Hola,
Sundays shops are closed here in La Linea so we’re having a quiet day on the boat…catching up with these emails, defrosting the frig, washing the bedding, fixing the running lights, polishing the fuel, repairing the helm chair….quiet. Maybe later I’ll go for a walk later just to go for a walk…but being on the boat for a day isn’t so bad. The only catch is that whereas in Tunisia we could both share the Internet password and it didn’t expire after the week as it was supposed to do; in this marina we have to take turns. It costs 15 Euros, about $20 for a week so hopefully it will last longer too. We’ll find out Tuesday morning.
Ru
We spent most of our first visit to Gibraltar in chandleries shopping for boat needs and having lunch at Morrisons. Our second visit we needed a welder so after meeting up with Sue and Ed at the Queensway Quay Marina we walked to the industrial area a half mile or so further along the road. During our passage from Tunisia the metal bottom of the seat gave out on our helm chair so that needed to be welded back together. The first welder spoke no English so passed Randal on to the other welder who made an effort to understand. He sort of did and did a “good enough job.” The language barrier was too great for a detailed explanation of what Randal really wanted so the fellow did what he thought was needed. When Randal offered him 10 pounds for his work the man shook his head no, that the work was free, but Randal insisted and the welder was quite happy. We all figured the other welder was quite unhappy that he hadn’t made an effort to work with Randal.
From there we walked over to Main Street with the aim to visit the Glass Museum and maybe the Julian Lennon Beatles Exhibit.
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American War Memorial Arch Lots of plaques dedicated to various wars; this plaque was for WW 2 |
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To read this I had to zoom way in and find the missing letters to understand why Thomas Jefferson was mentioned. Someone on the War Memorials Commission needs to refurbish this plaque. While researching this memorial I came across the following site and response to his posting… “June 19, 2013 · by Brit on the Rock · in Architecture, Gibraltar, Life, Local Information, Photography, Tourism. · Over on Line Wall Road and next to Orange bastion is the American War Memorial. I use these steps almost every single time I go into town, but today I stopped and actually took some pictures for those of you who might well be interested in a closer look. (He does post some nice photos) One response on “American War Memorial – Gibraltar” bluonthemove June 22, 2013 at 20:09 · · Reply → “So the USS Enterprise did exist and was based in Gibraltar. Beam me up Scotty.” http://britontherock.com/2013/06/19/american-war-memorial-gibraltar/ http://www.enterprise.navy.mil/ for the real info about this retired Naval ship |
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WW I memorial “Located near the beginning of Line Wall Road and part of the American steps for pedestrians to connect to the lower Reclamation Road and Queensway, this memorial was designed by Dr. Paul Cret of Philadelphia for the American Battle Monuments Commission. This prominent arch was built into the main City Wall in 1932-33 to commemorate the achievements and comradeship of the U.S. and Royal Navies during the World War I (1914-1918).” http://www.gibraltarinformation.com/ |
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Lots of shops along Main Street including an Marks & Spencer |
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Closed on Saturdays… Lots of shops with Cohen and Levy to show the presence of Jewish merchants but I read that the Jews here are mostly Orthodox so their shops are closed Saturdays. Kosher Café “ With its chic brown-and-gold suede seating and vibrant orange chairs, Verdi Verdi wouldn’t be out of place on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. On a recent Friday afternoon, an American Jewish woman studying abroad in Spain popped in to grab a soup and was shocked to discover a Jew running a kosher establishment, despite the mezuzah on the door. "Kvetching about the price of soup?" Greenberg asked her. "How do you know that word?" she responded in surprise. Greenberg says he wants his restaurant to appeal broadly to Gibraltarians, but like Abergel he laments the insularity he associates with the community’s increasing piety. And according to Benady, the isolation is a concern even beyond the confines of the community. "There is a bit of a concern amongst the non-Jewish population that we are isolating ourselves a little,” Benady said. “But it’s very difficult to decide where to draw the line.” That sort of closeness yields little room for those Jews who don’t observe in the Orthodox fashion, some say. There are no non-Orthodox synagogues in Gibraltar, and the community observes the religious dicta published by the relatively strict Orthodox religious court in London. Read more: http://www.jta.org/ |
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A toy shop which obviously sold Legos toys. |
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Grand Casement Gates This one is Water Gate which made me think of “Watergate.” Casemates Square, positioned at the end of Main Street in the heart of Gibraltar’s shopping district, was once the site of public executions. It is now filled with fashionable outdoor cafes, boutiques, bars, a Tourist Information Centre and the Gibraltar Crystal Factory. Street performers, music and military bands entertain visitors here during the summer months. http://www.gibraltarbreaks.co.uk/entertainment.aspx We didn’t see any public executions (though Randal wanted to throttle the woman breatfeeding her baby and smoking…thankfully not at the same time.) |
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A mime and his dog I gave him a pound so he shook my hand. As I walked away from him I looked down at my hand expecting to see that it was now white. But it wasn’t. |
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I put a pound in this performer’s cup which caused her to roll the pin up and down on the board. |
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Gibraltar Crystal Factory and it’s glass blowing demonstration/exhibit I’ve seen this before where you could get a bit closer and see better so this was a bit disappointing. The exhibit was free but the glass pieces in the show room….through which you were pointed to exit….were definitely not free. |
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It must have started out as a blob of glass but was in the process of being made into a dolphin
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Entry fee was 8 pounds = $12 US None of us thought it worth it. Sue and Ed were interested and Randal sort of did too. I didn’t. Perhaps if it had also been free… |
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There was a quilt exhibit created using images drawn by school children to illustrate present day Gibraltar. You can see the cable car to the top of The Rock and the famous Barbary Ape…maybe Scruffy. |
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This quilt showed historic Gibraltar. |
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Come all the way to Gibraltar to find Yankee Candle!
I thought this was nice of them |
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There was a “local crafts” shop that sold products rather than craft materials. But classes were offered which makes me long to be somewhere finally where I can stay put and take a class. |
