After Palma we set sail to Gibraltar. Now I know a lot of people go for holidays to Gibraltar, and its got beaches, lots of sun and cheap booze, but I have to admit, I didn't like it! It just felt strange to me. Here it is, a big rock and surrounding land (a lot of it reclaimed from the sea) packed with white houses and biggish apartment blocks. There are palm trees all over the streets, and bougainvillea tumbling down balconies obviously a Spanish ambience, and then you come across a red British post box, or one of the old red telephone boxes In the High Street, there is Mothercare, Marks and Spencer, plus WH Smiths and other British High Street Stores, but in between, and seemingly every other shop is cameras and electronic stuff, leather goods, or alcohol is every shape or form. And cheap. Very cheap. I did indulge myself and buy a leather bag, small, just what I need when I don't want to take my ordinary big bag (purse to you across the pond!)
Approaching the Rock at dawn was spectacular!
We did take a tour of the Rock. The views were amazing, and it was very interesting to hear about the history. The Rock itself is honeycombed with tunnels, made by successive armies, linking natural caves etc. It was used as a Hospital in WWII and as a shelter for the inhabitants when it was bombed.
That's our ship down there! And Spain across the Bay
We saw the Apes, well you couldn't avoid them! They knew tourists fed them (although we were asked not to!) and were all over the mini-coaches before the driver had even got the brakes on!
The caves were enormous, big enough for a concert hall inside! I didn't go inside, but Mr.G did.
And it was very hot there. We needed a restorative sit-down and cold drink! (No, that's not us over there!)
I was going to add Lisbon jottings, but it would make this post too long, so you will have to wait until next time!
3 comments:
Sun c h beautiful and precious photos of what had to have been a most wonderful trip with tremendous memories!
Aha - so it was you two causing a kerfuffle in Gibralter was it! haha Your photos are great - but I'm not keen on the monkeys xxxx
That WAS really spectacular, approaching it in the dark. Too bad you were disappointed. Cheap electronics. Seems like that kind of junk is invading practically everywhere.
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