Marc Wambolt's Blog - Posts Tagged "cruises"
MARC'S MEMOS
5-15-13
I just returned from a cruise called California Coastal from San Francisco to San Diego that included Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. Even though I have been to those cities in the past, it was still nice to visit again.
In San Francisco, the ship docked and we went on an excursion to the Muir Redwoods. It is a small National Park, but is quite beautiful. It protects some of the largest trees in nature called sequoias. They are magnificent and so tall that when you look up you can hardly see the tops.
In addition to the beauty of the redwoods, we got to cross over the Golden Gate Bridge (twice.) It is truly an amazing sight to see and a marvel of human engineering. After crossing the bridge we stopped at the little town of Sausalito. It is on the northern side of the bay with a great view looking back at San Francisco and Alcatraz Island.
We hopped on the city shuttle in Santa Barbara. We made our way up and down State Street where all the shops and restaurants are. There is also an old courthouse and a beautiful mission you should see if you are ever there.
Catalina was a blast even though it is very small and the town is only about a mile wide. We rented a golf cart, as cars are limited on the island, and made a loop on a drive that took us high atop a scenic overlook down to the other side of the waterfront. There are lots of little shops to browse through and tours to go on, but we had done them before. So we just enjoyed the rest of our time sitting outside with a cup of coffee on a beautiful day by the water.
In San Diego, we went on a harbor cruise that was relaxing and very interesting. We saw the U.S.S. Midway that you can go on as it is now a museum. We saw lots of military vessels of all sizes and shapes that were being worked on in port. We also passed under the Coronado bridge and saw a lot of beautiful homes and hotels. It was a good way to spend a couple of hours on a sunny day from a great vantage point on the upper deck taking in the sights.
We decided to stay onboard in Ensenada as we had been there before with family members on another cruise. We decided to just relax in the hot tub. What a great way to end a vacation.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
I just returned from a cruise called California Coastal from San Francisco to San Diego that included Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. Even though I have been to those cities in the past, it was still nice to visit again.
In San Francisco, the ship docked and we went on an excursion to the Muir Redwoods. It is a small National Park, but is quite beautiful. It protects some of the largest trees in nature called sequoias. They are magnificent and so tall that when you look up you can hardly see the tops.
In addition to the beauty of the redwoods, we got to cross over the Golden Gate Bridge (twice.) It is truly an amazing sight to see and a marvel of human engineering. After crossing the bridge we stopped at the little town of Sausalito. It is on the northern side of the bay with a great view looking back at San Francisco and Alcatraz Island.
We hopped on the city shuttle in Santa Barbara. We made our way up and down State Street where all the shops and restaurants are. There is also an old courthouse and a beautiful mission you should see if you are ever there.
Catalina was a blast even though it is very small and the town is only about a mile wide. We rented a golf cart, as cars are limited on the island, and made a loop on a drive that took us high atop a scenic overlook down to the other side of the waterfront. There are lots of little shops to browse through and tours to go on, but we had done them before. So we just enjoyed the rest of our time sitting outside with a cup of coffee on a beautiful day by the water.
In San Diego, we went on a harbor cruise that was relaxing and very interesting. We saw the U.S.S. Midway that you can go on as it is now a museum. We saw lots of military vessels of all sizes and shapes that were being worked on in port. We also passed under the Coronado bridge and saw a lot of beautiful homes and hotels. It was a good way to spend a couple of hours on a sunny day from a great vantage point on the upper deck taking in the sights.
We decided to stay onboard in Ensenada as we had been there before with family members on another cruise. We decided to just relax in the hot tub. What a great way to end a vacation.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
3-28-14
I just returned from a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean. It was a memorable cruise for several reasons. The number one reason was that I got to spend the whole time experiencing it with my two wonderful grandchildren. They are old enough now to do fun things with them that they couldn't do when they were babies.
We visited three ports and went straight to the beach every time. First we headed to Jamaica's Red Stripe Beach. It was beautiful and of course, I had to try their Red Stripe Beer. Great combination, a nice beach chair and a cold one made it easy to relax and enjoy. Watching the kids digging in the sand and having a great time was the best!
The next port was Grand Cayman and the name of the beach was Seven Mile Beach. It too was beautiful, but when you went in the water, the rocky bottom tore up your feet. Lucky for me, I had brought along water shoes that have a hard rubber sole, but can get wet.
