GIBRALTAR,

BRITISH TERRITORY –

MONKEYS, WAR TUNNELS &

A FLASHER!

Thursday, April 10, 2025, 6 AM, Temperature 64 Degrees, 80% Humidity, W – ENE @ 15.2 mph

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It is located on the Bay of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean Sea enters the Atlantic Ocean. It was settled by the Moors in the Middle Ages and later ruled by Spain. The name Gibraltar is a Spanish derivation of the Arab name “Mountain of Tariq”. The outpost was ceded to the British by treaty in 1713. With its strategic position controlling the narrow entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, it has been an important base for the British Navy ever since; especially during the Napoleonic Wars. Gibraltar maintains close economic ties with its Spanish neighbors; 14,000 -15,000 workers cross the border every day to work in Gibraltar. But Gibraltar residents have rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in 1967 and shared sovereignty in 2002. We didn’t really know the political background when we bought a postcard that said “British we are! And British we stay!!”

THE MOST SOUTHERN POINT IN GIBRALTAR – Europa Point

“On a Clear Day You Can See Forever”, but on a cloudy day in Gibraltar you can see Africa, if you look really hard (the mountains were faintly visible). The Europa Lighthouse (also known as Victoria Tower) was constructed in 1841 and its inaugural lighting was witnessed by 10,000 people. It has been updated many times, becoming fully automated in 1994 and converted to LED in 2016. The lighthouse is 66 feet tall and is 161 feet above the high-water mark.

Adjacent to the lighthouse is a mosque which was a gift from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and was completed in 1997 at a cost of 5 million pounds ($6.5 million US in today’s money). Usually there is a crescent moon at the top of a mosque, but because this mosque was gifted by royalty, it has a full circle moon. It is the southernmost mosque in continental Europe and one of the largest mosques in a non-Muslim country.

ONWARD & UPWARD –

The road up to the viewpoint on Gibraltar is not for the weak of heart! It’s steep, narrow, winding and one lane for the most part with a sheer drop off. John said the shrubs along that side blocked part of the downward view and made you feel safer, but they wouldn’t help much in a fall) The tour director said he and the bus had been up many times, “No Worries”. It wasn’t until later we realized he was driving while he kept up a running commentary! We would have preferred he kept his attention on the road; we thought there was a “dedicated” driver and a guide. At the top viewing spot, we were rewarded with great views and our first monkey sighting!

Although they are sometimes called “Barbary Apes”, they are actually Barbary Macaques, tailless monkeys. They are the only wild monkeys in Europe and are thought to have been introduced by the Moors to Gibraltar during the Middle Ages. There’s no question who’s “in charge” – generally they ignore the tourists (perhaps after determining there’s no food to be offered) and give you a superior look, full of disdain. The popular belief/legend is that as long as there are Barbary Macaques on Gibraltar, Britain will retain control of the territory. During WWII, concerned about the declining Macaque population, Winston Churchill then ordered the introduction of more monkeys from Africa. Today, it is estimated that 300+ Macaques inhabit the Rock- Hail Brittania!!

THE GIBRALTAR TUNNELS –

The Tunnels of Gibraltar were constructed over nearly 200 years. The initial tunnels were dug out of solid limestone by the British during the Great Siege of Gibraltar in the late 18th Century when France and Spain attempted to capture Gibraltar during the Revolutionary War (assuming Britain would be too busy to notice??) By 1790, approximately 4,000 ft. of tunnels had been constructed. During WWII, the British constructed 40 kilometers (25 miles) of tunnels in 2 years. Gibraltar has a total of 34 miles of tunnels, nearly twice the length of the entire road network, The tunnels in WWII were an underground fortress accommodating 16,000 men (200 women), supplies, ammunition and equipment needed to withstand a prolonged siege.

The conditions were tough – always cold and damp, dark, days without exposure to sun, cramped living conditions – a sleeping space for 600 men only had 200 beds; personnel rotated every 8 hours. John says they used to call that “Hot Beds” on submarines in WWII because the beds never had a chance to cool off between occupants. Showers were every two weeks with soap created to work in saltwater (a sergeant administered a limited freshwater rinse). There was a “full service” hospital. There were tunnels that could take you to the city center in Gibraltar or the military airport without ever going above ground.

Modern Gibraltar has no fresh water; all its water is made through desalination. We passed a waterfall that was saltwater, the run off after freshwater was stored in tanks at the top of the Rock.

THE FLASHER –

We’ve been in port with cruise ships before but never quite as close and directly opposite as we were this morning when the Mein Schiff Freiheit pulled in. Mein Schiff means “My Ship” and it is a German Cruise line with predominantly German speaking cruisers. The ship’s layout seemed similar to ours; we could see the dining room, fitness center, and casual dining area through its windows from our balcony. We could see people on their balcony and swimsuits drying on deck chairs (as was mine). When we pulled out from port at the end of the day, John was on our balcony to take pictures of the skyline. A few people sitting on their balcony on the Freiheit waved Good-bye as we pulled away but one gentleman, standing on his balcony in a ship's white robe, proceeded to throw open his robe and flash our ship (no John didn’t get a picture of that sight). Those crazy Germans!!