Rock Guns

As many of you would know, Gibraltar is famous for its monkeys and dolphins but another thing we do have a lot of is cannons. Gibraltar has always been an important fortress so there are plenty of cannons and gun in-placements dotted around the Rock. Some of them are on display at different sites like the 100 ton gun at Rosia Bay or the 9.2 inch gun at O’Hara’s Battery at the top of the Rock.

Cannons have always been found in Gibraltar in all sorts of places. Some of them have been taken back to the UK to be put on display but we in Gibraltar are leaving some of them to fall into a state of disrepair and abandonment. There are just too many for all of them to be in pristine condition and some have been recycled and used for other purposes like protection of street corners and as decorative items at different bars in Gibraltar.

My favourite gun batteries have got to be Breakneck which unfortunately is closed to the general public and O’Hara’s. These batteries are in the same area next to each other forming a defence for the south side of Gibraltar and the Strait.

Que bueno el Sol

This week is the first week after a cold but dry winter that we are starting to feel the warmth of the sun again. We can look forward to the summer again and very soon it will be here and we can enjoy the beach.

Things to look forward to are Easter which is in about a month and half time and also the March long weekend which is in two weeks time. I am not planning much this year in terms of what I am going to do in these weekends but I am open to suggestions on how to fill in these days off.

The other thing that I am looking forward is going to the UK for two weeks to perform with the band at different venues. Even though I will be away from sunny Gibraltar and my lovely Nadia, at least I am going to get paid for it.

But right now I am enjoying the sun and the little heat that it is giving off. Last night we had a long walk from our house close to Casemates to Europa Point and back -  it took a while but it was well worth it. I have always enjoyed going for walks and we in Gibraltar are very lucky because we have the Rock to take us away from our busy lives in town and make us enjoy it lovely views as you take a long relaxing walk through its many paths and tracks.

Scouts Parade

Last Saturday, the Gibraltar Scouts Association along with the Girl Guiding Association celebrated their Founder’s/Thinking Day. The event is usually marked with a parade down Main Street with one of the local scout bands leading. The parade is then followed by a short service at one of the local Cathedrals. This year’s service was held at the Catholic Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned.

For those of you who may not know I am a scout, something I have always been proud to be and something that I will always be proud to be. My troop and I formed up in Casemates square awaiting the sound of the whistle that marks the start of the parade. For many of the scouts in my Troop it was the first time they were be marching up representing their Group and also be seen by their parents and friends.

After the parade broke off, I had some time to reflect on the past year for the  Scout Group that I belong to. A lot has changed in the last year, especially due to the fact that some of the leaders left and some of the kids also left for whatever reasons they saw fit. I realised that for some of these people it will the first time they might not be there at the parade or they will be part of another scout group but the fact of the matter is that, wherever they are, they are still Scouts regardless. 

Poor Buttons

As I mentioned in my last post our pet rabbit was sick, so I took him to the vet to have him checked out. After a quick examination of him and some manhandling of the poor thing, the vet said that Buttons has a fever and gave him an injection and some anti-biotic pills.

After a day of resting and a good sleep he is back to his normal self of running and jumping, but he doesn’t eat as much as he used to – of course, he still makes a bit of room for his apple. Anyway yesterday I think he did not quite like us after we gave him his medicine because this proved to be quite the challenge for me and Nadia and also I think for Buttons too. The way to give him his medicine is in water but that is not the tricky part, we have to give it in a syringe and down its mouth, which might not be the best of  plans as some of you who have bunnies know.

After a short struggle with us and some medicine later he was back to normal and  ruling the living room and making me chase him round the room while he was trying to eat Nadia’s valentine’s card.

Valentines Day

The most romantic day of the year has come and in Gibraltar it is no exception. This year I left some of the planning a bit late but it turned out to be a nice day anyway. Our first gift to each other was in the early morning when she gave me a box of chocolate letters which spelled Love with I thought was very nice and I gave her a Swarovski box of chocolate which turned out to be filled with Lindor.

At about 11:00 I got a phone call from a very excited girl to say how nice the flowers were which she had gotten at work! And even though she told me not to get her any flowers the night before, she was still happy to get them.