The last port was Cozumel, an island just off the coast of Yucatan, Mexico. This excursion took us to an all inclusive destination named Playa Mia. It was amazing! Besides the breathtaking scenery, there were a lot of activities for my grandkids.
We spent an unforgettable day in and on the water. There was an inflatable island made out the material similar to blow-up bouncers for kids parties. The thing was huge. The dimensions must have been at least 50 by 100 feet. It was anchored about a hundred yards offshore. The whole family, myself included, donned life vests (required even for grownups) and swam out to explore the unknown.
It turned out to be a great adventure for the kids. There were all kinds of things for them to climb, hang and swing on. It was exciting to see all of the colorful little fish underwater (we had goggles too) while we were swimming back to shore.
In addition to the ocean fun, there was a pool and giant waterslide that even my five-year old granddaughter was brave enough to try. It was great because I got it all on video. Sometime in the future, I hope they will have fun watching and remembering what a magical day it was!
I forgot to mention that we had great food and all the free drinks (alcoholic too) we wanted. It was all part of the deal. If you ever get the chance to go to Cozumel, I recommend Playa Mia for a great family-friendly memory.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
I just returned from a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean. It was a memorable cruise for several reasons. The number one reason was that I got to spend the whole time experiencing it with my two wonderful grandchildren. They are old enough now to do fun things with them that they couldn't do when they were babies.
We visited three ports and went straight to the beach every time. First we headed to Jamaica's Red Stripe Beach. It was beautiful and of course, I had to try their Red Stripe Beer. Great combination, a nice beach chair and a cold one made it easy to relax and enjoy. Watching the kids digging in the sand and having a great time was the best!
The next port was Grand Cayman and the name of the beach was Seven Mile Beach. It too was beautiful, but when you went in the water, the rocky bottom tore up your feet. Lucky for me, I had brought along water shoes that have a hard rubber sole, but can get wet.
The last port was Cozumel, an island just off the coast of Yucatan, Mexico. This excursion took us to an all inclusive destination named Playa Mia. It was amazing! Besides the breathtaking scenery, there were a lot of activities for my grandkids.
We spent an unforgettable day in and on the water. There was an inflatable island made out the material similar to blow-up bouncers for kids parties. The thing was huge. The dimensions must have been at least 50 by 100 feet. It was anchored about a hundred yards offshore. The whole family, myself included, donned life vests (required even for grownups) and swam out to explore the unknown.
It turned out to be a great adventure for the kids. There were all kinds of things for them to climb, hang and swing on. It was exciting to see all of the colorful little fish underwater (we had goggles too) while we were swimming back to shore.
In addition to the ocean fun, there was a pool and giant waterslide that even my five-year old granddaughter was brave enough to try. It was great because I got it all on video. Sometime in the future, I hope they will have fun watching and remembering what a magical day it was!
I forgot to mention that we had great food and all the free drinks (alcoholic too) we wanted. It was all part of the deal. If you ever get the chance to go to Cozumel, I recommend Playa Mia for a great family-friendly memory.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
6-30-14
I just returned from a 14-day cruise/tour to Alaska. It was seven days on land and then a seven day cruise. We flew into Fairbanks after two connecting flights to Anchorage and then boarded a smaller prop plane for the last leg. It was a long day getting there, but it was worth it. We started with an all-you-can eat salmon bake with plenty of side dishes and my favorite, lots of choices for dessert.
The land tour included staying at lodges that were part of the Princess cruise line properties. Besides Fairbanks, the land tour visited Denali National Park. If you ever get a chance, take the tundra excursion. You will see amazing wildlife and you might get a chance to see the tallest mountain in North America. Lucky for us, we had the good fortune to see it on a glorious sunny day. It is obscured from view on many days due to its height and the weather surrounding it.
The accommodations were very impressive, but the one I liked the most was the lodge on the Kenai peninsula. The room there had a fireplace and an outside deck for a great view of the scenery. It was a magnificent week on land and we still had the cruise to look forward to.
The cruise visited the ports of Skagway, Juneau (the capital) and Ketchikan. Each port has its own unique quality and many interesting things to do. From a train ride in Skagway to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and a lumberjack show in Ketchikan, just to mention a few.
