Heading up the Rock

Just behind Main Street Gibraltar are alleyways leading to steps.

 

Many lead to tenements with only one way in and out, sometimes through arches...

Sometimes across balconies littered with drying laundry, satellite dishes, cats, dogs, food bowls and fag packets...

Some more salubrious than others.

Man U fans dedicated this little street to the man...

And painted the steps...

That lead to the Monkeys - NOT apes. They are the only monkeys in Europe not in captivity.

This adult munching on flowers growing on the cliff face...

This little dude just having fun. That's Le Lenia (Espana) in the background.

Provisioning!

The Marina provide trollies!

 

Vegetable stall today at Le Lenia market.

 

We bought a kilo of garlic - it's compulsory in our diet.

Senora snoozing in the sun.

Then back to our boat - this is the view from our stern this afternoon.

 

Le Lenia (Spain) Sunday 3rd February 2012

On the Playa de Levante Le Lenia this was perhaps the only seaworthy boat on the beach. There were about twenty beached fishing boats, mostly dilapidated. These little boats were meant for local fishing. The top of the beach was littered with empty beer bottles and coke cans. I walked the shore line coming back and found some beautiful shells, so some things still  living in the water. It is sad to think that boats are rotting and families suffering because the Mediterranean has been overfished.  We walked further down the beach to the old town area called Atunara.   You can see the blue of the sky, the temperature was 18 degrees with an onshore breeze.  A lot of laundry flapping on lines slung across the front of houses.  Altunara is poor, not a place to wander around at night time. We felt like the ‘Cabaret’ for the locals in one particular street. We were watched by the ladies hanging their washing, groups of young lads hanging onto scooters, smoking, trying to look ‘tough’ and their older siblings with motorbikes who did look as if they might menace a lone male. We felt like trespassers. An old lady with sea green eyes stared at me and responded to my smile - eventually.  This street reminded me of Langurtho Road in the 60’s – strangers are not expected to walk down certain streets, and if you do you are a curious, suspicious creature :O)  Particularly to the males, the self appointed guardians!

 And just feet from the sea, Iglesia de Nuestra Senora del Carmen. It's closeness to the sea reminding me of the Church 'down West' in Cornwall at Gunwalloe - both in the main,  provide solace and prayers for   fishermen and their families. This building used to be used to salt the fish catch. And below a picture from Atunara beach looking back to the Rock of Gibralatar.

 

 

 

Here's one to add to the 'weird' festivals list!

http://sunnysunnyspain.com/Information/Articles/tabid/2910/post/festival-of-dead-rats/Default.aspx






 

Standing on a Pillar of Hercules

Looking across the Straits to the southern Pillar of Hercules ( Ceuta) with the Riff Mountains beyond.

Other points  of interest at the southerly tip of Gibraltar:

The Ibrahim al Ibrahim Mosque faces south towards Morocco.

Panning to the West a few degrees...

The tower of Our Lady of the Shrine of Europe...On this visit we also saw several boys and men wearing the yarmulke - they are mostly Separdi Jews in Gibraltar - and a guy walking along with two sulphur crested cockatoos on his shoulders.

These grow in profusion here - we'll have interesting salads!

We walked from our mooring to Europa point in less than an hour. On the way we had our first sighting of the Barbary apes - sitting sunning themselves on a balcony of the most expensive hotel in Gibraltar!

My zoom is not good but you should be able to enlarge this pic - the adults are the pair sitting to the left  of the balcony;  if you look carefully the baby is to the left of them again just beyond the separating wall - getting some quiet time :O)

 

 

Back Onboard

After two months away we're back onboard. Greg sorted the Savignon Blanc...

I worked the bread dough ...

 Voila!  Fresh Breakfast bread :O)

We're back on our Seabbatical :O)

Recently discovered this photo of us sailing from Falmouth to Fowey two summers ago - not sure who to credit with the image, thank you whoever you are!