We started our day with a tour called Upper Rock Walking Tour. Gibraltar from the ship was very beautiful; a small island with the large rock at the north end being the focal point. Our tour guide was Jill, a transplanted Brit, who was enamored of Gibraltar and let us know it many times throughout the day. We took a short van ride to the cable car which then took us on a 6-minute ride to the top of the rock, with the 360 degree view of Gibraltar and the Barbary apes. We had been cautioned over and over about the apes; they steal, they latch on to your clothes, they bite. We saw dozens of these cute creatures, all the way from small babies to large mature males. They scurried around and posed for pictures but none of them misbehaved.
Gibraltar is a UK territory but it borders Spain and from the top of the rock we could see the border crossing. An airplane runway separates the countries, with a road intersecting the runway. When a plane is approaching to land or preparing for takeoff, the traffic is stopped until the plane is safely on the ground or in the air, then it can resume.
Our next adventure was St. Michael’s Cave which was discovered centuries ago in the rock. Now they have artistic performances inside one of the large “rooms” that had served as a hospital in WWII.
Then we went to the Siege Tunnels that were carved into the rock in 1779 to defend Gibraltar against Spain, France and England and were again used in WWII.
Our tour ended in the quaint town square. It was a cool but sunny day so we ducked into a café to have a cappuccino and then walked for an hour or so, window shopping, taking pictures and greeting all of our shipmates who were doing the same.
Back on the ship they had a sail away party called the “garage sail away”. Passengers who had bought things they regretted or just had things they wanted to get rid of brought them up to the pool area where tables had been set up. Just like garage sales at home, the early birds descended and it was a mob scene but a lot of fun. The proceeds benefitted the Susan G. Koman Foundation.
Onward to Lisbon.
Gibraltar is a UK territory but it borders Spain and from the top of the rock we could see the border crossing. An airplane runway separates the countries, with a road intersecting the runway. When a plane is approaching to land or preparing for takeoff, the traffic is stopped until the plane is safely on the ground or in the air, then it can resume.
Our next adventure was St. Michael’s Cave which was discovered centuries ago in the rock. Now they have artistic performances inside one of the large “rooms” that had served as a hospital in WWII.
Then we went to the Siege Tunnels that were carved into the rock in 1779 to defend Gibraltar against Spain, France and England and were again used in WWII.
Our tour ended in the quaint town square. It was a cool but sunny day so we ducked into a café to have a cappuccino and then walked for an hour or so, window shopping, taking pictures and greeting all of our shipmates who were doing the same.
Back on the ship they had a sail away party called the “garage sail away”. Passengers who had bought things they regretted or just had things they wanted to get rid of brought them up to the pool area where tables had been set up. Just like garage sales at home, the early birds descended and it was a mob scene but a lot of fun. The proceeds benefitted the Susan G. Koman Foundation.
Onward to Lisbon.
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