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The
Rock of Gibraltar. A British dependency commanding the
Western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. The Rock is composed of
Jurassic limestone, rising to 1,396 ft above sea level, with area of
2.3 sq miles. The Barbary Ape, the only wild monkey of Europe, lives here. |
Our
first view of Gibraltar |
As
we had all been back aboard on time in Casablanca we left early, so
making it to Gibraltar at 11am instead of 1pm which was nice. The
wind was strong and the water very choppy, so unfortunately the
Dolphin Trip we had booked on Nautilus
IV was cancelled.
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We
had also booked a tour of The Rock online, with John of |
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I
gave him a call to see if he could manage to fit in the tour earlier
than planned; yup, no problem, and by the time we had sauntered down
to the dock entrance, he was just driving in. Off the 8 of us went
for a great
tour! Having lived in Gibraltar all his life, there isn't anything or
anybody John doesn't know. We got a full commentary and plenty of
detail about all the places we visited and stopped at. |
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Gibraltar
Welcome Monument
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The
1½hr tour was nearer the 2½hr mark by the time he finished
talking:) We started by driving to the Frontier with Spain, across
the runway, which extends into the sea to the west and to the
coastline to the east. Past the model of the Port Sergeant holding
the Keys of Gibraltar, and then back through the town to Europa Point
and on up to the Pillars
of Hercules, the end of the ancient world, where the
Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco is a mere 14½
miles across The Straits of Gibraltar. |
Vrrrrmm...... |
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Pam
having a Massage |
We
continued up to The Upper Rock and St
Michael's Cave, one of Europe's most dramatic natural
grottos with its entrance 300 feet above sea level, and then on to
the Apes Den.
From here you can see both the eastern and western faces of
Gibraltar, Morocco and across to Algeciras in Spain. The Barbary Apes
are a tailess breed of monkey, quite tame, greedy, and watch out for
your belongings. They like jumping on your shoulders too; I had a
succession of 3! They
are a symbol of British Sovereignty; if they go, the British will
leave Gibraltar. |
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The
final stop was at The
Great Seige Tunnels, part of a labyrinth of tunnels, one
of the most impressive defence systems devised by mankind inside The Rock.
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Over
the Airport, to the Frontier & Spain Beyond |
Through
the cannon embrasures in the tunnels there are some great views to
be had.
Black
Watch |
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It
was then back down through the town, past the Register Office, where
John & Yoko were married, to the Cruise Terminal for lunch aboard
Black Watch. We all thoroughly enjoyed the tour and wouldn't hesitate
in recommending Gibraltar
Rock Tours to anyone wanting a good insight of The Rock.
The
afternoon was spent shopping in Main Street, followed by a Red,
White & Blue Night aboard. On departure the winds were very
strong and we were warned to be careful on deck and to watch the
doors once we were out of the shelter of land.
Gibraltar
just before we said Farewell |
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Cruise
Intro
