Day 5
Today we headed out at 9:00 AM for the Rock of Gibraltar
– British territory in the surrounded by Spain. In 1713, Spain relinquished control of Gibraltar
to Great Britain in the Treaty of Utrecht and has remained a British possession
since then. After the American Revolutionary
War Spain, with the help of France attempted to regain control of the rock,
believing that Britain’s army and resolve had been weakened by the war. Despite a 4-year siege, Britain was able to
maintain control of the small piece of land.
Its location makes it a very strategic piece of property, as “the rock”
guards the Strait of Gibraltar which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the
Atlantic Ocean and separates the southernmost tip of Europe from the continent
of Africa. The ride was only one hour up the coast on another beautiful day. We
parked in the Spanish town of La Linea and walked across the border.
To enter Gibraltar by car or foot, one must cross the
runway of the airport. We had to stop while a plane landed and then could proceed.
Very interesting to stand in the middle of a runway! The same thing happened on the way back as a
plane departed!
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| After entering the country, we cross the runway...after the plane lands. |
Jeff
and I split from Jenny and Pat. You can get to the top of the Rock by car,
taxi, cable car, or foot. Jenny and Pat had decided to walk and Jeff and I
decided to take the cable car.
We
proceeded through the town and down Main Street. Most of the shops were closed
because it was Sunday. We learned very quickly that we were no longer in Spain.
Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way here - they will just run right over
you if you are in the street! Good thing was that everyone speaks English here.
The cable car ride to the top, a height of 1,400
feet, was great and the views of Spain and Morocco spectacular. Once at the top
we encountered the famous Barbary Apes (really just small monkeys). They were
numerous (about 300 total), friendly, with various personalities, and very entertaining.
Especially cute was a mother and a tiny baby. |
| View of cable car halfway to the top |
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| Muchos monkees We then toured the tunnel system which was amazing. The Great Siege Tunnels were begun in the late 1700’s by the British during the 4 year siege as the Spaniard attempted to reclaim Gibraltar. They were hand-dug using chisels, hammers, and explosives and extend into and along the face of the rock facing the sea. Their original plan was to build the tunnels and have gun placements outside of the tunnels. But, as the tunnels extended further into the rock, they realized that it was necessary to blow ventilation holes out from the tunnels to the outside to vent the gasses fro the explosives. After creating the first hole, they realized they could us these openings to place guns inside the tunnels and changed their overall plans, forming large gun placement openings along the hundreds of feet of tunnels. This tactic was largely responsible for holding off the Spanish navy and ultimately winning the war. This system of tunnels was extended much more extensively during the 20th century and was critical in controlling the Strait of Gibraltar. All together, the tunnel system consists of over 30 miles of passageways! We toured St. Michael’s Cave, a massive cave that goes deep into the rock, with beautiful rock formations, including a large underground chamber approximately 300 feet high which is used today for concerts.    We passed the Moorish Castle,which dates back to 1333, walking over 3 miles before walking down 1000 or so steps until we were down the Rock.  We then found a place for fish and chips (we are in England, you know) to eat lunch at 3:30! Yes, I have been eating lunch late everyday! 
English style phone booth (remember phone booths?)
Then
we made our way back to the resort by 7 to relax for the evening.
We sat at the pool in bright sunlight at 8:00 (the sun does not set here
until around 10:00), and then ate a late-ish dinner (again!) around 9:30. Believe it or not, in bed before midnight!!!
A British Good Night! |
