We'd scheduled a local tour for Gibraltar before boarding the ship. Our little party of six plus two extras met our driver on the dock and went out for about three hours on a van trip around the island. Gibraltar is a British territory on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula.
Lighthouse
Memorial to Wladyslaw Sikorsky, Commander in Chief of the Polish army, who was killed in a plane crash under suspicious circumstances just off the coast.
Mom
This is our guide, Luigi, who was quite informative and interesting. He knew a great deal about the history and politics of the region and was very vocal in his hatred of the Spaniards because Franco had blockaded Gibraltar for most of Luigi's youth. According to Wikipedia, "The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians overwhelmingly rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum and again in 2002. Under the Gibraltar constitution of 2006, Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defence
and foreign relations, remain the responsibility of the UK Government."
The Rock
Barbary apes
We were told that tourists in the past were allowed to touch and feed the apes but these days it is frowned upon. We'd also heard they would climb on people and attempt to "steal" things from you but none of them approached us.
The government provides a feeding area with fruits and vegetables in it so there is no need for tourists to bring food.
Luigi told us that the ape population gets out of hand sometimes and some of the "troublesome" apes have been sent off to other countries.
Looking down on the city
We also toured some WWI tunnels that are quite extensive. There are apparently many tunnels throughout Gibraltar.
The Moorish Castle
And what visit would be complete without seeing some weapons from the 1800s??! :)
After our tour, we wandered around town for a bit.
Having lunch on the square
British influence