The entire vacation went by way too fast. One of the amusing things to pass along was that we had plenty of daylight in which to do things. In Fairbanks, the sun didn't set until 12:30 a.m. and sunrise was 3:00 a.m. Also, when we arrived the temperature was 66 degrees and it was 106 degrees back in Phoenix.
Speaking of temperature, we were at one venue and they had a room that recreated a winter temperature of 40 below. We were in our regular clothes and it was almost instantly uncomfortable. Obviously, we didn't last long. It is unreal to think that people make their home in places that experience that kind of extreme. Although, people think the same of me living in the extreme heat of the desert. Anyway, I am already thinking of where my next adventure might take me.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE. MARC
I just returned from a 14-day cruise/tour to Alaska. It was seven days on land and then a seven day cruise. We flew into Fairbanks after two connecting flights to Anchorage and then boarded a smaller prop plane for the last leg. It was a long day getting there, but it was worth it. We started with an all-you-can eat salmon bake with plenty of side dishes and my favorite, lots of choices for dessert.
The land tour included staying at lodges that were part of the Princess cruise line properties. Besides Fairbanks, the land tour visited Denali National Park. If you ever get a chance, take the tundra excursion. You will see amazing wildlife and you might get a chance to see the tallest mountain in North America. Lucky for us, we had the good fortune to see it on a glorious sunny day. It is obscured from view on many days due to its height and the weather surrounding it.
The accommodations were very impressive, but the one I liked the most was the lodge on the Kenai peninsula. The room there had a fireplace and an outside deck for a great view of the scenery. It was a magnificent week on land and we still had the cruise to look forward to.
The cruise visited the ports of Skagway, Juneau (the capital) and Ketchikan. Each port has its own unique quality and many interesting things to do. From a train ride in Skagway to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and a lumberjack show in Ketchikan, just to mention a few.
The entire vacation went by way too fast. One of the amusing things to pass along was that we had plenty of daylight in which to do things. In Fairbanks, the sun didn't set until 12:30 a.m. and sunrise was 3:00 a.m. Also, when we arrived the temperature was 66 degrees and it was 106 degrees back in Phoenix.
Speaking of temperature, we were at one venue and they had a room that recreated a winter temperature of 40 below. We were in our regular clothes and it was almost instantly uncomfortable. Obviously, we didn't last long. It is unreal to think that people make their home in places that experience that kind of extreme. Although, people think the same of me living in the extreme heat of the desert. Anyway, I am already thinking of where my next adventure might take me.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE. MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
7-31-17
TRIP OF A LIFETIME (Part 4)
The excitement continues. Our next port was Livorno, Italy. This is the port for Pisa and Florence. Our excursion was to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is just one more icon of the many interesting and ancient structures spread throughout the entire country of Italy.
We had to take a motor coach (bus) ride to Pisa as it is roughly ninety minutes from where we docked. It was quite cloudy while we were on the road, but we kept hoping that it would clear up before we got there. No such luck. In addition to that, the bus had to park some distance from the area we were going to visit. As we exited the bus, we were immediately surrounded by vendors trying to get us to purchase souvenirs. They were persistent, but we resisted and proceeded to leave the parking lot and followed our guide. As she walked up the street, she held a sign on a stick high over her head. This was so everybody would be able to find her in a crowd.
We walked about twenty minutes when the first glimpse of the Tower appeared. It was still cloudy when we stopped to get some historic information from our guide. Trying to listen to her was hard because you wanted to start taking pictures and get closer to the attraction. There were a lot of words spoken so we walked a few steps away but kept close enough to stay with our group.
Meanwhile the sun was attempting to assert itself and make it a great day. Guess what? It did! The gray clouds gave way to puffy white ones and a brilliant blue sky. It was magical. The pictures became much more dramatic and beautiful.
Now the real picture taking started. The main reason for this excursion was, of course, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We took lots of pictures that included the one that everybody takes. You raise your hand and have the camera operator line up the Tower so it looks like you are trying to keep it from falling over. Click, click, click. O.K. Time to see if you got it right. No. Try again. There, that's perfect!
