The Rock of Gibraltar

For years, I have recognized Gibraltar only as the embarkation for the immigrant ships that sailed away filled with Spaniards and Portuguese between 1911 and 1913.  Today, I walked across the border and found the "rock" is so much more.   When the huge stone rock came into view this morning, I was thrust back in time trying to imagine my abuelita (grandmother) at age nine along with her parents, two uncles, two aunts and eight cousins getting on a ship to Hawaii.  I could almost feel their trepidation, anxieties, fear and excitement.  I was finally going to touch their history.  And I did.  This photo is from a book that shows where the immigrant ships' port.  On the front, right area we were told the ships left there --- because they were not military ships.

But, I also learned there are 33,000 Gibraltarians who live there, there are 8,000 tourists that arrive at the rock each day and it is three miles long.  Who knew the fortified wall was built by convicts who were on their way from England to Australia?  There are 80,000 ships that come through their port for refueling.  And I did not know about the tunnels that were blasted inside the rock for the RAF soldiers during World War Two.  I put on a bright, yellow hard hat and followed the guide through the tunnels, rounding corners to find replicas of the soldiers in various endeavors, sleeping, holding rifles, eating etc.  It was eerie, actually.  And it made me sad.  I was told there's a movie on YouTube titled Silent Enemy that shows how the Germans stationed in Algeciras across the bay...rode in mini-subs and planted bombs under English ships docked at Gibraltar.  They sank 16-17 ships.  And I learned that Gibraltar is an Arabic word meaning mountain of Tariq.  And of course, there were the Barbary apes.

It was windy and cloudy, but it didn't deter me for a moment.  We were driven to St. Miguel's Cave and handed tickets.  One of the gentlemen and I started walking through the little room with the group and walked up, up, up and then realized nobody was behind us.  What?  We snapped some photos and then hightailed it back down the very high incline back to the little building and THEN we found the cave entrance.  Filled with stalactites and stalagmites, it was dotted with crystals and filled with colored lights and music...

Tonight is our last night and we will soon meet in the lounge for goodbye wine and then a fancy dinner.  I am hopeful a few of us will taxi to a flamenco lounge for flamenco dancing and guitar music.  Tomorrow, I am off to my next venue in Los Nunez!