Gibraltar

Your monkeys are probably apes ! 
Must be Gib.
Look forward to pics.

Hi Ken, glad to hear it’s hot and sunny for you. I’m looking forward to seeing your photos too.
Katt 

Cheers WL & Katt.
Spot on Willylad. I recently read with horror of a proposed cull of the Barbary apes of Gibraltar but having lived amongst them for a while , I can see the locals problem. They are everywhere & you must keep doors & windows closed all the time ( a bit of a pain for many of the locals without a/c ). The local shopkeeper suffered substantial losses as one gang of apes kept watch on his store from bushes over the road.Everytime a customer left the shop door open they would be in & out like a flash — shoplifting anything they could get their hands on !!
Their favourite trick was for one of them to hold the fridge door open whilst his accomplice nicked a couple of ice-creams.
Here`s one I felt sorry for :-

Inserted by Admin NO it is not a picture of me!

He`d just been in a scrap & came off second best. 
Unfortunately I didn`t have my wildlife-care medical kit with me.

Ken.

Aw poor Ape  Hope he was ok.

We went to Gibralter a few years ago and I thought the apes were great, they were very cheeky though, one of the locals told me to put a bit of fruit in my mouth for the ape to take out  like a fool I did, but they were very gentle. Had to keep a tight hold on your belongings  but thats the fascination of them and why tourists go to visit.

I can understand the locals being annoyed at being pestered by them, but its a shame to cull them, is the no other way??

Admin I am pleased you made a note to say that it wasnt you, I would have been fooled, you have been absent a while……holidaying in Gibralter were you  

  He he — that`s just what I thought but wasn`t as brave as you to say so , W.W. !
Here`s one I took of an ape getting a lift on an ape getting a lift !!

Ken.

Ken wrote:   He he — that`s just what I thought but wasn`t as brave as you to say so , W.W. !

Ken.

I will no doubt suffer for it  

AAwwww Bless how cute, very good Photo Ken

Enjoying the photo’s as always. The monkeys are looking good to 

I hope you don’t mind me joining in Ken, but we were in Gibraltar 2 years ago and thought it was brilliant. We were only there for the day and would love to go back for a long weekend, there is so much to see and so much history.

I look forward to the rest of your stories and pictures.

Meanwhile here is one we took of the apes.

Cheers Kristof .
And finally here`s a couple I took at tea-time :-

They`re quite broad-minded and allow breast feeding in public ! :-

Ken.

Excellent pics as usual Ken. Any of Gib itself ?

Yes, but first I`ll indulge in this one :-

If you watched the Michael Palin series, you`ll have seen him about to start his trek across the Sahara , sat outside The Angry Friar in Gibraltar enjoying a beer.
This Ken sat in exactly the same spot doing exactly the same thing !!

Ken.

On a more serious note, just in front of The Angrey Friar is the Governor`s House which narrowly escaped a serious bombing about 20 years ago :-

British Intelligence got wind that a bomb attack was planned by three suspects who they shot dead . A car was later found containing 140lb of Semtex with a timing device set to go off during the changing of the guard.

Ken.

Good photos Ken ! Look at you sat there in shorts,it does look a lovely day. Do you make albums with all your adventures and photos in ? They’re nice to look back through in Winter weather.
Katt 

Yes you do look relaxed sitting in the sunshine……not jealous though  

You seem to be having a lovely time, bet you dont want to come back to good old Blighty now the winter is setting in.

Enjoy the rest of the trip and keep posting the pics x

Cheers Katt & WW. Yes,I must admit, I do enjoy the sun & warm weather.
Here`s the opposite side of The Governor`s House :-

Superb photos, as always, Ken.
Brings back many happy memories of my trips to Gib.
Being fans of the mighty Michael Palin, me and Doug also called for a beer in The Angry Friar.
Thanks for the pics, keep ‘em coming.

They’re lovely sunny photo’s Ken, thanks for sharing them. Those cannons look handy for unwelcome visitors.

These pictures bring back many happy memories for me.

Thanks as ever Ken.

You`re welcome,Douglas.
Here`s one of the few I was able to take of The Rock itself :-

Ken.

Last edited by Ken on 05 Oct 2008 06:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That is such a good photo Ken ! The colour of the sky, the sea, the trees and the Rock itself, are wonderful. I wish I was an artist, it would make a beautiful painting.
Katt 

That’s a cracking photo, of a piece of rock that is OURS!
Rule Brittania.

A belated thank you from me as well. These are bringing back happy memories for me, it is a fabulous place and somewhere we hope to go back one day. 

At one time Gibraltar was largely Arab. There are still 2,000 muslim residents. Partially for their benefit and partially so that it could be seen from Africa , King Fahd of Saudi Arabia gifted the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim mosque at the southerly tip of The Rock :-

Ken.

Great pics Ken. Whats it like for shopping? I hear the prices are very low.
Michelle.

Yes. There`s no tax & most things are far cheaper than U.K.
I dont drink spirits but look at these prices :-

These are litre bottles! £3.75 for genuine scoth whisky & brandy at £2.75 a litre !

Ken.

It has to be said, that was the main attraction for Doug & Me!

There`s only one main street :-

But its a long one with a huge variety of shops.

Ken.

Whilst driving me into town one morning , the recently retired Gibraltar Chief of Police was telling me of his utter dismay at the decline in law & order and respect for authority in England & how we were seen by the rest of Europe as being the only country which religiously followed EEC directives,Human Rights Act,etc to ridiculous extremes.
Apart from smuggling & money laundering, crime rates in Gibraltar are extremely low.
Hence the Law Courts are very quiet :-

The entrance to the Court is one of the prettiest I`ve seen:-

Ken.

Ken wrote:Whilst driving me into town one morning , the recently retired Gibraltar Chief of Police was telling me of his utter dismay at the decline in law & order and respect for authority in England & how we were seen by the rest of Europe as being the only country which religiously followed EEC directives,Human Rights Act,etc to ridiculous extremes.
Ken.

If he thinks in that way, can you mention to him that there is a job going at the Met which might just be up his street. 

And finally — Casemate`s Square :-

A pleasant square at the North end of the main street. Plenty of pubs & restaurants to enjoy a drink , a bite to eat and relax in the sun