EuropeGibraltar

Up and down The Rock (Gibraltar) I go!!!!!!!

By October 8, 2017 No Comments
Model of Gibraltar

On Thursday, I told you how we crossed from Morocco to Spain and that I visited Gibraltar. I also gave you some history on The Rock and today it is time to tell you what all I was able to see, but first I must describe the peninsula to you. Everything is on the western side because the rock climbs sharply eastward and then drops straight down into the sea.

100 Ton Gun

The 100 Ton Gun

I started off by walking across the airport runway (I explained this on Thursday’s blog) and ended up in town. Casements Square is the main place to grab food and there are tons of shops going down the main street. I on the other hand walked to the museum to get some history about this peninsula. After that I figured I would walk along the western side to the far point called Europa Point. On the way, I visited the 100 Ton Gun built in 1883. It took 450 pounds of black powder to fire the 2000-pound shell. Trust me when I say this thing was big and deserves the name of “the Rock Buster”.

Keightley Way Tunnel

Keightley Way Tunnel

Upon leaving the 100 Ton Gun I walked through 2 short tunnels before I entered the half mile long Keightley Way Tunnel that let out on the end of the peninsula where you can see Africa on clear days. There is a mosque you are welcome to visit and a lighthouse that is locked up. This area is flat and is a wonderful park with great views of the clouds forming on the peak.

Gorham’s Cave on Gibraltar

Gorham’s Cave

From here I continued to walk around the southeast edge of the mountain hoping to get a glimpse of Gorham’s Cave. You are not allowed into this World Heritage Site, because it is filled with archeological artifacts from the Neanderthals that lived here 55,000 years ago. It sits right at the water level and I was asking myself why they would live there instead of the other side where they would have had some land to work with. Well it turns out back then this would have been 5 km from the water.

By this time I had walked the “flat” part and was already feeling it and the sun, but I pushed on and climbed the path up to Jew’s Gate. I am going to pause here and pick up the story on Tuesday, so I hope you come back to see what I did about the steep part of the Rock!

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