Gibraltar holiday

[diamondlil]

I really do love trying different foods, the spicier the better, although the anchovies were just simply fried crisply in a light batter then served with green olives, olive oil, wine vinegar and crusty bread.
I didn't ask what the meat was in Morrocco, I'd expect it was most likely goat, quite strongly flavoured, almost 'gamey' in taste.
The steak was the best I've ever had, all directly sourced from the Pampas (apparently you could see the certificates of import if you wanted to), and so tender and succulant...........I'll have to stop now, my tummy's rumbling!

 

[The_Thunderer]

I really do love trying different foods, the spicier the better, although the anchovies were just simply fried crisply in a light batter then served with green olives, olive oil, wine vinegar and crusty bread.
I didn't ask what the meat was in Morrocco, I'd expect it was most likely goat, quite strongly flavoured, almost 'gamey' in taste.
The steak was the best I've ever had, all directly sourced from the Pampas (apparently you could see the certificates of import if you wanted to), and so tender and succulant...........I'll have to stop now, my tummy's rumbling!

LOL... Mine too!!! I'm all for spicy foods. My wife and I went to "My Big Fat Greek Restaurant" last year. I'm not a potato kind of guy, but the potatoes they served there... DIVINE... Whatever the spice was, it was sooooo good! I even rubbed my meat in the leftover spices after I ate the potatoes! LOL.

Okay... I'll stop talking about food now.

I looked over your pics again... LOVE the ancient architecture on the fortress/castle like building... I'd love to walk along the sea wall (although I hate swimming, so NO WASHING off of it for me) that protects the harbor.

 

[alan]

Beautiful holiday Janine, thanks for sharing it. You're right, it's better seeing pics from someone you know.
I went past Gibraltar in the 80's a few times, we couldn't see it from our boat but I was there!
And thanks for including cannons! The Russian gun has a neat carriage.

 

[diamondlil]

There are more installments to come, Alan! So far only takes us to the Wednesday............and the Thursday was the best day!

 

[The_Thunderer]

I went past Gibraltar in the 80's a few times, we couldn't see it from our boat but I was there!

Really??? Did you go through the strait Alan? I didn't think the mouth of the Med was THAT wide? Looks VERY narrow on a map.

 

[alan]

There are more installments to come, Alan! So far only takes us to the Wednesday............and the Thursday was the best day!

Cool! I can wait. Post away!

Really??? Did you go through the strait Alan? I didn't think the mouth of the Med was THAT wide? Looks VERY narrow on a map.

Yep, it's the only way in other than the canal at the other end. I think it's about 9 miles wide.

 

[diamondlil]

I'm at work tonight Alan, so the next lot of photos have to wait until I'm at home, and probably after I've had some sleep!

 

[diamondlil]

The next day started off with a bit of disappointment. Because it was gibraltar's National day, when they celebrate their independence from Spain, our trip to Jerez to visit the Spanish riding school was cancelled. (None of the local tour operators were running their trips)
So, instead, we entered into the spirit of the day by dressing in red and white, I wore my Barbary ape necklace and commemorative earrings and we set out to explore. The streets were thronged with Gibraltarians deteremined to have a good time. The speech by the Chief Minister was very funny and stirring, celebrating their historical links with Britain.

 

[diamondlil]

We headed for the cable-car station and took a ride up the rock!

 

[Rich in KY]

Amazing pics, Janine!

It sounds like you had a great time!

 

[diamondlil]

Now you'll have to forgive me, because here starts the best thing about Gibraltar, meeting the monkeys!
The Barbary macaques that live on the rock are just wonderful, as long as you are sensible around them. They have become very habituated to people and will attempt to steal food at any opportunity. For this reason you are warned not to eat unless inside the restaurant or cafe up on the rock, there are heavy fines for feeding them and you will be mugged if you are carrying a plastic carrier bag! There are feeding stations where fruit and vegetables are spread out for the monkeys.
I found that by being non-confrontational and relaxed you could get right next to the monkeys without any problem at all but as you can see I was overjoyed to get so close to this mother nursing her baby.

 

[diamondlil]

Then we got to one of the feeding stations, where this little baby was upset when a taxi driver was showing off by scaring the monkeys away from his car. After the driver went, there was a lot of displaying and mutual grooming from the troup that had been chased by him.

 

[diamondlil]

As we climbed higher, we were in the cloudbase at over 1000 feet, so suddenly I understood why as well as dry scrub vegetation on the slopes there were epiphytes and mosses thriving.

 

[diamondlil]

I haven't had time to ID these plants yet. I loved the hornets' nest that Pete spotted, it was quite cool and cloudy at the time which probably stopped them being too lively to get near!

 

[diamondlil]

Next we visited St Michael's cave, galleries with magnificent stalagtites and stalagmites where there is an area where classical concerts are held. The caves held an emergancy underground hospital during World War II.
The area we visited is called the Cathedral Cave. It was breathtaking. During excavations remains of Neanderthals have been found. One of the stalagmites fell over and has been sliced through to show the structure inside.

 

[diamondlil]

After the caves, a short walk to find...more monkeys! I had a rough-and-tumbling pair rolling around my feet, and a very cheeky little girl grooming my toes and trying to steal my red scarf!

 

[diamondlil]

We walked as far as we could along the top of the rock, and could see the Gibraltar point lighthouse. The clouds started to ease off and disperse, so the lizards started coming out to bask on exposed rocks

 

[diamondlil]

Amazing pics, Janine!

It sounds like you had a great time!

I certainly did! I've got to go to sleep now, but there's more to come!

 

[snakemom1961]

Wonderful pictures Janine! Thanks for letting us live vicariously through you while you were on your vacation.

 

[diamondlil]

As part of the National Day celebrations, legendary rockers Status Quo were going to 'rock the Rock' with an open air concert. One of Pete's friends is a huge Quo fan, so we saved souvenir issues of the local papers for him and I got to be a paparrazzi with backstage photos to send him. I managed to film the opening bars of the first song too, before a security guard kicked us out!
My camera was struggling with needing the batteries recharged by now, so it kept misfiring.