The Rock of Gibraltar - NOT in Spain

 

Gibraltar is in the UK. What a surprise! In other words, there's an international border between our 1st and 2nd stops on our vacation. We arrived on Easter Sunday, just north of the active airfield in Gibraltar.

See the Rock back there?

After a bit of a kerfuffle with the passport inspector, because my US passport is brand new and has no stamps in it, which led to, "How did you get into Europe?" and "Here, look at my Norwegian passport", we dragged our suitcases to the tarmac. The gates were closed, and we all admired the sign saying "Walk in a straight line. Do not stop. Do not run in front of the airplanes." Suddenly, a jet takes off right in front of us! Too surprised to take a snapshot. They opened the gates and we crossed to the other side.

First view of town after the airfield

We didn't have small change for the bus, so we walked. Gibraltar is much more densely packed than I expected. A lot of the land is reclaimed from the sea. The buildings are tall, stone, and seemed to be built around World War II. It was windy, and we were glad that we couldn't catch a ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar. We'd have been seasick!

Since we're in the UK, we had to have an English breakfast, fish 'n chips, and high tea! Don't you love travel-eating?

The Rock of Gibraltar, according to my memory of insurance ads from my childhood, is supposed to be "solid". But actually, we humans have been tunneling through it until it's as solid as Swiss cheese. A lot of the rocks dug out during World War II tunnel-building were used to build the land on the outside of the sea wall, called Line Road. When we toured the tunnels, wearing helmets, it was amazing.

Besides the human-caused holes in the Rock, there's St. Michael's Cave. Full of stalactites, they have bathed it in ever-changing color.

Looking downwards, a looong way down

Outside again, we got to the top. What a view! They have Barbary macaque monkeys, who are cared for by the community. They are fed twice a day, have veterinary checkups, and look sleek and healthy. Do Not Carry Food around there, because like your dog, they want your human food. 

Neal got a close-up of this macaque

Posing in front of the Straits of Gibraltar

Panorama looking west toward Spain

One last stop, coming down the Rock, had a lighthouse, a monument to Sikorsky, and a brilliant white mosque.

We went into a beautiful cathedral on Easter Monday. It was covered in flowers. I lit a candle for Grandma, as I always do during cathedral visits. 

About this time, my suitcase started disintegrating. The pull-up handle had one of its legs pull up right out of the base! A friendly British tourist helped me fix it. We had a friendly talk about UK cello-tape versus US duct tape before parting ways.

The exhibit that I really wanted to see was about Gorham's Cave Complex. Neal went to a beach, while I toured the Gibraltar National Museum, where they have a wonderful exhibit about "Nan and Flynn", two Neanderthals recreated from the bones found in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The last known habitation of Neanderthals in Europe! Around 7000 years ago. But there are signs of human life there from 55,000 years ago. No pictures could be taken in the museum, but if you click on my museum link, you can see Nan and Flynn. They do not look like the heavy-browed cave men we imagined in my childhood, but instead look like someone you could get to know. 

I'll finish off with some outstanding street art.

Our last night, we were treated to a beautiful sunset.