GibraltarOn Friday, March 6 we got up early and drove to Gibraltar. We parked on the Spanish side and walked through customs and into Gibraltar. It was hard to conceive that
for many years this border was closed to all traffic. All
supplies including water had to be brought in by ship.
As soon as we were inside, a guide picked us up and gave us
a tour by van.
We saw the caves which were almost as spectacular as the
ones at Nerja, and then we went up on the "Rock" where we
visited with the Barbary Apes. At one point, when Len
The Siege Tunnels were most intriguing! Fifty kilometers of tunnels through the Rock of Gibraltar with cannons pointing out of openings in the rock toward the sea. Can you see the holes in the rock above the petrol station?
TarifaWe walked back to Spain across the airport runway which had traffic lights to control the vehicle and foot traffic whenever a plane landed or took off. We then drove to Tarifa, a small Spanish town west of Gibraltar that is on the narrowest part of the Strait of Gibraltar and the southernmost point of mainland Europe.This was the windiest place I have ever seen. The difference in temperature between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic generate some terrific air curents in this part of the country. The wind is used to generate electricity with enormous wind generators that decorate most of the surrounding countryside. See if you can spot Len in the picture standing at the base of the wind generator.
RondaOn Saturday, Brian woke up early and walked down to the beach in time to see the sun rise over the peaceful Mediterranean while the fishermen prepared and launched their boats for the days catch. This would be a great life - to go fishing every day!
After reaching Ronda, it was fascinating to walk down the main street and visit the little shops along the way to the town square and the lookout at the top of the canyon wall.
Even more exciting than the trip to Ronda was the drive home along the scenic route which followed a very narrow country road, often too narrow for two cars to pass. This road took us through several very small villages where, in one instance, the friendly townspeople shouted out a chorus of "Hola!" as we drove slowly by. The hillsides were covered with olive trees and we spotted several large flocks of sheep grazing on the grassy slopes.
GranadaOn Sunday we drove to Granada to see the ancient Moorish castle, the Alhambra, and the adjoining Generalife gardens and palace. The architecture was incredible. To think this had been preserved from the 13th and 14th centuries, was even more remarkable.Here we also experienced the grandeur of the palace of the Emperor Charles V dating back to the 16th century. What we saw here was definitely a highlight of our trip! On our way back from Granada we stopped to visit friends of some friends in Prince George, Andy and Cheryl Yost, who are caretakers at a G.M.U. Bible camp near Trebouko, and their friends, Paul and Sherri Nilsen who work in a nearby village. It was wonderful to find people from "home" (Washington and New Jersey, USA) who were so friendly and accomodating, and instant friendships were formed. They talked to us about their work and experiences in Spain.
MarbellaWe took Monday "off" - slept late, sat in the sun, walked on the beach, drove to Marbella and had paella for supper. This was not quite the cuisine for the sensitive palate of a Manitoba flatlander. The seafood was more acceptable for the British Columbians in our group but definitely not our favourite.
FuengirolaTuesday was market day in Fuengirola again. We left early enough to stop and have churros and chocolate for breakfast and then, with the assistance of some friendly locals, we found the market. By now we were seasoned marketeers, and this could be our last chance to buy what we wanted. We had a long list which included a leather jacket, watches, a dress, tee shirts, CD's and nuts. This friendly gentleman was out for a morning stroll, enjoying the beautiful, warm sunshine.Later we stopped to investigate a castle just west of Fuengirola. It looked like it was being restored so we were not permitted inside. Later we found that the Sohail Castle was built by the Arabs in 956 AD.
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opened his bag to get a new roll of film, one of them reached in,
pulled out a bag of postcards and proceeded to eat them. 
The tour guide let us off in town where we visited
Trafalger Cemetery and then we roamed through Gibraltar
enjoying the narrow streets, some of which were stairs. I
presumed that these were made before the time of automobiles. 
There were a dozen or more wind surfers on the
water at Tarifa taking advantage of the high winds. We watched
one even do a complete arial 360! The beaches in Tarifa were
some of the most beautiful that we saw while we were in Spain,
and they stretch out for miles!
After breakfast, we drove up the winding highway to the
inland city of Ronda. Brian had grown up in the mountains of
British Columbia and felt quite at home driving the narrow,
winding road, but Shauna had spent all her life on the Manitoba
prairie and was very uneasy with the whole situation. 
Ronda is naturally fortified with steep, sheer cliffs
dropping off sharply to the valley floor. There is a large 18th
century bridge over a river gorge connecting the old city to the
new. In the river gorge and the valley below there are remains
of several ancient walls and other fortifications from different
eras, as well as an early electric generating station with
flumes carved right into the face of the cliff to carry river
water to and from the water generator. Brian and Len found it
fascinating to explore these ruins and to imagine what it must
have been like in the "old days". 
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