The weather this week has been beautiful - about 19 to 20C and sunny every day since Monday. Sunday, on the other hand, was so rainy and windy that we didn’t even leave our apartment. We’re glad that week of mostly rain is over.
On Monday we walked along the seaside promenade all the way through Estepona from west to east. It’s a really nice walk in the warm sun. There are a few people on the beach and even one or two swimmers but by far the majority are staying on the promenade. Some are in shorts but most are in T-shirts and long pants with a sweater or jacket handy. It’s always a little cool in the shade.
On Tuesday, we had planned to take a bus to Gibraltar but, just before we left, we made the final decision that Anita wasn’t feeling well enough to enjoy the trip. After she rested for awhile, we did the same walk along the seaside again, just to be out in the sun. Our apartment is good but the balcony only gets sun for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. We’ve been enjoying happy hour out there every day.
On our way past the marina, we stopped at La Escollera seafood restaurant. It’s always busy but within 5 minutes we got a table and ordered a plate of calamari, a plate of fried sole, white wine and a beer. It may be the best calamari we’ve ever had. The prices aren’t that much different from Canada, except here there’s a .70 euro service charge per person but no tipping. With a 27 euro bill, service worked out to about 5%. Reasonable.
Yesterday, Wednesday November 28th, we got up early again and were out the door by 8:10 am. We walked down to the bus stop by the Plaza de Toros where we waited until the M240 bus arrived about 8:40. For 4.58 euros each, we bussed all the way to La Linea, just across the border from Gibraltar. The bus stopped numerous times so it took us 1 1/4 hours until 9:55 to get there.
La Linea bus station is a 5 minute walk from the border. As we walked through, the British customs officer didn’t seem to pay any attention to people flashing an EU passport but he did check ours. After that we were in Gibraltar, owned by Britain but hotly contested by Spain. In 1969, Spain closed the land border and it stayed that way for years. The only access was by sea or air. Spain still wants Gibraltar and have made noise about it this week during the Brexit negotiations with the EU.
Right next to the border is the Gibraltar airstrip that we had to walk across. The road is closed several times each day for planes to land. It’s an unusual situation. Later, when we were at the top of the Rock, we saw a plane landing where we had been walking earlier.
Once we ran the gauntlet of the taxi tour vendors and guides, who seem to be anxious for business now that it’s off season, we walked a little further into town to find a bus stop where we could get a bus to Europa Point at the far south end of Gibraltar. There isn’t much information to help solo tourists. The buses are numbered but it’s hard to tell which bus goes which way or where it stops. Finally, after asking several bus drivers, we found the right bus stop and the right bus that took us to Europa Point, which has a lighthouse, a big gun battery and a nice viewing plaza. There’s also a memorial dedicated to Polish armed services members who had escaped Poland and then fought with the rest of the Allies in WWII. (Anita is looking at the sign in the first picture.)
We got back on another bus and went to the cable car station. We had planned to take the cable car up to the top of the Rock and walk back, seeing the Siege Tunnels and some of the other military infrastructure on the way down. The runway and about 1/2 the town are built on rock excavated from the 30 miles of military tunnels that are inside the mountain.
However, it was my turn to be at less than full health. I’d had a headache and dizziness all morning so we decided that we should just take the cable car both up and back down. I was a little disappointed but we still got to see the best part anyway, which is the Rock itself. Up at the lookout terrace, we got a few pictures and enjoyed the view. There were monkeys all over the place. They can be aggressive, looking for food, and one woman suffered a slight bite while we were there. However, it’s no wonder. Tourists go right up to them and pat them and cuddle them for pictures, like they’re house pets not wild animals. There are very high fines for feeding them but that still doesn’t deter some people from getting too close.
The lookout terrace was not crowded at all and, in fact, we had a cable car all to ourselves on the way back down. At the bottom, we had no desire to see the town. The streets are busy and everything is very confined. From the lookout terrace, we could see that there were condos built on reclaimed land around a marina. We have no idea why anyone would choose to live in Gibraltar if not for work. However, it seems that some Brits do retire here. Strange.
About 1:30 pm we got a bus back to the border. As we passed through customs, no-one even looked at us. We had about an hour before the next M 240 bus back to Estepona so we split a Whopper and fries at a nearby Burger King.
Back at the bus station, there was no ticket window open for the Avanza bus line so we assumed we bought the ticket from the driver. We were first in line and about 2 minutes before the bus was to leave, the driver told us this was not the case. I ran back inside and bought tickets for the Avanza bus from the Comes bus company window. Who knew?
Anyway, they held the bus for us and for 3 other people who had made the same mistake. Then we drove a few blocks to the first bus stop and the driver sold a ticket to the person who got on. Strange system.
Almost all the way back to Estepona we saw nice coastline that is unbelievably overbuilt with condos. The Costa del Sol is very pleasant, scenery and weather wise, but it’s a bit of a shock to see how many Northern Europeans want to holiday or live along the same 100 km of coast.
