Gibraltar Rocks!
It was a multi-day sail along the Spanish coast from Cartagena to Gibraltar and we finally caught our first tuna! Apparently, it was chicken-of-the-sea tuna, not the fancy sushi kind, but fresh tuna is fresh tuna. It was awesome.
On the other hand, we were on the lookout for orcas, the lovely whales that decided to re-enter the Gibraltar area and mess with the rudders of sailboats. We didn’t see any (on this trip) but they were the talk of the season - boats that had been hit came limping into the marina, every day there was a new report, and anxious sailors shared avoidance tactics ranging from crazy (playing loud music in the hulls) to dangerous (lighting fireworks into the water).
The fall weather was blowing as we arrived to La Linea, a marina on the Spanish side of Gibraltar. Crisp air, leaves on the ground, and long sleeves mean the kids talk of only one thing - Halloween. And there were kids! All the boats that cross the Atlantic stop in Gibraltar on their way to the Canary Islands. We met up with new and old friends and the marina was one big playground.
Gibraltar is an odd but cool place. I think if you’re in the neighborhood, you should go. Russ highly recommends a visit. So there you have two opinions. After going through immigration and getting our passports stamped every time we crossed from Spain to Gibraltar and back, one must cross the airport runway to get to the rock. The runway has water on both sides and it’s a bit surreal to just walk across such an expanse of concrete.
Once in Gibraltar, it’s a British Disneyland. Fish and chips! Red phone booths! Union Jacks! We hiked up the rock with a Kiwi family from SV Minty. It is a steep trek along which we saw all the monkeys. There is a cave somehwere in that rock with a laser light show and concert hall. The views were awesome and we got in a lot of steps. It was a great hike and definitely a bit bizarre. The monkeys were a huge hit, until they blocked our path on some narrow stairs and we had to figure out if we go around them or wait. Since they weren’t in a hurry, we decided to shimmy past. We all made it, but not without some nervous tears from Rosie.
Halloween included pumpkin carving, costumes, games and trick-or-treating along the docks. Our boat neighbors cheerily agreed to hand out the candy we provided and the day culminated in a little party at the marina restaurant. Rosie (and I) matched as mermaid skeletons and Jordan was a “peacekeeper” in camo.
The next day, Jessica’s cousins Andy and Rachel arrived for a visit on Big Em. We hiked a different part of the rock and explored some WWII bunkers. The following day we said goodbye to our friend boats - we will see them again in the Canaries - and we fueled up and crossed the Strait to Ceuta, a small Spanish town on the African coast.