There were other buildings in close proximity, but we did not have much time to explore them. Unfortunately we didn't get all the historical facts as we were concentrating on the Tower. We did take pictures of them though. Then it was off again, down a narrow street to St. Mary's square and more old buildings dating back several hundred years.
After spending some time there, it was time to return to the bus. Another twenty minute walk back, then an attempt to elude the vendors again. We did it. It was easier this time. Now we could sit back and relax as we made the trip back to the ship. We took a peek at some of the pictures we took. WOW!!! The blue sky and white clouds made such a difference in the pictures that they almost looked like postcards you would send back home.
Pisa was such a wonderful sight to see and the excitement of just being there was priceless. It was definitely another check off the old bucket list!
To be continued...
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
TRIP OF A LIFETIME (Part 4)
The excitement continues. Our next port was Livorno, Italy. This is the port for Pisa and Florence. Our excursion was to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is just one more icon of the many interesting and ancient structures spread throughout the entire country of Italy.
We had to take a motor coach (bus) ride to Pisa as it is roughly ninety minutes from where we docked. It was quite cloudy while we were on the road, but we kept hoping that it would clear up before we got there. No such luck. In addition to that, the bus had to park some distance from the area we were going to visit. As we exited the bus, we were immediately surrounded by vendors trying to get us to purchase souvenirs. They were persistent, but we resisted and proceeded to leave the parking lot and followed our guide. As she walked up the street, she held a sign on a stick high over her head. This was so everybody would be able to find her in a crowd.
We walked about twenty minutes when the first glimpse of the Tower appeared. It was still cloudy when we stopped to get some historic information from our guide. Trying to listen to her was hard because you wanted to start taking pictures and get closer to the attraction. There were a lot of words spoken so we walked a few steps away but kept close enough to stay with our group.
Meanwhile the sun was attempting to assert itself and make it a great day. Guess what? It did! The gray clouds gave way to puffy white ones and a brilliant blue sky. It was magical. The pictures became much more dramatic and beautiful.
Now the real picture taking started. The main reason for this excursion was, of course, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We took lots of pictures that included the one that everybody takes. You raise your hand and have the camera operator line up the Tower so it looks like you are trying to keep it from falling over. Click, click, click. O.K. Time to see if you got it right. No. Try again. There, that's perfect!
There were other buildings in close proximity, but we did not have much time to explore them. Unfortunately we didn't get all the historical facts as we were concentrating on the Tower. We did take pictures of them though. Then it was off again, down a narrow street to St. Mary's square and more old buildings dating back several hundred years.
After spending some time there, it was time to return to the bus. Another twenty minute walk back, then an attempt to elude the vendors again. We did it. It was easier this time. Now we could sit back and relax as we made the trip back to the ship. We took a peek at some of the pictures we took. WOW!!! The blue sky and white clouds made such a difference in the pictures that they almost looked like postcards you would send back home.
Pisa was such a wonderful sight to see and the excitement of just being there was priceless. It was definitely another check off the old bucket list!
To be continued...
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
8-5-17
TRIP OF A LIFETIME (Part 5)
Our next port was supposed to be Genoa, Italy, but the cruise line opted to bypass it for another port. A reason was not given for skipping that city, but there was nothing we could do about it. As it turned out, we were happy with the decision.
The new destination was a little town that proved to be a hidden gem. The seaside community of Santa Margherita was where we were headed. It proved to be another highlight of the cruise. Imagine the charm of a little hamlet with a vibrant resort-like setting and it would describe this port.
First we just walked along the main street to check out the shops and restaurants. After a short stroll we decided ice cream was a good idea. We sat in a couple of chairs outside with a cone of our favorite Italian gelato and enjoyed the wonderful weather. Very soon the treat was gone and off we went to explore more of this beautiful little town.
We found an old church and entered it to find some interesting architecture and religious items. It is always amazing to find out how old some churches are and how well they are preserved. Of course, most of Europe has ancient churches dating back to Medieval times. As previously mentioned in travels to Rome, there are perfect examples of exquisite art and relics that have survived over many centuries.
Next we found ourselves at a little outdoor cafe. We had a beautiful view of the ocean. There couldn't have been a nicer location. We ordered a pizza and two glasses of vino. Am I dreaming? I could be. No, just living the dream!!! It was terrific and it was authentic. Plus the price was great. Fourteen Euros, including a tip they added. Win, win.
