A VISIT TO THE BRITISH COLONY OF GIBRALTAR

Greetings.

Last week I invited you to come cruise with me as I embarked on a 7 country voyage aboard Oceania’s Riviera.

I first gave you a tour of the ship here.

And then I showed you our lovely hotel in Lisbon, the Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel here.

Finally, I gave you a whirlwind tour of the city of Lisbon here.

But now it’s time to bid farewell to Lisbon and pay a visit to the British colony of Gibraltar (technically a “British Overseas Territory). As we sail the Tagus River out to sea, we get a picture perfect view from the balcony of our stateroom of the so-called Red Bridge of Lisbon.

It is one of the world’s longest suspension bridges, spanning 1.5 miles, and is often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco because of its golden red color.

Also clearly in view was the famous Catholic monument, Christ the King statue (Cristo Rei), that overlooks the city of Lisbon.

Sailors watched as we passed by, our massive (in comparison) ship dwarfing their colorful sailboat.

Little by little the Portuguese hillside towns would disappear from view as our ship made its way out to sea.

Very soon we would no longer see land, and Lisbon would be only a memory.

At 1:00pm the following day we would arrive at the Strait of Gibraltar, the body of water that is the gateway into the Mediterranean Sea. It was exciting to see the famous “Rock” come into view.

The tiny four-square-mile British Colony of Gibraltar may well be British, but geographically it is actually located on an isthmus of Spain. The British influence can be seen everywhere. In fact, the day we arrived all of the businesses, including the shops and restaurants were closed in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. I had been looking forward to eating Fish & Chips while in Gibraltar but that was not to be.

Instead we rode up the steep and winding road to the cable car base station where we would ride a cable car to the top of “The Rock”.

Once we were perched at the very summit of the Rock of Gibraltar we were afforded a magnificent and breathtaking panoramic view of the city below.  We could also see our ship moored in the harbor.

The sometimes foggy, overcast skies changed rapidly at our vantagepoint, making some photos clearer than others.

From the other side of the cable car station one got a view of the complete opposite side of the rock known as Catalan Bay. Located on the outskirts of the city, this bay houses a beachfront resort and a small fishing village.

But we were not the only ones enjoying the view. Here we got up-close-and-personal with Gibraltar’s oldest and most respected inhabitants, The Rock Apes.

We enjoyed our encounter with these tailless monkeys that roam freely all around the area that is thick with tourists who keep them well fed.

We were warned to be mindful of them, as they delight in shiny objects and if you’re not careful, could snatch a necklace right off your neck.

As we made our way on foot along the rocky promontory we were charmed by this mother and her cute little offspring. We were told that these Barbary Apes are a unique breed found only in Gibraltar.

We also learned that Gibraltar is a great place for birdwatching, as many different types of birds use Gibraltar as a migratory stopping point.

The 1400 foot high Rock of Gibraltar is made of limestone that is riddled with many caves. In fact, the remains of pre-Neanderthal humans were found inside the rock. Part of our tour included a visit to what is known as Saint Michael’s Cave, which winds down some 700 feet into The Rock.

The large upper hall, once used as a military hospital, is now outfitted with stadium seating and is used for concerts. Can you imagine how wonderful the acoustics must be in there?

Owing to its strategic location, Gibraltar has had a turbulent past. Over the centuries it has been controlled first by the Phoenicians, then the Greeks, the Romans, Muslims, Moors, Spanish, Dutch and finally the British. Lord Nelson, who protected British interests during what’s known as the “Great Siege”, did so from a maze of tunnels that contained fortified battlements inside The Rock.

We visited the Great Siege Tunnels where the remains of past battles are on display.

The Rock was used in a very ingenious way, as a fortress to fight off invaders.

The labyrinth of tunnels were excavated during the Great Siege between 1779 and 1783, and some of the fire power from the day is still on display.

There are a number of other things to do and see in Gibraltar, including a museum about the Great Siege, a crystal factory, etc., all of which we missed because we visited on a holiday.

So there you have it: A VISIT TO THE BRITISH COLONY OF GIBRALTAR 

Stay tuned, as in my next post we will visit the very exotic city of Casablanca, Morocco.

Thanks for dropping in!  Do please leave a comment below.  I’d love to hear from you!

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