It was a new day and I was determined to have a better mind set after Sevillle’s stealing situation. I had spent quite some time looking up Decathlons to see of there were any superstores on our journey which we could dive into. I had looked online and found that they started at €140 which in comparisons the previous rust bucket I had witnessed in Seville was just what I needed. Luckily for me there was one on the way to Gibraltar so after a quick detour we arrived and within 30 minutes I had a brand spanker of a bike! We continued our drive to Gib. Our camper spot was perfect (INSERT NAME) , situated outside of Gibraltar we were still on Spanish soil at a nearby harbour. On one side we had boats parked up in the marina and on the other a stunning unobscured view of the towering famous rock. It was cheap too at Levanter a night! We chose to stay here because according to the world wide web crossing the border is a nightmare in a car and so is driving around the place itself. We decided that cycling over was sufficient enough for us. We’d arrived in the afternoon and I was keen to start exploring. This place meant a bit more than a rock to me as it was were my parents met when posted here in the RAF. Now that was some decades ago but they came back for their 25th wedding anniversary. I messaged my mum in need of some first hand recommendations. Me and Josh did want to go up the rock that day but a huge cloud hung over the top which put us off. It was so bizarre everywhere surrounding Gibraltar was clear and sunny however there it had a cloudy cover, I found out from my mum that its a genuine thing its called the Levanter and its a famous element of Gib. So theres some knowledge for you – I know I never give any fun facts so there you go. I was also so excited to cycle over the famous runway to gain entry to it. We hopped on our bikes, my shiny new one was an absolute treat and it couldn’t have put me in a better mood. We followed the other cyclists who looked like they knew what they were doing and ended up at the border. I must say the security is so lax it was quite bizarre. A quick flash of our passports from a distance of about 10 metres from the official and we were pedalling over the runway tarmac. The vast space either side was quite spectacular if only I could’ve stopped and taken a snap but that would’ve been highly illegal! We followed the flow of traffic and people around the twisting roads until we found a spot to pull over. I imagined that everything was really close together but surprisingly this rock hid clusters of ares and hilly roads which we weren’t expecting. A lovely local lady saw us looking a bit lost and we explained we wanted to see some sights and she kindly suggested we see the furthest point which wasn’t too far away especially on bikes. As we cycled through the tunnels and long the roads it felt really strange, the traffic lights were the same as at home, all the signs were in pounds and there were brands I actually recognised. It really is a slice of Britain on the edge of Spain! After soaking in the breathtaking views over the cliff edge and seeing Africa (I mean would you believe that on our trip wed see Africa?! No me neither) we headed back towards the Marina area. The cycle back was a lot harder than the way there by no exaggeration we were knackered by the end and felt like we deserved a drink. The harbour was beautiful, I have never seen water so crystal clear and aqua blue. Fishes swerved between the super yachts that bobbed up and down lazily on the water and the peacefulness was only interrupted by the chatter of a British accent. Bars and restaurants line the edge and we found the cutest place with a balcony that overhung the water. We saw a sign for Mojito Monday and snapped up the deal! I think they are genuinely the best mojitos we’ve ever had and at £2.50 a pop we easily gulped down a fair few each. Safe to say we were well and truly over the limit we couldn’t stop laughing in the sun and relaxed which sometimes I feel we don’t do enough. We headed over to a restaurant called Bianca’s, the place where my mum and dad had their very first date. Now it was that long ago I was surprised the place was still there to be honest. The food was amazing and it was so special to be able to say I visited with Joshua. When we were full to bursting and had enjoyed a few more drinks we cycled back over the tarmac with the stars glittering down on us and I was brimming with happiness it was such an amazing day and I was looking forward to another fun day exploring.
Up bright and early despite a slightly fuzzy head we were raring to explore and see some apes! Again we cycled through the super strict (not) security and across the tarmac towards the cable car. There was not a cloud in the sky thankfully and we queued up to get our tickets to the top. It was a little expensive but after yesterdays cycle we knew we wouldn’t be up for the hike! After being sandwiched into a cable car we took the steep ascent towards the top and has the most spectacular views. I was expecting to be mobbed by apes, if reviews and stories are to go off but surprisingly there weren’t any when we stepped off. We were so high above the town and the views were so breathtaking, we could see for miles in every direction. Everything is easily sign posted so we took the path down towards St Michel’s cave. Crowds gathered around the apes, some nutter tourists were stroking them and feeding them but its clear that these macaques know how to handle themselves and a swift bash and the tourist was well informed they’d had enough. Some of them (the apes not the tourists to be clear) were huge and muscly scary buggers! I was petrified of them but then the tiny babies were so so cute! It seemed they thoroughly enjoy a photoshoot too as I snapped away they seemed to pose perfectly, like they’d picked up tips from Tyra Banks. They followed us down the hillside towards the cave and one of the big b*stards even jumped on the shoulders of a man to take a dive into his backpack which took us by surprise. Taking refuge into the cave we enjoyed the coolness of the air and the magnificent lights cast hues of pinks, purples an blues against the stunning interiors moulded over time. The stalactites and stalagmites connected and contrasted to make the most wonderful caves. I would love to see a show in there as even just the soft music played echoed pristinely through the walls. When we’d seen enough we took the long and winding path down towards the bottom of the hill. We finished out little tour of the rock at the Castle which overlooked the RAF basecamp where my parents met. When we eventually made it to our bikes we thought we deserved a drink so we parked up by the main street. Seeing all the British brands was like walking down the Liverpool highstreet and I even ventured into Topshop for a sneaky peek at the latest seasons offerings. Our last stop was a cute little bar which was another of my parents favourite haunts and it was a lovely ending note to our time in Gibraltar.
