Month: April 2012

A longer day than expected, but the stretch of coastline was very scenic and there were plenty of birds and flowers to look at. In the final half mile we found a first reference to Santiago.

Finally, after what seems like months and months of planning, we are in Gibraltar. We visited the top of the island and talked to the apes before visiting the cathedral to get our Camino passport stamped (by a very nice lady in the office) and had our photo taken before starting on the route.

We drive to The Rock, arriving just after 9 and catch the cable car to the top. We have 12 miles to walk to Algeciras this afternoon and although some practice has been done it may not be enough! Excuses!

We go up the rock in the company of a car full of cruise ship passengers, there are two big ones at anchor under the rock. They seem more concerned by the minor lurches as the cars reach the half way point than possible navigational problems with their hotel. The famous barbary apes elicit a predictable number of oos and aas before demonstrating their cleptomania by grabbing crisps from a child in the cafe and retreating a safe distance to eat them. After talking to the monkeys we descend to get a sello (stamp for our pilgrim passports) from a very pleasant lady in the cathedral office.
Setting off back across the runway to La Linea (RAF Gibraltar lands across the only connection with the mainland) after a tapas lunch we start walking around the bay to Algeciras (nothing to do with the arabic radio station).
We do not expect to enjoy this walk! It passes through a large chemical works where we see a redbacked shrike and several ?what warblers, followed by a section of high security wall very well decorated by a local art college. Which goes to show that on Camino the bad and the good are often neatly woven together.
The problem with this part of the route is that the two significant rivers that need to be crossed while traversing the bay are most efficiently bridged on the auto route, while there are pedestrian walkways on the bridges it may require multiple leaping of crash barriers to get to them! The latter part of this section is dangerous and tedious. The possible footbridge over the Rio Guadarraque is in fact a pipeline from one bit of chemical works to another.
Eventually we make our way through the back streets of Algeciras to the cemetry in the middle and meet up with Jane and our lift back to Tarifa.
The next day looks better but may be worse who knows?

Link to where we are on Google Maps

11.04.12 Weds.
Having stumbled yawning out of bed at Tony & Janes in Somerset and made our way to Bristol airport we check our small (less than 10kg) packs through Abnormal Baggage (Cos of the straps) we board Easyjet flight to Malaga.
An uneventful flight and hire car pick up and Jane drives us a little hesitantly to Tarifa. The most southerly town in the Iberian peninsula, where we have a flat for a week as a base to walk around from Gibraltar to Jerez (or there about). This may seem a luxurious start to our Camino but the distances are full days and we hope to fit in sight seeing in Gibratar and across the straits in Tangiers while Jane is with us. This old town much fought over is full of history with Guzman the good and PanchoIV capturing the town at various times.
Tomorrow Gibraltar calls.

Link to where we are on Google Maps