Gibraltar

     Gibraltar is an English colony on the southern coast of Spain.  The strategic strait links the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.  This strait is 36 miles long and 8 miles wide at the narrowest point.  The "Rock" is an isthmus of land 4 miles long and a half mile wide.  Most of the three square miles is taken up by a 1396 foot mountain that gives Gibraltar its nickname. 30,000 Gibraltarians live on the Rock.

     The ancients considered the Rock as part of the Pillars of Hercules that marked the end of the known world.  Great Britain took control of the Rock during the War of Spanish Succession.  In 1967 Gibraltar held a vote and the people overwhelmingly chose to remain under British rule rather than become part of Spain.  Spain has wanted control of the territory since it was lost, and in 1969 sealed the border.  This was reopened in 1985 and tourists may cross "freely".  When we visited it took an hour waiting in line to get into or out of there.

     Gibraltar is a tourist spot and this is one of the Princess Cruise ships visiting.  We were asked a couple of times if we were visiting from the ship.

     Ferrari

     This is the southern tip of Gibraltar.  It is called Europa Point.  The first pics are of some locals playing Cricket.  We watched for a while but couldn't figure out the rules.  One of these pics shows the last bit of land before the Med. 

     Here are a bunch of pics from around the rock, including a waterfall coming out of the side of the rock.

     There was a mist around the rock that day.  Breathtaking view.

     These shots are from the East side of the Rock. 

     More pics from around the town.  The last pic shows the Princess Cruise Liner leaving. 

     We took a tour of the Upper Rock Nature Preserve.  This monument is to tell the story of the Pillars of Hercules.  The pic of the plaque isn't that clear but you get the idea.  This is about half way up and the view down was impressive.

     This was Saint Michael's Cave.  These are natural caverns in the rock.  That funny looking rock is a cross section cut from a fallen stalactite.

     The Rock Apes.  These apes are indigenous to the rock and roam around freely in the upper reserve.  I was holding peanuts so they were all over me.  One of them jumped in our car and stole the bag.  Too quick for us to get a pic.

     This was carved by the Brits during their war with the Spanish.  The first pic is from outside the tunnel.  Just past the entrance to Gibraltar is the runway of the airport that crosses the entry road.  You can see half of it in this pic.  Inside the tunnel there are many cannon holes carved out the side of the rock.  The British used these to defend themselves. 

     This is an old Moorish castle.  The second pic is of a manequin set up to add to the image.  Inside is much like it was way back, with a few artifacts.  That rug was hand made many years ago.