Gibraltar

As we docked in Gibraltar we pulled alongside a large cliff. We looked out our window and wondered if this was THE Rock of Gibraltar. It was! Gibraltar is a tiny country on the southern tip of Spain. There is an airport runway separating the two countries. There is a road that crosses the runway that takes you to Spain but you better be careful to heed the stoplights or you will not make it there in one piece. Gibraltar is built on the hillsides up the cliffs. The roads are narrow and winding. No large vehicles here – lots of tiny strange looking cars and mopeds. If you want to get to the top of the Rock the best way is the cable car. So on a cool but clear morning we boarded the cable car and made it to the top! Even though we rode the cable car up, there were still a lot of steps to finally get to the viewing area. Of course there was a restaurant and souvenir shop called the Top of the Rock up there as well. The first things we saw as we climbed up to the top were the famous Barbary apes! The apes live on the rock and are protected by the government. We had been warned to avoid carrying food or wearing anything loose or dangly that might attract their curiosity. Also there were signs posted saying not to feed them or face a stiff fine. These tailless apes were not afraid of all the people and really checked us out. They went wherever they wanted to and looked at us like “this is my turf so get away”! Several people had their hats taken by the monkeys and a couple people who got in the way when they were climbing or jumping found themselves with monkeys on their backs. I can now honestly say how it feels to have a monkey on my back because one jumped on me! He jumped right off so it was no big deal, just gave me a surprise. The apes were cute and cuddly and I wanted to hold them but of course did not. The babies were really cute. It was really fun to watch them. All the monkeys have names and are cared for by the government so they looked fat and happy. Most of my Gibraltar pictures are of monkeys!! Anyway, at the top of the Rock the views were spectacular and we could see the strategic importance of this piece of land and why so many battles have been fought to control it. We were told that though Gibraltar is currently a British protectorate, Spain would like it back and negotiations between the two governments occur periodically. The residents have voted repeatedly not to become part of Spain so Gibraltar will stay as it is for now. At one point we went inside the Rock and toured one of the Great Siege Caves built in the days of Admiral Nelson and used again and expanded during WWII. We also went to the southernmost tip of the country and stood at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, looking across a short distance to Africa and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The Atlantic seemed to be calling to us as that is the way home.