At lunch the plan was to get her gifts ready for the dinner but when I got home our dear pet Buttons was not feeling too well and had not eaten the whole day, poor little guy so I spent my lunch break trying to make it feel better. In the end I had to call the vets to have him checked out.I left work early to take Buttons to the vet and to be honest it went quite well and he was not as sick as I thought he would be, he just had a fever. The vet gave him an injection and some anti-biotic to give to him once a day.

Anyways, we went back home to get ready to go out and also to exchange gifts. My girlfriend went first and gave me mine. I had been a bit curious about it as she had locked herself in the spare bedroom to wrap it up the night before and it took quite a while until she came out. She still amazes me with how original her gifts can be in and in this case again she outdid herself. As she has been helping me to write this blog she has given me a box that every blogger needs - filled with items such chocolate, note pads to write any new ideas down and even writing books. It was my turn to give her gift and it was not as big as my one but she got a Swarovski necklace with a small red, heart shaped pendant.

>We got ready and left for dinner which was going to be at Nunos in the Caleta Hotel. For those who do not about this restaurant it is a Mediterranean restaurant with specialty in Italian food. We were shown to our sea facing table so we could enjoy the view. The food was really good especially, the courgette soup which my girlfriend, Nadia, suggested it should be on the menu and not just an aperitif. The pasta was lovely and quite filling with the sauces that accompanied it, I had wild mushroom sauce and Nadia had 4 cheeses.

Time for dessert came and I decided to go for the cheese board with some port and Nadia had the brownie which was amazing and the vanilla ice cream that came with it just made it perfect.

What a nice way to end a lovely day by having an excellent meal and to enjoy each others company after it at home. 

The Moroccan Adventure: Day 3

Today I was awoken in a strange way at around 4:45 am with loud drumming from outside our window. Despite the early hour, it just seemed to get louder and louder so I went to the window to see what was happening, and I managed to get a glimpse of what was going on - it looked like a wedding procession walking up on the other lane towards a small mosque. As you can image I was not too pleased with all the drumming but they seemed to be having a good time. Then the drumming stopped and I thought I can get back to sleep but the morning prayer started and it felt that it went on forever . Of course, I could not get to sleep for a while but thankfully, after it went quiet again I managed to get back to sleep.

Again today we had a huge breakfast but unfortunately we knew this was going to be our last day in this paradise. So we packed our bags after breakfast and we asked our host if we could leave the bags in our room which she said yes that should not be a problem.  

We walked down the lane towards the new part of town but stopped to buy bread from an old fashioned bakery where you can still see the bread being made by hand and been baked in a wood oven.

We got a taxi and took a short trip to Café Hafa which is an old café on a cliff face over looking the Strait. We had some mint tea whilst watching the world go by as ferries and other ships went past us. It was a very clear day so you could even see the sand dunes of Tarifa and Bolonia across the Strait. If you have a little bit of time to spare while you are in Tangiers you must have a tea at this café.

 The view from the cafe

 You can just about see Gibraltar in the center

 The mint tea

We walked back down to the souk where we did some last minute shopping and also shopped for food which you can’t get in Gibraltar.

We finished shopping a bit early so went back to the hotel for some down time and a beer on the terrace. The taxi picked us up from the hotel to take to the port where we boarded the ferry heading back to Tarifa. The crossing this time was not a good one and the ferry began to rock as soon as we were out of the port. My girlfriend was not feeling 100% inside the ship and to be honest after 20 mins I was not feeling well either.

Soon we reached the Spanish shore and after going through customs we made our way back to Gibraltar having left with a great experience of Morocco.

The Moroccan Adventure: Day 2

After a relaxing night and not even hearing the Morning Prayer call from any mosque around the hotel we went down fro breakfast in the dining room. Normally breakfast it served on the terrace but it was too cold to have it there. We were told it was a continental breakfast but little did we know that it was going to be one of the best breakfast I have ever eaten. It started with fruit salad and fresh yogurt with a big cup of coffee. We were asked if we would like any eggs to go with breakfast and we said we would like an omelette. There were also sweet pancakes, a few types of  local bread and fresh orange juice. You would think that after all of this there would be little room for lunch so we had a late lunch that day.

