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| Gibraltar Pilot Boat |
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| For the Geographically challenged....here we are |
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| The Rock! |
The Peninsular of Gibraltar with its iconic rock formation
is a little piece of ‘Britain’ at the southernmost point of Europe, where only
about 8 miles separate Europe from Africa. Today one could see the Atlas
Mountains and the African coast from the top of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Subject of bloody battles, drawn out bitter sieges,
political manoeuvring, and occupation by various nations of Europe and long
simmering resentments even to this day, the Rock stays immutable. It is said
that archeologists have found evidence in Gorman’s Cave located in the Rock of Gibraltar
of Neanderthal occupation dating 120,000 years back. First recorded residents
were the Phoenicians in the 10th century. 18th Century
saw the Treaty of Utrecht, signed during the Spanish Succession Wars, which
ceded the territory to Britain.
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| Coat of Arms, with the Gibraltar Castle and Key to the City at the bottom |
The border between Andalucía, Spain, and British Gibraltar
(they are British citizens there, but have an independent government) is just
north of the Gibraltar Airport. Depending on the political climate of the day,
it is either an easy crossing for travellers or it may prove a bureaucratic
nightmare lasting hours and hours, with the Spaniards doing most of the
bureaucratic delay tactics.
Greeks assumed that navigable waters stopped at the Pillars
of Hercules, which was the ancient name of the two points at either side of the
Strait of Gibraltar.
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| Rock Inhabitant |
The monkeys don’t care. Called Barbary Macaques, tail less
monkeys of debatable origin, they live on Gibraltar a life of luxury and
unpunished pickpocketing. They are fed fruit and vegetables each day by the ‘ape
keepers’ and they try to supplement their diet with junk food, which unwary
(but warned) visitors carry along with them. Sunglasses, backpacks, cameras,
anything looking like plastic bags….all are desirable booty for these half
tame, half wild creatures.
The rock is a maze of tunnels, which were dug during the
siege but mostly during the 2nd World War, to defend the territory
against invasion from the north (Spain) and attacks from the Sea.
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| Just beyond the runway...Spain |
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| Just beyond the Strait - Africa |
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| Sheer Cliffs of Gibraltar |
I disembarked early from Prinsendam, which – being almost
empty of fuel and water – listed heavily to port. All remaining liquids had
been pumped into port bunkers to make room for re-loading of more of the same
here in Gibraltar. Elevator doors did not want to stay open; everybody seemed
to be favouring the downhill leg, anything round rolled downhill.
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| Listing quite noticeably... |
The town of Gibraltar itself is immensely walkable; however
there are fleets of taxis and a very efficient commuter bus service around town.
A cable car whisks visitors to the top of the rock, where most of the area is
declared a Nature Reserve with plentiful flora and the well-known ‘primate’
fauna.
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| Bangers and Mash??? |
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| Central Square - people watching at its best |
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| 'Local' Beer, brewed in the Isle of Man in the English Channel - with Hops from Gibraltar... |
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| Typical Gibraltar Side Street |
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| English Pub with Mediterranean Flair |
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| British Gibraltar to the last mascot! |
An eclectic mix of English/Irish Pubs, red mail drops and
telephone booth sit side by side with Iberian and Arabic shops, bars and cafes
make for a pleasant city. Even Marks and Spencer has a store there - how more
British can one be. Souvenir shops are
stuffed with plush monkeys of every colour imaginable, mimicking the population
of the real thing up high on top of Gibraltar Rock in all but colour.
