Spain - Day 7, Gibraltar

We got up bright and early on Day 7 to go to Gibraltar. After scoping out our directions the day before because, you know, we got lost every day, we were confident we'd find our way. Maybe. And then they changed the meeting point. No worries. We had it figured out. Until we got lost. Again. *sigh* But you know what? We made it to the new meeting point on time! And off we went to the Rock of Gibraltar.

As you may know, Gibraltar is a British holding right there on the tip of Spain. As far from Britain as you can get with a whole country in between. As such, we needed our passports to cross into it, and wouldn't you know? One of the people on our tour didn't bring theirs. Instead, they brought a passport card, which didn't allow them admittance into the country. Long trip to be turned away! Our guide, Zoraida, escorted us across the airfield to the border (yes, we crossed a runway to enter the country) and to the guide on Gibraltar who took over. 

The Rock of Gibraltar

Of all the places we saw, I have to say this was the most commercial. There's a whole town on Gibraltar and people who live there and work there. As our guide told us, there are more jobs than people. They are reclaiming the land from the sea (this author has mixed feelings about that, but who am I to judge). On one side, the Mediterranean, on the other, the Atlantic Ocean. As tourists will, we went up the rock to see the views from the top - you can see Morocco from Gibraltar - and the monkeys. Monkey, you say? Yes. with repeated warnings, those little critters are quick to steal from you! They'd warned us they would show up at the first sight of food, and told us what to do if one jumped on our shoulder. What they didn't expect is that one very bold monkey actually came into the restaurant and stole a man's ice cream right out of his hand! (They'd warned us not to walk outside with food.) I think what annoyed me was that when I walked outside, two women were teasing the monkeys with their ice cream, staring them down and all but daring them to take it from them. These are wild animals, ladies. Well-cared for, vaccinated, fed, but still wild animals.

monkey with purloined ice cream

Barbary Macaques

Also at the top of the mountain was St. Michael's Cave. Inside, they've rigged up light shows for the tourists, and I have to say I was impressed by the angel of the cave.

The guide took us back down the rock and left us on our own to find food and shop (I mentioned the commercial part, yeah?) and after a day at the rock, we were on our way back to Sevilla.

The trip was action packed and adventure filled. I enjoyed Sevilla very much and it ranks up there with one of the places I'd love to go back to one day. 

Hasta la proxima vez, Sevilla!

Spain, Day 6

After all the hoopla, we didn't schedule anything for Day 6. Instead, we walked past the Torre de Oro, to the Guadalquivir River and took a boat ride to see the city from there. They have a lovely riverwalk, and this is where we saw the Columbus-like boat. I got a kick out of a father pushing a stroller and singing/humming/duh-duh-duhing the Pirates of the Caribbean song for his son. It was a laid back kinda day.

Torre de Oro

Cat by the river!

Nina? Pinta? Santa Maria?

We continued our walk over to the bullring, the largest in Spain and saw the memorial garden for one of the famous matadors. We had empadillas for lunch (yum!) and did some souvenir shopping. Our last day in Sevilla (another excursion planned for day 7).

Day 7: The Rock of Gibraltar 

A Spanish wedding

Different countries, different customs. Some the same. Vows and speeches in English and in Spanish. A blending of traditions.

Yo y mi esposo

On our fourth day, we did family stuff. Visited. Had a cocktail party overlooking the city at night. The Giralda tower illuminated was breathtaking. Side note. For those of you who know me, my hair hasn't changed. I've just learned how to tame it. Mostly. Sometimes. Except when its humid. And I didn't have my usual mane-taming equipment. Oh yeah, and I have more silver highlights these days. With that being said, the hairdresser did a marvelous job the day of the wedding.

The wedding was outside and the weather was gorgeous. We all came away glowing. Well... some of that might have been sunburn, but what a beautiful ceremony. The bride and groom had gotten married last year, but different cultures, different traditions, and add COVID into the mix, and voila. Party on their first anniversary!

The couple walked in to the reception to Queen - Somebody to Love. We were served fresh, local foods as appetizers after the ceremony, then sat down to fresh local foods for dinner, and then a night of dinner and dancing (and mojitos).

You know how at weddings in the U.S. you do the Electric Slide and/or the Chicken Dance? Over there they do a version of Flamenco and its absolutely lovely to watch. Oh, and dancing waiters/bartenders.

Next week: Sevilla unscripted. A walk along the Guadalquivir River and other tourist attractions.

Spain, Day 3

While it tried to rain on Day 2, it absolutely rained on Day 3. Did that dampen our adventurous spirit? Nope. It did make one of the stops a bit.... soggy.

We started out on Day 3 for the tourism office where a bus would take us on a day trip. Because we were leaving early in the morning, we thought we'd just swing by the McDonalds on the way for an egg McMuffin. Guess what? McDonalds doesn't open early in Spain. Nor do they sell egg mcmuffins. So we stopped at a local cafe en route and ordered a Spanish breakfast. Tostada (toast) with jamon y queso (Iberian ham and cheese). Traditionally, you'd order it with tomato, olive oil, garlic and cheese. This was the spot the shopkeeper wrote down what we owed her so there would be no mistakes. She was accommodating, if not slightly impatient about the language barrier, and again, I knew just enough to get by.

We started out for an olive oil factory first. There, we saw how they harvest the olives, then layer them with hemp mats to make a "lasagna" and put them in a press to squeeze out the oil. The olive pulp is later used as animal feed or fire starters. On the mountain beside stands a castle, a remnant of days when castle overlords provided for the regions below. Many of the villages in the mountains have castles above.

We continued up the mountain to Grazalema, where the white chalk houses are built into the mountainside. The town has Moorish origins, as much of that part of the country does. We traveled twisty, winding mountain roads to get there, through a nature preserve where they grow cork oak trees. They also have a goat unique to the region - the poyoyo - which produces poyoyo cheese. We managed to walk through the narrow town roads for several minutes before the microclimate showed us what life could be like up there - RAINY. They also run the bulls (but don't kill them), and there are other plants indigenous to the area, including a species of pine. We stopped for lunch and I had my eggs (which I'd not gotten for breakfast), served with potatoes. Delicious.

It's a looooong way down

On to Ronda. Fans of THE AMAZING RACE likely saw this town during their Spanish leg of the race. In the middle of town is a deep gorge with a bridge. The landscape is dramatic! They also have a bullfight ring, and a matador walk of fame similar to what we have in Los Angeles with the Hollywood stars.

Bridge over the gorge

overlooking the bull ring

Matador walk of fame

The surprise was at the meeting point, which was yet another church. My brother-in-law had mentioned we should find a torno, or a convent where cloistered nuns sell cookies from behind the secrecy of a sort of lazy susan. We'd been told there were several such places in Sevilla that we had yet to find. HOWEVER, while we were waiting to return to Sevilla from Ronda, someone asked our tour guide if she wanted to see "the hand of Santa Theresa." Yes, the hand (read the story here). Our guide invited us to join her, and in the chamber, we found a torno! Of course, we bought cookies from the hidden nuns (sultanas/coconut macaroons). They had several items to choose from. Legend has it if you take ingredients to the nuns at the tornos, they will bless you. I asked some of the other tourists on our trip the significance of Santa Theresa, and they jokingly referred to her as "Terry." After you've petitioned her, you will know she's heard you when you see a rose. Maybe it will be a picture, maybe it will be the flower... 

The hand of Santa Theresa

Nun cookies!

This "menu" (on the left) and
the "torno" (on the right)

Next week, Wedding stuff.