After breakfast we went out to get a taxi and go to the Hercules Cave. Legend has it that this cave was the entrance to an undersea tunnel that connected to Gibraltar and this is how the apes came to the Rock. The drive was a bit bumpy due to the old age of the taxi and we went past a few palaces along the way which belong to the current king of Morocco and the Saudi princes. The cave is quite small but still worth a visit as it leads out to sea and sometimes people jump into the sea from there. After some photos and a little walk around the inside we decided to enjoy the sea for a bit and to have a drink in one of the little cafes that are on the cliff face , straight on the rocks below. 

After some mint tea and fresh sea air we were about to go but what trip to Morocco would it be without a camel ride. Me and my girlfriend both went on the camel  - first my girlfriend with the plan that it was only going to be a photo of her on one but got to go on a little walk anyway. I went on it a bit later but having been on one before I knew what to expect from it. The worst part about it is when the camel is going to get down so you can get off, without notice it puts its front legs down which nearly makes you trip over its head and it seems like ages before the camel puts the back legs down.

The taxi was waiting for us and we asked him to take us to “Casa Barata” (cheap house) which is the thieves market. Now this market is a bit away from the normal market in Tangiers but you can get anything you can think of at this market, including stolen goods.

We got another taxi and went back to the souk where we did some shopping for the house and other bits for our friends and family back home. We walked back up to the hotel and had a short rest before dinner which was going to be in the hotel. We went down for dinner which was a true Moroccan feast, the starter was a typical local soup called harira followed by a chicken tajine, which was washed down with some good Moroccan wine.

After much wine and a lot of food we went up to the room to sleep.  

The Moroccan Adventure: Day 1

Well, I mentioned in my last post that I would be travelling to Morocco for the weekend. We left Gibraltar on Friday to get the lunch time ferry over to Tangiers from Tarifa - this is the shortest and fastest way to get there but also it is the most convenient. The rest of the ferries that cross the strait go to another port which is 140kms away from  Tangiers. As we approached the port and got the first sight of Morocco, Tangiers looks old and dated but the charm of the old world could be seen on its old buildings.

 Bye Spain

 Hello Tangiers

When we got off the ferry we were greeted by the taxi driver that was going to take us to our hotel. Normally, with most taxi drivers to Morocco you must agree on a price before you get in but in this case it was all arranged by the hotel beforehand anyways. It was a good decision to ask for a taxi to meet us at the port and take us the hotel because I would not have been able to find it on my own, to be honest. The hotel is on the upper part of the Kasbah and it was a refurbished old house. On the outside it looked like any other building on the street with a new lick of paint but as we walked in, we saw the beauty of the inside.

We were greeted by the owners and they invited us to the typical Moroccan mint tea whilst we checked in. Even though  we spoke little French and they spoke little English, we managed to communicate with each other and even spoke a little about each other.

The Hotel

Part of our Room

                                     

                                                                      The Huge Bed

We were shown the hotel which is very nice but what was even lovelier was our room - I was blown away as was my girlfriend. Huge bed, Arabian style windows, fresh flowers on the table and even rose petals around the sink in the bathroom were waiting for us. After settling in, we left the hotel and began walking down towards the markets and to look for a place to eat as it was getting late in the afternoon and we hadn’t eaten lunch. Like always, we were hassled the whole way down to the market, through the market and beyond but this is only normal there and it gets less and less as time goes by. After lunch we walked around for a bit and returned to the hotel for some rest before going for dinner. The area around the hotel at night does not look like the friendliest area to walk through as it not well lit and there are people harassing you at every street corner but we managed.

After dinner went back to the hotel for a good night sleep as the next day was going to be a long one.       

Morocco, here we come.

This weekend I will not be able to blog as much as I will be going away from Gibraltar for the weekend. I have talked much of Spain, but now it is time for Morocco. Even though that Morocco is just 14 kms away from Gibraltar by sea it is a world away when you visit it. The culture, food, and atmosphere are so different compared to Spain and Gibraltar and yet it is so close to us.

The first time I crossed the strait to go Morocco I was young and have been many times since, but this time it is different because for my girl it will be the first time to visit this country. She has visited Turkey before though, so I don’t think it will be too much of a culture shock.

Anywa, we will be spending the weekend in Tangiers which is not the most beautiful  town to visit in Morocco but it still retains some old world charm. What I like the most  is that it is very similar to Gibraltar as an ethnic melting pot of different cultures and people. Some of you may not know but Tangier was an international zone and each country left its mark on the city - from churches to restaurants and civic buildings all intertwined into the city along with the Moroccan style.

