Please forgive me for not posting some of these pictures sooner, but I have just been that busy.  Overall the day was a great success and everyone had a wonderful time.  The weather was a staggering 45C in the direct sunlight..it nearly killed me.  Anyway.. over the next few days, I will be posting my favorite pictures of the 561 that I took.  It’s hard work you know.

Enjoy!!

Check out the girls in the background.

Who doesn't like baloons

The yellow dress

Lovely little donkey.

Fair maidens in a row.

I want

I still have lots of great shots to show you from the Morocco day trip. Enjoy!

Inside the main fruit,veg and meat market

halal butcher

man selling prickly pairs

skinned and ready to go..hint- it's upside down

Barbary Partridge

Prickly pears up close

Bread for sale

Bread for sale

Bunnies and Chicks

Olives and then some.

More photos tomorrow. Watch Monday for the Romeria photos from Sunday.

Okay, so I had no idea it was October, honest..I also thought that the Romeria was going to be held on the 6th, but they have decided to have it on Sunday the 4th so that more people could attend.. it is always best when it occurs on a Sunday or Saturday.  The weather is always good for this event,and in case you don’t know to what I am referring, this is the annual fiesta where the locals dress in traditional costume, there will be drassage demonstrations, Wagon judging you name it..it will be great.. be down on the beach for about 10 am to catch it all.. I will be taking lots of photos to be sure, but try and be there if you can..you can see pics from the last two in the October archives.  Please remember, that everything will be closed on the 7th for the official holiday.

The quick trip to Tanger was done thru the port at Algeciras.  The return fare is 66 euros or one way 37.50 bought separately. We went by fast ferry from Algeciras to Tanger.  First let me give you the inside scoop.  When you arrive at the Ferry terminal, there will be guys there trying to get you to park under the bridge and buy your ticket thru them.. They will quote 20 euros a day parking.. its only 23 in the official lot.  Plus they will try and tell you that the ticket offices are closed due to a fiesta… The ticket offices Never close, these guys are just gonna take your money and then your car in all likely hood will be either towed or broken into.. Don’t do it.

Now, we took the fast ferry, which still managed to take 2.5 hours.. they say and hour..never gonna happen. I have done the crossing 3 times, and 2.5 is about the norm..if not longer depending on the seas.

When you arrive at the port on the other side, there will be gentlemen that will try and take you to a hotel get you a taxi etc.. these guys are a great idea.. most are licensed, so they won’t see any harm come to you.  They will also offer to be your guide, but they will try and charge crazy money.  The truth is, you don’t need a guide in Tanger, everything is walking distance, and a taxi to anywhere in town is 5 euros.. so use them if you get tired.  Confirm price prior to commencement of your journey.

I have a lot of photos to show you, so without further ado here they are.

Don't be shy, get in there.. this is the main entrance to the sook thru the old gate

can you pick out the westerners?

Men don't stand a chance in this market..

Beautiful fabrics were everywhere.

Just look at this fabic.. just gorgeous!

I could spend days walking thru the textiles market

Market in Tanger more more more

Fresh breads daily in the market

life goes on.

Little side street I helped along

So, a bit of info about Gibraltar.  It is said, that who ever controls the mouth of the Med, controls the med, this is why the struggle for its control has been ongoing for years and years.  Inside the rock itself, you will find 30km of tunnel, hundreds of small opening where cannons protrude unseen from below.  During the Great Siege, 1779-1783, the tunnels and its rooms could sustain 10,000 people for up to 2 years, that is pretty amazing in itself.  Up the rock, you can enjoy the monkeys and the view, as well as wonder thru the tunnels up to a certain point, most of the old rooms and tunnels are shut off to the public now, but there is still a lot to see.  I have included a photo of the soldiers rations as posted in the rocks entry way.

A soldiers monthly rations

Cannon hatch

My Brother Kelly looking non chalant

Another view from up the rock

With this flag I do control.

