I’ve heard the term “The Rock of Gibraltar” most of my life referring to something or someone being strong & dependable. However, until you see Gibraltar, you don’t realize how impressive it is & appropriate that saying is.
It is spectacularly huge & stands out on its peninsula making everything else around it seem small & insignificant.
The other unique thing about this place is it has been a British possession since 1713 despite many failed attempts by Spain to retake it. Spain’s many failures can be directly attributed to the great efforts Britain made to continue holding it.
To enter Gibraltar, you only need your passport to walk across its border with Spain.
In all my travels, this is the first & only place I’ve ever had to cross an active airport runway to enter a country.
As soon as you cross the border, you realize you are on land that belongs to Britain.
(In America, it’s Veterans Day)
Gibraltar has one long shopping street where most shops are run by Spanish workers; but, English is the spoken language. You can pay in Euros, but you get change in British Pounds.
Interesting fact, John Lennon & Yoko Ono got married in Gibraltar on 20 March 1969 which is mentioned in the Beatles song “The Ballad of John & Yoko”- “Peter Brown called to say, “You can make it okay”, you can get married in Gibraltar near Spain…”
Many tourists take the cable car to the “Top of the Rock” like we did. Once there, you can easily see all the reclaimed land on the Western side used to accommodate most of Gibraltar’s residents which numbers around 38,000.
The views from the top are very nice. You can look out over the Mediterranean Sea & see Morocco in Africa as well as get a view all along the Spanish coastline & down to lower Gibraltar.
A second interesting fact about Gibraltar is that it is the only place in Europe where wild monkeys live.
Centuries ago, the Moors brought Barbary Macaques with them to Spain from Algiers & Morocco.
It is believed there are now 240 ea. Barbary Macaques on Gibraltar.
These monkeys are very bold & will jump on your back looking for food in your backpack. I made sure to keep my distance; but, they were fun to watch.
The British government ensures the monkeys are well fed & given good care. This maintenance may only be due to the local superstition that goes “If the apes leave the Rock, then the British will too”. During WWII, Winston Churchill did not want to risk losing strategic Gibraltar, so when the monkey population started dwindling, he personally ordered British troops to North Africa to bring back more monkeys to the Rock.
Another attraction are the tunnels built during the Great Siege of 1779-83 & even more dug during during WWII. There are over 34 miles of tunnels inside the Rock.
Supermarine Spitfire: Used for defending Malta & assembled in Gibraltar for WEIi Operation Torch (Allied invasion in North Africa)
It was fun seeing Gibraltar & touring a place that felt like a British island in Spain.
Mediterranean sunset from our hotel.
The Wanderers 