the car. Having paid the parking fee, MAC drove us home.
By this time, it was starting to get gloomy and we did not have time to se the sun set over the rock from the scenic spot off the main road out of La Linea.
After arriving home, MAC and Bill set off for the supermarket to get provisions for dinner. They returned and preparations for dinner proceeded apace lubricated by gin and tonics.
We dined on a delicious dish of chicken an vegetables in a piquant sauce with mashed potatoes, salad and some more vegetables, washed down with a good Spanish red wine.
We were soon on the motorway towards La Linea which is the entry point to Gibraltar. The weather was disappointingly misty and drizzly but we had high hopes that it would improve late in the day, affording us great views from the 'Top of the Rock'. n about an hour, we were at La Linea and parked the car in an underground car park. Then we had a ten minute walk, through some shops, to the border where we had to show our passports to desultory border guards who seemed to be completely disinterested in us out or our passports. With that we were inside the British territory of Gibraltar. At this point, we had to cross the runway of Gibraltar airport. This we did and when we got to the other side, the alarms went off and the road across the runway was closed as an EasyJet plane was about to taxi to the end of the runway and then take off. We waited as the plane taxied to the west end of the runway and then took off towards the east.
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| The Rock shrouded in mist |
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| The clash of cultures!! |
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| EasyJet taxies for take off |
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| The EasyJet takes off for London Gatwick Airport |
Then it was onward up Main Street which was crowded and lined with shops, mostly selling souvenirs and trinkets, some jewelry and the occasional clothes store. There were several iterations of Debenhams and one Marks and Spencer, to remind one that this was a British territory. We did have a mission to find some egg coup and a tea cozy which were missing from the ample inventory of the place at which Bill and Paivi were staying.
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| Pepe the bear enjoys his cappuccino in Grand Casemates Square |
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| Main Street, Gibraltar |
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| Main Street. |
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| A very old Queen Victoria post box. |
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| The cable car gondola arriving. |
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| Paivi & MAC in the cable car |
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| The view from the cable car in the lowering clouds |
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| Some of many ape pictures, can you spot the 'human' apes. |
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| The view from the Top of the Rock after the weather cleared a bit. |
We disembarked from the gondola and walked the short distance, up the steps to the Botanical Gardens. Here there are many different trees, plants an shrubs as well as a children's education area where there were butterfly feeding stations which attracted some colorful butterflies.
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| The Gibraltar Botanical Gardens |
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| The 'Moorish Castle' |
By this time, it was starting to get gloomy and we did not have time to se the sun set over the rock from the scenic spot off the main road out of La Linea.
After arriving home, MAC and Bill set off for the supermarket to get provisions for dinner. They returned and preparations for dinner proceeded apace lubricated by gin and tonics.
We dined on a delicious dish of chicken an vegetables in a piquant sauce with mashed potatoes, salad and some more vegetables, washed down with a good Spanish red wine.
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