We are going to be staying in a riad (guesthouse) which is very highly recommended on all websites I have seen it on, but although the ratings are all very high, the downside seems to be that it is hard to find.

Anyway will write about the trip again when I get back and there will be many photos with it so watch this space for the Moroccan Adventure.

Let’s Dance

Last night my girlfriend and I decided to take up salsa lessons as from next week. In reality the lesson will be more for me as she dances it very well but she has just lost practice. About a year  ago we started going to dance lessons at the Three Roses bar which is now the Theatre Royal Bar (another small change in Gibraltar’s face), where they used to give classes on Monday nights.

The first lesson was the hardest as I had two left feet at the time and could not dance even if my life depended on it, so the instructor decided to take me out of the group and teach me to dance in front of the class while everyone was practicing behind me. After that one lesson I would not call myself a dancer but at least now I could do the basic steps and even a few moves but that still needs a bit of practice as I sometimes miss a step or two.

The only sad part about it they had to stop doing the classes so I have spent a year without going to one but now, from next week I will be able to start up again and hopefully get better at it. 

Buttons

Buttons is our pet rabbit. Even though some of you would think that a rabbit is not a pet, it is – and if I would have said the same about a year ago, my view has changed quite dramatically.

So, Buttons was my girlfriend’s Xmas present as she really wanted a pet but I had ruled out a dog as I did not want to walk it in the rain when the time came. So I decided to get her a bunny. At first I did not know anything about keeping a rabbit so thanks to “Google” (the item I did not use until recently) I managed to find out a lot about keeping pet bunnies. The big day when we were to pick him up from the pet shop was not really planned as I just said one day: I am getting you one today from whichever pet shop that has one, little did I know that this would prove a difficult task as she insisted on a particular breed – the so called Dutch Lop.

After much walking and asking in a few shops we managed to find one and lucky us it was the last one left in the pet shop. At first my girlfriend was not 100% sure if this rabbit was going to be the right one but the shop keeper just gave it to her to hold and it was a done deal.

We went back home with a new pet bunny in the box along with a cage, food, hay, and bedding for it and before you know it he was out of the box and running around the house. Christmas came and, of course, the rabbit got showered with presents as everyone wanted to get him something. The funniest gifts were the harnesses he received. Yes, it does seem a bit weird to get your bunny a harness and take it for a walk but again I found out you cannot take a rabbit for a walk - it takes you for a walk, how random.

 Does not like the Harness

It has been 2 months with him already and even though we use the living room, in reality it is his room and he has even taken over some of the furniture.There will be more Buttons stories to come as he has quite the character and he is a warm and cuddly pet to have around the house.

A day in La Sierra

After talking so much about how cold it is and the possibility of snow close to Gibraltar, we decided to go for a drive through the Sierras to enjoy a bit of country life a la Española. The day started a bit earlier than normal for one our friends who came with us on this trip but even though this was the case she still joined us anyway. Our first stop was at a nearby castle in Castellar de la Frontera, where the views from this vantage point are very impressive and the village inside the castle walls is very typical of the area. As you walk through the gate-house of the castle you are transported back in time to a village that has been stuck in time since the medieval times. The narrow streets, full of white washed houses, gives it a very Andalucian feel of time of old, peaceful and tranquil life. Most of the town has been restored to keep the original features of a walled village and many of the houses are for rent as holiday homes.

After enjoying the peace of Castellar, we set off on our way to Ronda which was our final destination with its impressive bridge and vistas - but more on that later. I decided to take the more scenic route and took the road through Cortes De La Frontera. The road is small and winding that creeps up the mountains and offers views which are unparallel in the region. We stopped for lunch just before Cortes, the restaurant is an old floor mill where the stream still flows underneath it and its original water wheel can still be seen under the building. We had a lovely lunch of typical country food of soups, meats and country bread whilst overlooking the valley below us.

We carried on our drive up through the mountains and enjoyed the spectacular mountain scenes under the beautiful Andalucian sun. As we approached Ronda we made a short stop at the site of La Cueva del Gato (the Cave of the Cat). This area has always been a favourite of mine as I have always come to the cave to enjoy picnics at it entrance or taking a plunge in its clear water during the summer months. When I was much younger the only way to reach it was by crossing the river at whichever point you could, as there were no bridges at the time. This would, of course, make it quite difficult sometimes. But a few years ago the area was developed and a bridge was built across it to make the access easier.

