ROCKIN’ IN GIBRALTAR

Monday, November 27, 2023

Port of Gibraltar, Great Britain

Aboard the Enchanted Princess

Room Aloha 212

Sunny, 66F—another gorgeous day!

Rock of Gibraltar--2022 Cruise

 Enchanted Princess pulled into her berth in the Port of Gibraltar about 8:30 this morning, with a speck of fog covering the harbor. It did not take the sun long to uncover another beautiful port, ready for 3500 visitors!  Gibraltar’s area is 2 ½ square miles, with a population of about 34,000.  South of Spain, Gibraltar is not really an island. 

 

Gibraltar is 8.7 miles from Morocco, but darkness prevented us from seeing anything except the lights of cities tonight when we sailed away.  This site https://www.vesselfinder.com/ is a very cool site that I think our sons use to keep track of us. Have you seen this site before?  You can type in the name of the ship and you will find it.  We know that our sail to Tenerife, Canary Islands, will be a little on the rough side.

 

In the mid-1800s a skull was discovered in the area, considered to be a Neanderthal woman, signifying habitation in this area for a very long time. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar_1 ) Muslims ruled the area for 700 years, till 1462 when Spain ruled, and then British took the land in 1704.  The Spanish wanted it back and attacked the British 14 times in the 18^th century.  It is well fortified, and the British are still in charge here!

 

As in almost every port without a tour, we settled into a coffee and croissant at a café in Casements Square.  The walk from the ship was about a mile, although we could have opted to take a taxi for 3 euro each.  

Croissants and coffee at Costa Coffee

Because Gibraltar is duty-free and tax-free, it is considered to be a shopping mecca. The charming streets were full of shoppers, cruisers, and natives alike. Black Friday Week posters were on full display. Shoppers and cruisers mingled in the busy streets, and most in the old town area are traffic free. There are very polite drivers here!

Janie loves Gibraltar

We need  to post  a photo of a church everywhere we go!

Janie had to make a phone call!

Christmas shopping!

Peaceful respite

Pastry shop, no sfgoliatelle.

Black Friday Sales galore!

Casemates Square

 One of our goals was to have fish and chips—last year we ate at Roy’s and the food was good, so we decided to do a repeat. Fresh caught cod and fresh hot fries, what’s not to like?

Roy's!

Menu at Roy's--not vegetarian or vegan friendly 

Fish and chips

TK at Roy's

We did take the shuttle taxi back to the ship—that line was long, but we had the energy to wait.

 

It wasn’t long before dinner and rest.

 

Sunday, November 26: The Champagne Waterfall Event was last night—it is a special event once per cruise--staff arranges a tower of champagne glasses and the captain and director of food and beverage together start pouring champagne into the glasses.  Champagne flows for everyone!  Yesterday was a sea day so that would be the most exciting thing that happened.  Tomorrow is another sea day and we will be spending it lazily, I am sure.

Are you ready to fill the champagne glasses

with champagne?

The captain and the food and beverage manager are ready!

Cruise Director Jayson on the right.

 

TK’s Takes: He missed the monkeys this year but noticed a British Navy ship in port.  He enjoyed the risotto tonight, and wild berry cobbler.

Barbary Ape--2022 Cruise