To be continued...
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
TRIP OF A LIFETIME (Part 5)
Our next port was supposed to be Genoa, Italy, but the cruise line opted to bypass it for another port. A reason was not given for skipping that city, but there was nothing we could do about it. As it turned out, we were happy with the decision.
The new destination was a little town that proved to be a hidden gem. The seaside community of Santa Margherita was where we were headed. It proved to be another highlight of the cruise. Imagine the charm of a little hamlet with a vibrant resort-like setting and it would describe this port.
First we just walked along the main street to check out the shops and restaurants. After a short stroll we decided ice cream was a good idea. We sat in a couple of chairs outside with a cone of our favorite Italian gelato and enjoyed the wonderful weather. Very soon the treat was gone and off we went to explore more of this beautiful little town.
We found an old church and entered it to find some interesting architecture and religious items. It is always amazing to find out how old some churches are and how well they are preserved. Of course, most of Europe has ancient churches dating back to Medieval times. As previously mentioned in travels to Rome, there are perfect examples of exquisite art and relics that have survived over many centuries.
Next we found ourselves at a little outdoor cafe. We had a beautiful view of the ocean. There couldn't have been a nicer location. We ordered a pizza and two glasses of vino. Am I dreaming? I could be. No, just living the dream!!! It was terrific and it was authentic. Plus the price was great. Fourteen Euros, including a tip they added. Win, win.
To be continued...
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC
MARC'S MEMOS
10-19-21
I decided to revisit a trip I took back in May and June of 2017. I never finished my journey on this blog. I took a hiatus from Goodreads. The first 5 parts are still available to read if you look back a little (not that far) in my previous posts. It was 35 days in Europe. Here is the next part.
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 6
Our next port was Provence, our connection to Marseille, France. We had decided to take an excursion (usually a bus ride) to visit the famed Church of Notre Dame de la Garde. It is not to be confused with the Notre Dame in Paris. There are many Notre Dame churches in France. It means "Our Lady" in French.
We stopped at several memorials along the way. It was a cloudy day and we were worried it might rain. We have been lucky so far with the weather. A gray sky would not hamper or disappoint us on this particular day.
We caught a glimpse of the church in the distance and as we got closer, the view became more impressive. The church was perched perfectly on a lofty hill with no other buildings on it. It stood dramatically as a beautiful place of faith. Inside was just as dramatic. We were allowed to take pictures inside and out. Some places of worship do not allow photos inside. Anyway, those pictures will be great memories of a wonderful day in France.
This was a very short entry in my blog. Part 7 is more interesting and more detailed. Where could it be? Until next time, take care! Marc
I decided to revisit a trip I took back in May and June of 2017. I never finished my journey on this blog. I took a hiatus from Goodreads. The first 5 parts are still available to read if you look back a little (not that far) in my previous posts. It was 35 days in Europe. Here is the next part.
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 6
Our next port was Provence, our connection to Marseille, France. We had decided to take an excursion (usually a bus ride) to visit the famed Church of Notre Dame de la Garde. It is not to be confused with the Notre Dame in Paris. There are many Notre Dame churches in France. It means "Our Lady" in French.
We stopped at several memorials along the way. It was a cloudy day and we were worried it might rain. We have been lucky so far with the weather. A gray sky would not hamper or disappoint us on this particular day.
We caught a glimpse of the church in the distance and as we got closer, the view became more impressive. The church was perched perfectly on a lofty hill with no other buildings on it. It stood dramatically as a beautiful place of faith. Inside was just as dramatic. We were allowed to take pictures inside and out. Some places of worship do not allow photos inside. Anyway, those pictures will be great memories of a wonderful day in France.
This was a very short entry in my blog. Part 7 is more interesting and more detailed. Where could it be? Until next time, take care! Marc
MARC'S MEMOS
10-23-21
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 7
Gibraltar was next on the itinerary. A very interesting place to visit. The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promotory located in the British territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is 426 meters high. Most of the Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 300 Barbary macaques. Gibraltar flies the flag of Great Britain even though it is geographically far away.
The excursion to the Rock starts in either a bus that carries around twenty people or a full size Grehound-like bus. Today it's on the smaller one.
