'The Rock '
For a small patch of ragged peninsula no more than 3 miles long and 1.5 miles at its widest, this piece of land has certainly garnered more attention than comparable dusty reaches of this planet. The main reason ofcourse is attributed to its strategic location.
Wanting to catch up on sleep & a relaxing breakfast off the back patio of the ship, we set off to discover Gibraltar a bit later than usual
A spectacular view of the coast of Spain from the Cable Car Top Station
In the distance - the African coast line, its nearest city being Tangier & outlines of the rest of the shores of Morocco are almost within view on a clear day
To the right & across the Bay is the coastline of Algeria
Looking back to the Bay of Gibraltar & observation station
..where are we?? ..got a bit lost ..even though its just a small rock, several forks and paths do lead to other lookouts or attractions (St. Michael's cave or lighthouse)
To mounted a challenge for ourselves to reach there and back within the remaining couple of hours, the summit of O'Hara's battery - the highest point and protector of the Strait - Tom was wasting no time to navigate our hiking paths...lol..
The Barbary Apes guard The Rock. According to the Brits Gibraltar will remain British only as long as the apes stay on The Rock. So the Brits caretakers feed them daily and whisk them to a Royal Naval Hospital when they're ill. Apparently, these tailless macaque monkeys were brought to The Rock by African Moors who actually lived here for more than 700 years. Prior to the Moorish, Vandals and Visigoths claimed their place after the Romans' Julius Caesar's rule & Phoenicians back in 950 BC. Relative to that history, the Brits only had this place since 1713 via a treaty with Spaniards who rule for about 240 years.
To this guy (left) everyone is suspect --- trespassers all !!
They resemble the darker furred macaques we saw in Zhangjiajie & during our hikes in Tianmen, China
A look back down towards the Bay of Gibraltar
Here are the remnants of WWII military installations and a defensive tunnel described as 'worthy of the Romans'
The Battery is the highest point of Gibraltar @ 1400 feet where prominently still stands a gun 9.2" that had the ability to fire a range of 19 miles into the Strait, close enough in theory to reach the coast of Africa
Finally reached our destination ...hallelujah - this rock has been hiked!!
Strolling through the main pedestrian streets of Gibraltar .. British patriotism for this patch of land is notable due to the formidable fortress she once was
my favorite caviar & hamachi and salmon tartars with the fresh 'yamamomo'
delicious assorted mushroom soup from a delicate cast iron tea kettle
wonderful creme brulee with triple flavors ( ginger, passion fruit with kiwi, pomegranate)
Back on the ship, we certainly worked up an appetite for NOBU's sushi fare @ The Silk Road
