The road to Gibraltar March 20,2016-Palm Sunday

We were off again, this time to Gibralter

We had a stop in the morning for lunch

and I really enjoyed seeing a market where we had a mid morning break

The produce looked delicious





and more interesting tile work.



and even a little art about traditional rural life.




But the snails were particularly intriguing.





and there was even a food truck!



We reached Gibraltar later that morning and here is our first glimpse.  It bothers Spain that Gibraltar remains part of Britain but it doesn't appear that the approximately 30000 Gibraltar residents want a change.  I guess this is why there are no signs indicating Gilbraltar is near on Spanish road signs.



We transferred onto Gibraltar sightseeing buses when we arrived and were taken for a tour of the island.











There are some steeps paths




and beautiful views.









We toured their caves.







and there were interesting and more like cathedrals, quite spacious and airy.






This area is known for the monkeys, who apparently can be quite obnoxious but were well behaved on Palm Sunday.

























you can see all the way to Africa of course!



















Here are some significant flags









In case you want more monkey knowledge...




We dropped off in the town centre and looked for food.  We resisted fish and chips!












It was a pleasant day and we had a nice view.





My salad for those of you who like food pictures.






We then tried going shopping but being Sunday and especially Palm Sunday only a few duty free shops were open.  I hadn't bought a stuffed monkey for the little girl next door at the Cave store as Charlie our tour guide said souvenirs were cheaper in town.  The only problem was there weren't any stuffed monkeys in the few shops that were open.






Apparently the main industries in Gilbraltar are banking, shipping, and then tourism.










It was fun to visit and see the rock but I kind of think one trip was enough.









I believe that was a war memorial!  Anyway after clearing customs (with a wave of our passports) we were back on the bus heading to our next destination, Torremolinos.




















Below is the view from our hotel balcony.





I was reminded of Rio and  Fort Lauderdale but it was certainly colder!










As you can see the beach chairs were not heavily in use





but still always nice to see the ocean.








Below is our hotel!



We had a nice walk on the beach





and I found some interesting towels for sale




A handy map


And yes, they have mini golf!


Some pretty buildings


and below is where we had a delicious dinner and a free liqueur



Here is the moon
It was nice to know that we were looking forward to a day off the bus to relax and wander

Stay tuned for further adventures in Torremolinos!