Unfortunately 2 years ago the heavy rain made the river flood and it destroyed the bridge and has not been fixed since. Although the bridge collapsed, you can still walk across it as long as the river level is lower - if not, the bridge would be underwater. The area is lovely for picnics and spending summer days on the grass and enjoying the pool of water, in the summer it is also possible to go inside the actual cave with a guide and climbing gear but under no circumstances go into this cave with out a guide or the proper equipment.

When we arrived in Ronda it was very cold and there was even ice on one of the fountains, we went and had coffee at one of the nice cafés in the area with some amazing cakes.

We visited the Tajo which is Ronda’s biggest landmark. The Tajo is a narrow gorge which splits Ronda in two halves the old town to the west and the new town to the east and has a beautiful and magnificent bridge built to connect it.

Enjoying the Views

El Puente Nuevo

El Tajo de Ronda

Moorish Baths in Ronda

After a few photos and a bit of walking around the old town it was time to return to Gibraltar.

Que Frio!!!

Today has got to be the coldest morning this winter - it was 5 degrees which for Gibraltar standards is very cold. With the cold comes the thought of snow nearby in Ronda, where the snow covered peaks can be seen from Gibraltar.

The area where the snow is more concentrated is called Sierra de las Nieves which is a natural park popular in winter for doing trekking and other outdoor activities. I enjoy visiting this area from time to time and going on short treks through this beautiful mountain range where you have views of Ronda, the Costa del Sol, Gibraltar and even on very clear days - the African coastline.

There is also a ski resort close to Gibraltar, called Sierra Nevada. Although I am not a very good skier I still enjoy a day on the slopes. Two weeks ago when I was considering to start this blog me and my girlfriend decided to go skiing. Well I was going to ski and she was going to enjoy the sun & snow and a nice cup of coffee in warm and cosy café.

The weekend started with very good weather although not a lot of snow this year but at least most of the slopes were open. Even though I normally get a ski lesson every time I go up, this time I said to myself let’s go solo this weekend without the extra lesson. At first I was a bit rusty because it has been a year since I got on the slopes but I slowly got better and better as the day went by. The next day the weather turned for the worse. Skiing got worse and worse with the wind and snow picking up so it became not so enjoyable but the coffee at the end of the day went down very nicely.

At the end of the weekend my legs were in lots of pain and I still needed to drive down from the resort (about 3 hours drive), which is always long and boring , also the weather seemed to have followed us down to Gibraltar as it rained the whole way down.
Hopefully I would be able to go skiing again soon but only time will tell.

Diving in Gibraltar

I think I have been holding back on since I began to blog is that I am crazy about diving. I started diving in Gibraltar about 5 years ago and I thought it was just natural for me to begin diving as I have been snorkelling as far back as I can remember. Even though the thought of being underwater too long was a bit strange to me at first, I was still curious of what lies beneath the waves. I had also heard of shipwrecks around the Bay of Gibraltar - at the end of the day Gibraltar has been a busy port for at least 300 years.

So I began diving and to be honest I could have not been luckier as Gibraltar is fantastic for diving. For example, there are about 30 dives sites around the rock. Some of these can be done from the shore and others you may need a boat to get to.

The part I enjoyed most when I first started diving was the sensation of feeling weightless. The other was the realisation of breathing underwater just like the fish - it is weird at the start but you get used to it and it even becomes natural.

There are plenty of dive sites around Gibraltar but my favourite one from the show has to be the Camp Bay barges. Camp Bay is a small pebble beach on the south western side of Gibraltar and the government in the early 90’s sank a few small ships in the area hoping to create a reef. Little did they know that it would become a popular dive site. The most common ship wreck that most divers visit is the 482 cable layer as it is close to the shoreline and is in a good shape which allows wreck penetration in most areas.

Now my favourite boat diving site has to be the Europa Reef. This reef is just off Europa Point, the most southerly point in Gibraltar and Europe. This dive is a bit more challenging as the currents in the area can be strong but the marine life there is breathtaking. Of course, it is not like the tropical reefs you see on TV but it is just as impressive as them.

Thanks to Nick for these Photos

This year I have not been diving because I have had a cold and a blocked nose for a few weeks now, but should be getting back to diving soon.