Spain: Day 12

Warren and I took a ferry from Algercias to Tangier, Morroco.  Although the ferry ride was only about an hour long, it took us a total of 4 hours of travel time each way.  It was a long day but worth it!  It was so totally different from Spain.



 

The Ferry

What it looked like approaching Tangier.

Since we were a little nervous about going to Africa by ourselves, we went with a tour.  The bus tour drove us thru the old and the new parts of the city.  One of our first stops was for a camel ride.  I have a picture of Warren on the camel but I can't find it  :(  I had no interest in a ride on a camel!!  There were men there trying to sell us jewellery and they were uncomfortably persistent.

Of course a snake charmer.  Just what all the tourists want to see!

Entrance to Kasbah - residential neighborhood was the beginning of the walking tour.  I couldn't believe the roads were even narrower than in Spain.

They must not have very good electricians in Tangier ;) There were wires and cords hanging everywhere. 

Open markets everywhere. Some of the fruits and vegetables and cheeses looked really good. I can't say the same for the open air meat markets.

Overall, Tangier was amazing to see for the few hours were there.  After we passed through customs on our way back to the ferry, we we couldn't get past this man who was arguing with one of the guards.  He wouldn't let anyone past him.  Finally, Warren grabbed my hand and he pushed his way through the people.  We were pretty happy to get back on the ferry. 

Spain: Day 11

June 20th, 2012

The Rock of Gibraltar is located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Rock is Crown property of the United Kingdom, and borders Spain.  Most of the Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 250 Barbary macaques.

The Rock of Gibraltar was one of the Pillars of Hercules. In ancient times the two points marked the limit to the known world.

The Great Siege Tunnels were created during Gibraltar’s 14th Siege, known as The Great Siege, which lasted from 1779-1783, when France and Spain attempted to recapture the Rock of Gibraltar from the British. They were created as a means to get cannons onto the steep north face of the rock.

When World War II broke out in 1939, the authorities evacuated the civilian population to Morocco, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, and Madeira so that the military could fortify Gibraltar against a possible German attack. By 1942 there were over 30,000 British soldiers, sailors, and airmen on the Rock. They expanded the tunnel system and made the Rock a keystone in the defence of shipping routes to the Mediterranean.

View from one of the tunnels

Aerial view - we had to walk across the runway to get into town.

Pillar of Hercules

This ape took this ice cream cone away from a young girl.  The girl was about 12 or so and was running around screaming while the ape chased her.  Finally she just chucked it on the ground and the ape got what it wanted.  Although the apes are quite friendly, our tour guide warned us to stay away from them. Their presence is documented on the Rock before it was captured by the British in 1704. The original introduction of the macaques was most likely orchestrated by the Moors who occupied the area between 711 and 1492, who kept them as pets.

A popular belief holds that as long as Gibraltar Barbary macaques exist on Gibraltar, the territory will remain under British rule. In 1942 (during World War II), after the population dwindled to just a handful of individuals (just seven monkeys), British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill ordered their numbers be replenished immediately from forest fragments in both Morocco and Algeria because of this traditional belief.

Ape Den where the apes are fed daily.

Supposedly the best fish and chips Britain has to offer (according to our tour guide).  They were pretty good!  The British menu was almost as hard to decipher as the Spanish menu!

Spain: Day 10

June 19th, 2012

We drove to Granada which is where the Alhambra is located. The Alhambra consists of Alcazaba (The Fortress), The Nasarid Palaces, the Generalife Garden and the Medina (the town).

The Alhambra's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the reconquest by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers.  After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Walking to the Alhambra.  The landscaping was beautiful! Most of the tourist sites had these nifty audio-listening devices that gave us a self-guided tour experience.

Original entrance to the Alhambra built by Yusuf I in 1348

 

 

 

Alcazaba, the fortress and the military headquarters for the Nasrid dynasty, was built on the highest point of the hill. Hence, it got the positional advantage to defend the royal family. Though originally, the construction had 24 towers, but currently only a few remain.

Spain suffered enormously during the reclamation of Spanish soil. The Catholic kings, Isabel and Fernando had no "permanent royal residence." The Kings and the Spanish court took up residence in the Alhambra.

In the last weeks of 1491, Columbus was invited to the royal camp on the outskirts of Granada as the monarchs prepared for their final battle with the Muslims. However, when he asked for 10% of all the riches gained from his expedition, the rank of “Admiral of the Ocean”, and the position of “Viceroy and Governor of the Indies”, they flat out rejected his plans.

Legend has it that Columbus left the camp. But King Ferdinand’s Treasurer spoke to Ferdinand afterward and convinced him that the investment was insignificant compared to the potential reward. So, Ferdinand sent a court official to go after Columbus and bring him back.

Luckily for Columbus, on January 2^nd, 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella finally defeated the Muslim Iberians after nearly eight centuries of fighting. At last, the monarchs could “kick back”, relax, and think about investing in something other than the war.

The monarchs received Columbus in the “Hall of Ambassadors” of the Alhambra where Columbus once again made his pitch to Isabella and Ferdinand. Only, this time they were the conquerors of Spain and no doubt feeling pretty good about themselves. So, they handed Columbus the keys to three ships that would take him on a voyage that would change the world forever.

Hall of the Ambassadors

Patio de los Leones

The Generalife Gardens

16th century palace of Charles V built by Charles, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527.

Amazing picture Warren took from really high up :)

Spain: Day 9

June 18th, 2012

We took a day trip to Rhonda.  It is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of the city of Málaga. The drive included incredibly windy, steep roads.  Its population is approximately 35,000.

Puente Neuvo

Ronda's 'new bridge' reaches across the 98m Tajo gorge. The bridge bisects Ronda into new town and old. The project was first proposed by King Felipe V in 1735, to improve an earlier and impossibly steep 16 th century bridge, the Puente Viejo. Parts of the span column interiors were used as a prison and, later, as a bar, but are now a museum. It is said that, during the Civil War, that captives were sometimes dispatched from the balconied windows to the rocks below.

Many Moorish towns and villages wasted away after the Christians put the final seal on the reconquest. Ronda was always too important for that.  Moorish buildings that had remained intact and appeared likely to stay that way barring deliberate demolition were simply commandeered and adapted by the incoming Christians.This was not the first attempt to build such a bridge. Records disagree on the actual dates, but in the early 1730s, one was knocked together in just eight months by Juan Camacho and José Garcia. Their hastily constructed and nail-bitingly perilous structure survived for only six years before collapsing with the loss of around fifty lives.Construction took 42 years, and the Puente Nuevo was finally ready for use in 1793.

We ate our mid-day meal on the balcony of one of those buildings! 

The Old Bridge

In Ronda, there is a bullfighting ring.  Completed in 1784, it is one of the oldest in Spain.

Nowadays, it is preserved and only used once a year for a special bullfight “corrida”. For the rest of the year, visitors can walk round the bullring itself, the stables and some backstage areas and study the history of bullfighting in the special museum.