The prices are very reasonable although, electric and water are metered and we don't have the final bill yet. There is a good laundry on site with a large capacity washer for only 4 Euros a wash. We are on a finger pontoon rather than a Med mooring, but this is probably the last time this will happen from here on in.
Many people will know that Gibraltar is famous for its population of Barbary Apes that reside at the top of the rock. Legend has it that when the Apes leave, so will the British.
Is it just us or can you too see the face of a Gorilla in the picture below? Spooky or what?
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| Faces in the Rock |
If you look a little closer, you can also make out a 'human' face above the mouth and below the right eye with an upturned mouth. OK, so maybe the local Vino Tinto is a little stronger but you had to be here to see how realistic it looked!
The local town has several supermarkets but we mainly used the Mercadona as it was only a 15 minute walk away. We are still struggling a little with recipes so if you are missing familiar stuff from the UK and want to cheat, you could always nip over the border to Morrisons. We have many cook books on board and need to study these in a little more detail, as both of us need to branch out and get more creative. Salads are fine and prawns are always welcome at any mealtime but seven days a week....
It was a bonus to attend the opening night of the Alcaidesa Lounge Bar at the marina, just a stones throw from our pontoon. Free drinks and tapas went down very well and we both wish this venture every success for the future.
One of the other Rally boats, Plane Magic arrived this month. We had not seen Neil and Hilary since Lagos and it was really nice to spend some time chilling out together. We even enjoyed a session of ten pin bowling at the King's Bastion Leisure Centre in Gib (unlimited bowling on 'Thrifty Thursday' night between 7pm and 11pm for only £10 per person).
We are also incredibly grateful to Hilary for organising some VIP tickets to the very first Gibraltar Music Festival featuring Ali Campbell's UB40 and Jessie J amongst many local acts.
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| Neil and Hilary of Plane Magic |
The setting was very opulent indeed as was the guest list. it is not every day you get to meet a former Miss World!
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| The very beautiful and charming Kaiane Aldorino with a very happy Steve! |
The festival was a sell out and UB40 were particularly good (Lynne was very happy as they are one of her favourite bands and she enjoyed having a singalong and a bit of a boogie). We are very grateful for the experience, it was Plane Magic!
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| A packed venue |
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| Jessie J |
From one major even to another... Just a few days later we once again nipped across the border, this time to attend Gibraltar National Day, dressed appropriately in red and white (the entire population turns out in the colours of the Gibraltar flag).
Casemates Square was packed with standing room only.
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| Gibraltar National Day 2012 in Casemates Square |
The atmosphere was amazing as this clip hopefully shows.
A few days later we met up with Vaughan from the Rally boat Viking, who was having a short stopover in Gibraltar at Marina Bay.
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| Marina Bay Apartments, you need deep pockets here! |
We had a meal in the local Casino - a 2 for 1 special offer (well we are cruising folk) and took the time together to swap adventures since parting company in Lagos.
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| Vaughan |
We wish Vaughan well and hope we will meet up again next season.
About 10 days into what was turning into a packed social life, our friends Tim and Tina flew in from the UK to spend a week with us. It was an emotional farewell leaving them in Plymouth and equally emotional catching up with them again.
As it was their first time here we did the usual sightseeing which included a trip up the rock with associated stunning views. We took one of the organised 'Rock Tours' on a mini bus, which takes you to the Pillars of Hercules, St Michael's Cave, The Monkey's Den and The Great Siege Tunnels. This really is the best way to see the sights as the roads are very steep and narrow, which makes it a tiring walk.
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| View from near the top of the Rock looking towards La Linea and our marina base. The runway separates the border |
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| St Michael's Caves |
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| The Great Siege Tunnels |
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The Pillars of Hercules
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| Tim & Tina by the Pllars of Hercules |
We think Tim and Tina enjoyed the day!
Tim and Tina also did a dolphin watching boat trip but we opted out as we had seen so many dolphins on our journey here. They saw several large pods and even got to see a dolphin calf with its mum, which really made Tina's day.
For our final evening together we pushed the boat out (well walked across the road actually), to the most fabulous restaurant called aQa.
What a find. The food here is simply divine. If you have a special occasion or just want a great meal out and worry about the cruising budget another time, you should try this place. The starters are huge, so make sure you have a big appetite!
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| The restaurant is upstairs and the bar/cafe downstairs |
After Tim and Tina left we set about getting the boat ready for our next voyage along the Spanish coast. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas! A huge low pressure was due to pass through and we are always cautious so we decided to stay a little longer. This delay just so happened to coincide with the arrival of Rally boats Katerina and Ravi who were making their way to Gran Canaria to join the ARC. It was fantastic to see Scott, Julia, Harald, Ragnhild and Svein Inge again.
We had a get together and dinner on Katerina followed by a get together and dinner on Ravi.
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| Julia, Harald & Ragnhild onboard Katerina |
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| Scott with a vintage box of Don Simon Vino Tinto on Katrerina! |
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| Scott, Lynne & Ragnhild on Ravi |
Steve and Scott got chatting and said how much they both missed a good curry. We noticed an Indian restaurant, the Tahj Mahal in La Linea town centre and all decided to give it a go. The boys were keen to introduce our Norweigen friends off Ravi to the British tradition of beer and curry. (they also do a take out service and will deliver to the marina)
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| Scott, Ragnhild, Steve, Lynne, Julia & Harald enjoying curry |
Whilst we were waiting for the bad weather to pass, we decided to take a trip to Ronda. The crews off Katerina and Ravi had made the trip themselves the last time they were in La Linea and highly recommended it. We got the bus to Algeceiras and then caught the train to Ronda. The train journey was approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes long and took us through some breathtaking scenery through the mountains.
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| The train to Ronda |
Situated in the far northwest of the province of Malaga, Ronda sits on an outcrop of rock in a basin surrounded by mountain ranges. It is one of the oldest towns in Spain and its cultural heritage and surroundings are Arabic. The views from the Old Town really are spectacular.
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| Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) built in the 18th Century |
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| Puento Viejo-Puento Arabe (Old Arab Bridge) built in the 16th Century |
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| Platform overlooking the views from Ronda |
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| View from the platform |
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| Ronda 'New Town' taken from the Old Town |
One of the highlights was visiting the Arab Baths, dating back to the 14th century. They are the best preserved in Spain and are the Muslim adaptation of the ancient Roman baths. They consist of the same system of reception, three rooms for bathing, cold, temperate and hot, underfloor heating and heater.
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| The outside of the Arab Baths |
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| Inside the Arab Baths |
Ronda is also home to the oldest Bullring in Spain. It was the first purpose built space for fighting bulls in the World and is considered to be one of the most picturesque. The first fight took place in 1785 and the matadors were the local born Pedro Romero and the Sevillian Pepe Hillo.
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| Statue of a matador outside the Bullring |
The next photo was taken especially for Lynne's mum who collects wall plates!
Oh well, it is almost time to move on again so the preperations have started for our next leg. We will leave for Almerimar soon but have still not decided whether to head over in one go or, to anchor along the way and take our time. The weather forecast will decide for us.
Until next time..
Steve and Lynne xx
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