Gibraltar was one of our must-see sights for this trip and it was interesting because of all the military history that we’ve all heard about. However, a few hours there is all it takes. Now we we have a few more days in the sun.
On Monday we walked along the seaside promenade all the way through Estepona from west to east. It’s a really nice walk in the warm sun. There are a few people on the beach and even one or two swimmers but by far the majority are staying on the promenade. Some are in shorts but most are in T-shirts and long pants with a sweater or jacket handy. It’s always a little cool in the shade.
On Tuesday, we had planned to take a bus to Gibraltar but, just before we left, we made the final decision that Anita wasn’t feeling well enough to enjoy the trip. After she rested for awhile, we did the same walk along the seaside again, just to be out in the sun. Our apartment is good but the balcony only gets sun for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. We’ve been enjoying happy hour out there every day.
On our way past the marina, we stopped at La Escollera seafood restaurant. It’s always busy but within 5 minutes we got a table and ordered a plate of calamari, a plate of fried sole, white wine and a beer. It may be the best calamari we’ve ever had. The prices aren’t that much different from Canada, except here there’s a .70 euro service charge per person but no tipping. With a 27 euro bill, service worked out to about 5%. Reasonable.
Yesterday, Wednesday November 28th, we got up early again and were out the door by 8:10 am. We walked down to the bus stop by the Plaza de Toros where we waited until the M240 bus arrived about 8:40. For 4.58 euros each, we bussed all the way to La Linea, just across the border from Gibraltar. The bus stopped numerous times so it took us 1 1/4 hours until 9:55 to get there.
La Linea bus station is a 5 minute walk from the border. As we walked through, the British customs officer didn’t seem to pay any attention to people flashing an EU passport but he did check ours. After that we were in Gibraltar, owned by Britain but hotly contested by Spain. In 1969, Spain closed the land border and it stayed that way for years. The only access was by sea or air. Spain still wants Gibraltar and have made noise about it this week during the Brexit negotiations with the EU.
Right next to the border is the Gibraltar airstrip that we had to walk across. The road is closed several times each day for planes to land. It’s an unusual situation. Later, when we were at the top of the Rock, we saw a plane landing where we had been walking earlier.
Once we ran the gauntlet of the taxi tour vendors and guides, who seem to be anxious for business now that it’s off season, we walked a little further into town to find a bus stop where we could get a bus to Europa Point at the far south end of Gibraltar. There isn’t much information to help solo tourists. The buses are numbered but it’s hard to tell which bus goes which way or where it stops. Finally, after asking several bus drivers, we found the right bus stop and the right bus that took us to Europa Point, which has a lighthouse, a big gun battery and a nice viewing plaza. There’s also a memorial dedicated to Polish armed services members who had escaped Poland and then fought with the rest of the Allies in WWII. (Anita is looking at the sign in the first picture.)
We got back on another bus and went to the cable car station. We had planned to take the cable car up to the top of the Rock and walk back, seeing the Siege Tunnels and some of the other military infrastructure on the way down. The runway and about 1/2 the town are built on rock excavated from the 30 miles of military tunnels that are inside the mountain.
However, it was my turn to be at less than full health. I’d had a headache and dizziness all morning so we decided that we should just take the cable car both up and back down. I was a little disappointed but we still got to see the best part anyway, which is the Rock itself. Up at the lookout terrace, we got a few pictures and enjoyed the view. There were monkeys all over the place. They can be aggressive, looking for food, and one woman suffered a slight bite while we were there. However, it’s no wonder. Tourists go right up to them and pat them and cuddle them for pictures, like they’re house pets not wild animals. There are very high fines for feeding them but that still doesn’t deter some people from getting too close.
The lookout terrace was not crowded at all and, in fact, we had a cable car all to ourselves on the way back down. At the bottom, we had no desire to see the town. The streets are busy and everything is very confined. From the lookout terrace, we could see that there were condos built on reclaimed land around a marina. We have no idea why anyone would choose to live in Gibraltar if not for work. However, it seems that some Brits do retire here. Strange.
About 1:30 pm we got a bus back to the border. As we passed through customs, no-one even looked at us. We had about an hour before the next M 240 bus back to Estepona so we split a Whopper and fries at a nearby Burger King.
Back at the bus station, there was no ticket window open for the Avanza bus line so we assumed we bought the ticket from the driver. We were first in line and about 2 minutes before the bus was to leave, the driver told us this was not the case. I ran back inside and bought tickets for the Avanza bus from the Comes bus company window. Who knew?
Anyway, they held the bus for us and for 3 other people who had made the same mistake. Then we drove a few blocks to the first bus stop and the driver sold a ticket to the person who got on. Strange system.
Almost all the way back to Estepona we saw nice coastline that is unbelievably overbuilt with condos. The Costa del Sol is very pleasant, scenery and weather wise, but it’s a bit of a shock to see how many Northern Europeans want to holiday or live along the same 100 km of coast.
Gibraltar was one of our must-see sights for this trip and it was interesting because of all the military history that we’ve all heard about. However, a few hours there is all it takes. Now we we have a few more days in the sun.
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