Friday, July 06, 2012

Gibraltar

Hello from a very very wet UK!

I made a little mistake ... after Casablanca ... we set sail for the beautiful city of Cadiz ... but you wont mind if I skip the order and bring you Gibraltar today will you?
Now I warn you that there are a LOT of pictures ... 
Unfortunately as we sailed into port we hit thick fog ... Gibraltar looked very spooky ... like it had been bombed ...


This was all that was visible in the haze
To be honest it was so warm and I was pretty glad that the day was overcast ... it gets so uncomfortable walking around in the heat ... you have to understand we Brits are not used to heat ... It's the 6th July and the temp is about 60℉ 
Though I have been to Gibraltar before ... I had never actually been up the "Rock" so we took a tour bus and first headed up the rock stopping at this lovely Lighthouse


You can still see the mist and even this little guy decided to stay on land


This lighthouse faces a beautiful Mosque which cost £8m


You may be able to see what look like caves in the rock ... there are lots of caves ... but during WW2 Guns were installed in the Rock for defence ... there are also lots of tunnels which housed hundreds of troops ... we took a trip to one of the caves ... St Michael's cave ... where the acoustics are amazing and concerts are held ...



Just look at the amazing stalagmites and stalactites ... there were 69 steps to get out of here .. it is quite dark so I apologise for the poor shots
One of the highest points on the Rock stands the ruins of a Moorish castle or fort ... built in 711 AD ... the Moors occupied Gibraltar for around 710 years


Terrific view!
But by far ... the highlight for me was meeting the famous monkeys that inhabit the Rock


It is said that if these guys ever leave the Rock ... Then Gibraltar must be handed back to Spain ... needless to say they are the best looked after monkeys in the world! With a vet visiting every day


... and the cheekiest ... we laughed at how they pinched tissues and things from the visitors and jumped on unsuspecting people ... this guy was so laid back about it all ... inviting photo opportunities


The females had recently given birth and for the first time ever there was a set of twins born ... Just look at this cutie


Of course there is the shopping


And I love to shop ... That little tote was so handy


Many British shops here ... Marks & Spencer, Next, Peacocks, Bon Marche ... and even  an Apple store
Electrical goods Like most things in Gibraltar are much cheaper than back home ... hence my hubby treated himself to an iPad ... saved around £100
For those who don't want to shop ... there are lots of pubs, bars and historical places to visit ... even a cable car ... and canon's for the boys!


All too soon we returned to the ship ... where the RAF gave us a brilliant air display ... made my husbands day!

Gibraltar is not everyone's cup of tea ... my brother was stationed there for a few years whilst serving in the Royal Navy so maybe I have an affinity to it ... 
You can walk across right into Spain, the weather is lovely, there is no unemployment, no rape, pickpockets, muggings, murders, no illegal immigrants, goods are cheap ... what more could you want?

Have a lovely day ... I hope you enjoyed a little more of my trip

Till soon

~ Ros ~















17 comments:

jacirascrap said...

Que viagem maravilhosa, mesmo com a neblina assustadora, mas refrescante!! Belas cavernas também!

cnelson said...

Thank you so much for "taking me on vacation with you"! LOVE these pics!

Sylvia said...

More fabulous pictures, Ros, I love the monkeys for sure, but the caves are magnificent! That is where they filmed the Guns of Navarone isn't it? Such wonderful history in these Mediterranean countries, going back forever. I imagine you slept well at the end of the day! Have a wonderful Friday evening!

Sue Lelli said...

More FAB and interesting photos, Ros! I, too, LOVE the monkey photos! THX for sharing!

Michelle said...

Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures, Ros! The cave is awesome! I am just itching for a vacation!

Unknown said...

What fabulous photos. I am so glad you are sharing them with us. That first photo with the fog looks so cool to me. I would have loved to see in person..

Hugs~

Kirsty Vittetoe said...

Wonderful photos and I love reading about your trip. One more thing, I love light houses!!!!! Thanks for sharing!

Heidi said...

Gorgeous photos!
Thank you for sharing:)
Hugs, Heidi:)

Tracy said...

Great pics Ros! Those monkeys were too funny. That concert cave is awesome. I might be worried about those "cave decorations" coming loose though. LOL Glad this part of the trip turned out better for you. Hugs!

Unknown said...

What a fabulous trip to Gibraltar Ros, such lovely photos, especially of the cave. I'm very fond of Gibraltar, such a special place this is. Nice to hear your DH saved so much on his ipad, he must have been so pleased like you are with your bag ;-)
irascreacorner.blogspot.com

Mona Pendleton said...

WoW Ros! Thanks for taking us on your trip with you! ALL of these photos are beautiful! The caverns look magnificent!

Deb Hickman said...

I'm just loving take a trip around Europe with you. Great photo's, a cruise is certainly the way to visit so many fabulous places. Deb xxx

Anonymous said...

What an exciting looking holiday - love seeing other peoples pics! Your bag looks very designer ;-). Hope you're enjoying this weird English weather right now!

Barbara said...

Gibraltar sure is a strange place... Loved to see it in your pictures. So finally there's a destination with monkeys that you don't need to keep away from - if they're so well taken care off they are not likely to have rabies like in other places!

Lynnda said...

Lovely photos...thanks for sharing with us Ros... hugs...xoxo

Suzanne C said...

What beautiful pictures and lovely description. A mini vacation for me!

Jinny Newlin said...

Love, love, LOVE the pics, Ros! Sounds absolutely divine! Aw... to travel someday. It's one of my dreams!