The rock from the customs office parking lot. Dragados means dredging machines

Flash back curtains. On this pole would have hung long strips of leather which would have prevented any back flash from occuring and possibly starting a fire in the tunnels.

a soldiers monthly rations

Well we are still on day one of our road trip from Salobreña. After seeing the monkeys, we decided to stay the night in a small inexpensive pension.  Two beds to the room, bathroom down the hall. 40 pounds a night per room, and it includes an English breakfast. One egg, bacon, 1 sausage, 1 toast, juice and coffee, jam and butter.  There may have been something else on the plate, but I cannot remember.  The name of the place was the Cannon Hotel.  It is basically a 1 star property.  The photos today are in and around the town and shots of the harbor, airport and cemetery.  I will give you more info about the rock itself tomorrow. Enjoy!

Main shopping street.

Shoppers on patrol

There are jewelery stores everywhere.

Liquor and Cigarettes are very cheap here.. actually a lot of the liquor is cheaper in Spain.

Our hotel room, simple but sufficient.The rooms are very basic, but over all okay.

This fellow is officially out of the witness protection program with this photo.

A busy little cafe

Fortunately, you can also take a cable car up the rock to the top.

A busy harbor

harbor again

Yes that is the runway right behind the cemetary.

A cafe in the main square

An old cannon protecting Gibraltar from attack by the French and Spanish during the Great Siege of 1779/1783

So believe it or not, this is still the same day… day 1.  We have been to Guadix, La Calahorra, Ronda, the cork forests, and now Gibraltar.  We stayed the night in Gibraltar, and I will give more details on that later.. I have a great number of photos of the Barbary Apes, mainly because I can’t resist them.  The Gibraltar post, will be spread out over 2 or 3 days so that I can show you everything.

Without further explanation, The Barbary Apes of Gibraltar.

What a face.

Mmm bread

Hangin with Ma

Sentry

There's no place like home.

Cute

the family

A reminder that they are wild.

And I have the bite marks to prove it. It was a juvenile that did this.. more of a love bite, but it did hurt.

Okay so after Guadix and the cork forest it was on to Ronda followed by Gilbralter.  Our visit to Ronda was cut short due to the lack of parking anywhere down town, and there were large numbers of tourists.  Normally Ronda is too hot during the summer months to visit, so Sept thru April are usually good months to visit.  Here are our shots. There is lots to see there other than the gorge, like the Bull Ring..it either is the oldest in Spain or one of the oldest.. either way, it’s old..sorry no pics time was limited by the crowds.

Giving up and pulling over on the left to take photos..No parking here

Travelers and their dogs on the Gorge Bridge

Running to get that photo

Bottom of the Gorge

part of the gorge in Ronda

Great iron works between the posts on the bridge. No jumpers here

da gorge at Ronda

gorgeous shot

The Ronda Parador overlooks the gorge

The Parador

a view from the bridge

A farm house still in use today.

A very Henry Moore like bronze statue down town Ronda

Did you know that the cork tree (supplier of wine stoppers everywhere) is part of the oak tree family.

On my recent road trip, we passed thru miles and miles of cork forests.  Cork forests cover 2700000 hectares in Europe spanning 7 countries.  We got to stop and see the trees up close, and also see the stacks of cork drying in the hot Andalucian sun. Quick fact: A cork tree can only be harvested about every 9 years, the trees can live as long as 500 years, and it takes 40 years before they start actually producing viable cork.  There is an old saying, Eucalyptus is for us, pine trees for our children and cork trees for our grandchildren.  This is why most cork business are handed down from generation to generation. Enjoy the pics.

The beautiful Spanish countryside.

Cork Forest and Friends

Close up of a cork tree regenerating itself

Cork stacked for drying

A really big pile set to dry.

Up close.

Closer still.

The big pile

Okay, from Guadix we headed to La Calahorra to see the great fortress.  It is literally minutes away. Please note that the fortress is only open on Wednesdays.  The good news is that you can drive right up to the Fortress door, it is a bit tricky to find the route, but we did it.  I have also included a photo of the beautiful Cathedral in Guadix.  Enjoy

Fortress Calahorra

another angle

I don't know what this is.

Fortress door. the sign says open on wednesdays only

Part of the original wall encircling the Fortress

Fortress at La Calahorra

fo

Location, Location, Location.