Our tour was guided as usual and she spoke three languages. Most of all, you could understand her. Some of the other guides we have had were difficult to understand even though they were speaking English.
As a side note, most of the guests on this cruise were British and we had a hard time with them too. With their strong accents and special words to describe things, it made it a real challenge to figure out what they were saying. Sometimes we would ask them again. Sometimes we had to just nod, smile and say yes. We weren't being rude, we simply didn't understand. Out of three thousand guests, only one hundred and sixty were from the U.S., and most of the remaining were Brits. With very few guests from other countries like China, etc., we were definitely at a disadvantage when trying to ask or answer questions.
Of course, the cruise personnel on the ship speak many languages, but sometimes they aren't right there to help you such as on the elevators. That is where you encounter other passengers that you may not understand what they are saying.
Anyway, Gibraltar flies the flag of Great Britain even though it is geographically far away. We had an exciting tram ride to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. It was an awesome ride. The guide warned us that there were wild monkeys (macaques) qat the top and they can be agressive. They will steal just about anything they think may have food in it. Backpacks, purses, or some treat you might have bought at the cafe there, could be targets. One of the monkeys pushed open the door to the cafe and was sitting on one of the chairs before being chased out by two workers.
Our next adventure was to go to the Siege Tunnels. They were created by carving out tunnels inside the giant Rock. These tunnels provided the military here to defend against enemies and invading armies. We got to enter the tunnels and look at life-long figures and signs explaining its history. Access holes were blasted to create windows for outside air and to position cannons to fire on the enemy. It was amazing to see how large this underground labyrinth was and it's strategic effect on this relatively small piece of land.
Then we headed to Europa Point and it's lighthouse. It is the southernmost tip of Gibraltar. It is flat and on clear days you can see Spain and the mountains of Morroco (Northern Africa) across the Straits of Gibraltar (the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.)
It was a wonderful experience and just one of many great places we explored on our TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Where are we going to visit after this?
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! Marc
TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Part 7
Gibraltar was next on the itinerary. A very interesting place to visit. The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promotory located in the British territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is 426 meters high. Most of the Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 300 Barbary macaques. Gibraltar flies the flag of Great Britain even though it is geographically far away.
The excursion to the Rock starts in either a bus that carries around twenty people or a full size Grehound-like bus. Today it's on the smaller one.
Our tour was guided as usual and she spoke three languages. Most of all, you could understand her. Some of the other guides we have had were difficult to understand even though they were speaking English.
As a side note, most of the guests on this cruise were British and we had a hard time with them too. With their strong accents and special words to describe things, it made it a real challenge to figure out what they were saying. Sometimes we would ask them again. Sometimes we had to just nod, smile and say yes. We weren't being rude, we simply didn't understand. Out of three thousand guests, only one hundred and sixty were from the U.S., and most of the remaining were Brits. With very few guests from other countries like China, etc., we were definitely at a disadvantage when trying to ask or answer questions.
Of course, the cruise personnel on the ship speak many languages, but sometimes they aren't right there to help you such as on the elevators. That is where you encounter other passengers that you may not understand what they are saying.
Anyway, Gibraltar flies the flag of Great Britain even though it is geographically far away. We had an exciting tram ride to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. It was an awesome ride. The guide warned us that there were wild monkeys (macaques) qat the top and they can be agressive. They will steal just about anything they think may have food in it. Backpacks, purses, or some treat you might have bought at the cafe there, could be targets. One of the monkeys pushed open the door to the cafe and was sitting on one of the chairs before being chased out by two workers.
Our next adventure was to go to the Siege Tunnels. They were created by carving out tunnels inside the giant Rock. These tunnels provided the military here to defend against enemies and invading armies. We got to enter the tunnels and look at life-long figures and signs explaining its history. Access holes were blasted to create windows for outside air and to position cannons to fire on the enemy. It was amazing to see how large this underground labyrinth was and it's strategic effect on this relatively small piece of land.
Then we headed to Europa Point and it's lighthouse. It is the southernmost tip of Gibraltar. It is flat and on clear days you can see Spain and the mountains of Morroco (Northern Africa) across the Straits of Gibraltar (the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.)
It was a wonderful experience and just one of many great places we explored on our TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Where are we going to visit after this?
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! Marc
