Galavanting in Gibraltar

Gibraltar is one of those places you've heard of, but really know little about.  At least, it was for me.  But while researching southern Spain, we discovered the British Overseas Territory, located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, was just a couple of hours west from where we would be staying. In our opinion, it was worth a day-trip.  It has an area of just 2.6 sq mi and from it's famous "Rock", you can see across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa. Bob and I made the trek there with the Johnson Family on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Anticipation mounted as we neared the site.

Upon arrival, our plan was simply to take the cable car to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar, have a look around and let the kids chase monkeys. Little did we know, the monkeys would end up chasing us!  There are ruins of a Moorish castle and military forts atop the rock.  Tunnels inside the rock were used for ammunition and other storage as well as housing of soldiers during World War II.  We did not take time to see all that is there.

Gibraltar Barbary macaques are considered by many to be the top tourist attraction in Gibraltar.  But, beware, they can be aggressive and clever!  One jumped on Ben and tried to steal away with snacks in his backpack.

It was too windy to return on the cable car, so a winding bus ride took us down into town.  Of course, we had to have a British lunch of fish and chips!  We did a little tourist sight-seeing and souvenir shopping in town before our day-trip came to an end and a double-decker bus took us back to our cars.

 

For the most part, while in Spain, we cooked and ate most of our meals at our condos.  With the kid's food allergies and schedules, this is what worked best on this trip.  However, Bob and I swapped childcare and a date night with Stephanie and Ben so that we could each get a taste or two of tapas and other Spanish delights.  Bob and I enjoyed a nice meal at a traditional restaurant near Playa Leila, and found the food to be farm fresh and flavorful!  I especially enjoyed the Gambas al Pil Pil, a spicy garlic Spanish shrimp which is a very popular tapas. Just looking at the photo is making my mouth water and crave the tasty dish!

Another night, Bob and I went to an Indian Restaurant and enjoyed the outdoor entertainment while our order was being prepared to take home with us.  I love the casual outdoor cafe atmosphere!  I also find grocery shopping exciting and like to find unusual snacks to try - futetbolas, of course!  Sampling (or, should I more accurately say, devouring) food is one of the simple pleasures I enjoy when I travel. And as you can see, everyone laughs at my delight!

And now, on that tasty note, I'll conclude blogging about our spring break adventures in Spain and Gibraltar.  Thanks, Ben, Stephanie, Emma, Paige, Bennett and Tanner, for this fun vacation with Gaga and Grandpa!