I wish I could explain
how organized all the van drivers were—the road to the “Top of the Rock” was
only one lane, going one way, so the vans parked as they reached the top, let
the passengers out, then as passengers returned to the first van, it moved on
and the next van moved to the front. Passengers returned to that van and the
next van moved up. It was a very orderly
procession with no drama.
By this time, we were
beginning to see the wild “Barbary Apes,” which are actually macaques (Macaca sylvanus)—they are tailless and that is why
some refer to them as apes. They are the
only monkeys in Europe. There are about 200 macaques in Gibraltar, and they
live in six different groups. The ones near the summit are more used to humans,
but we were warned that it is against the law to feed them or touch them.
Macaque
Of course, a lady in another group nearby did
both of those things and the monkey jumped on her head and pulled her hair. I’m
not going to post the photo, but after the monkey was shooed away by a guide,
the monkey turned and mooned everyone.
They are mischievous and we were told to watch our phones, hats, and
sunglasses. Key word: wild. They are wild animals.
There is a glass skywalk at the summit,
and we walked on that for photos of the bay where Regal Princess was
moored. I was able to walk on this clear
glass after doing so in the Azores a few years ago—but I would not do the
suspension bridge! I don’t need to sway
on a bridge 1300 ft. above the sea. Not
today anyway.
The Regal Princess in port
I was awestruck by St. Michael’s Cave, a
series or network of caves created by rainwater slowly seeping through limestone rock,
gradually dissolving the rock millions of years ago. Artifacts from the Greeks,
Romans, and Phoenicians have been found here, as well as neolithic art and
skulls, dating back to 40,000 B.C.
Today the cave houses an auditorium with seating for 400, with concerts,
ballet, and other shows. As we walked
through the caves there was a beautiful immersive sound and light show with
music that highlighted the beauty of this ancient geological feature on
Gibraltar as we walked along.
A Sound and Light Program in the Cave of st.Michael
The Great Siege Tunnels show extraordinary workmanship
as they were dug out from solid limestone by the British during the Great Siege
of Gibraltar in the late 18th century. France and Spain were trying
to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American Revolutionary War.
These tunnels were built by hand, using picks, hammers, and gunpowder. There was some use of these tunnels during
World War II, meant to house a garrison of 16,000 men with water, food,
ammunition, and fuel supplies sufficient to last a year under siege.
More tunnels to explore!
Neil, our guide, said that everyone speaks about how solid
the Rock of Gibraltar is, but in reality, it is full of caves and tunnels, many
natural and many man made!
The largest artillery I have ever seen is the
100 ton gun, made around 1870! Each gun required a
crew of 35 men, including 18 men to handle the ammunition. four of these giants built by the naval authorities of Britain,
with a view toward securing their holdings, two were built for Gibraltar, while
another two were built for Malta.
100 Ton Gun
Ammo for the 100 Ton Gun
Gibraltar was well fortified!
We also saw the Moorish Castle—a medieval
fortification built by the Moors in 1160 A.D. but ransacked by the Spanish
between 1309-1333. According to
literature, it is another proud symbol of the long and colorful history of
Gibraltar.
Moorish fortfication
Europa Point is the southernmost point at the end of the Rock of Gibraltar. We could see some mountains of Morocco
here. The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque
is located in this area. It was built as a gift to Gibraltar by the late King
Fahd Al-Saud and inaugurated in 1997. It is one of the largest Mosques in a
non-Muslim country. When we passed by at
night on our way to the Atlantic, it was beautifully lit and could be seen from
afar.
TK with the Mosque in the background
Our drive continued so we could see some
beaches along Catalan Bay Neil pointed
out an almost totally submerged ship. According to news reports, in August, an
LNG tanker and a bulk carrier collided off Gibraltar, leaving the carrier
beached on the southern tip. The tanker,
loaded with steel bars and carrying over 400 tons of fuel clipped the cargo
ship. The cargo ship was carrying 215 tons of heavy fuel oil, 250 tons of
diesel fuel, and 27 tons of lube oil. All crew members were evacuated.
Apparently the ship will be salvaged next
year. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/01/europe/gibraltar-cargo-ship-vessel-collision-intl
Beached carrier from a collision a couple weeks ago
I bet not many of my readers have driven
through an airport taxi way/tarmac! We did just that! Believe it or not, the
Gibraltar airport has road that goes right over the tarmac. Neil said when the
traffic light is red, you better stop your car!!
Can you see the end of the airport runway
How did this military plane land?
A view of the airport
Cars cross the airport tarmac
The millitary plane flew off when we were back on board the ship
We learned a lot of history here, from the
Neanderthal findings, the Greeks, the Moorish army, the British naval forces
and Lord Nelson, the Great Siege, all adding up to a fine culture today.
After this fantastic tour, Neil dropped us off
in the shopping area, because none of us has had enough shopping yet. TK and I
enjoyed tasty fish and chips with dark vinegar at Roy’s Pub for lunch. I thought the cod and the coating were
comparable to the fish dinner at The Eagle in Waterford. The chips were crispy too. What more could I
ask for. TK did not agree with me 100%, but thought it was good.
Roy's Fish and Chips
Great fish!
We made our way back to the ship, a pleasant
walk. The atmosphere is definitely English with a sprinkle of Spanish. Neil
told us 15,000 people drive over from Spain to work in Gibraltar every day.
Bird of Paradise
Memorial to the Evacuation of Gibraltar
War Memorial honoring Veterans Day
TK’s Takes: The ship was late
getting to port (wind direction) and late leaving—the captain said the ship was
refueling for the sail across the Atlantic and has to be warm for better
flow. TK said steam heat is used to warm
the fuel up and that lessens the viscosity, so the fuel flows better. The
sailor knows!
TK has decided he wants another section of the
blog. This could be endless:
TK’s Pet Peeves for Today: People
who come into the theater 20 minutes late and disturbing everyone during the
Port Lecture. People who sit on the steps to the pool and no one else can get
in.
Champagne waterfall two days ago
TK enjoying the sun
TK wants to start a new game show called
"Name that Food"
Can you guess what this was called in the menu?
Sunrise on Wednesday, November 23.
