Going Ape...
Another new place today as we stopped in Gibraltar, U.K. Territory. I woke up especially for breakfast this morning because I was expecting the Lido to serve an English breakfast since we were pulling into an English port. It was only regular breakfast. Oh well. I just ate a hearty one since I didn't know when we'd be stopping for a meal again today. We left the ship bright and early and as we walked down the dock we encountered our first offer for tours. It was just 3 of us since some had partied late last night and some went on Holland America tours. Our tour guide was John and he pitched a good sale, so we took it. After all he said we'd see the Gibraltar apes and get to some of the higher points of the rock. As we left the port area we drove past a Safeway grocery store or what is popularly known in England to be Morrison's. Our British cast member was especially delighted to see this store so I knew we'd be hitting it up later. We also passed something some people would be very interested in and that's the gaming headquarters for the online poker tournaments. Yes, every time you play a tourney in one of these online poker sights, you are logging right on to Gibraltar right here by port. I knew I was very close to some people today in that respect. Just as we passed these two things our Brit girl piped up that WE were on the wrong side of the road. We were driving on the other side and NOT the British side. I was slightly surprised since it was indeed a British port and here we were driving as I'm used to. Ha. We traveled up to our first stop, which were the caves. St. Michael's Caves. On the way up I learned from John that the rock is not as solid as some may say. It's mainly limestone deposits. He said the rock itself is actually inverted. The part that faces up today used to be entirely underwater. I guess during the Ice Age the two continents of Europe and Africa were merged together and what is now the Mediterranean Sea was about 80km away from the area that is now Gibraltar. As the ice melted and tectonic shifts occurred in the earth, the continents divided leaving a narrow strip of land between these two continents. Because of the large land mass in this strip that was below the water, the land flipped over like an iceberg would if the bottom was too heavy creating the face of Gibraltar as we know it today. He then went on to say that the Atlantic Ocean began spilling into the valleys east of the strip and over 100 years the Mediterranean Sea was born. It's suggested that early man lived within the caves that have formed in this narrow strip. We saw St. Michael's Caves, which had been restructured a bit to hold a concert hall. Inside are the amazing formations of stalactites and stalagmites created from the moisture dripping off the limestone. At certain times they have it set up inside so there are sound and light shows put on. It must be amazing with the acoustics in there. We left the caves and headed to an area where they have managed to gather the free roaming apes. After we arrived at that area it was simple to see why since a cute furry friend and a few of his friends jumped right up on the windshield as we pulled in and right into the car through the window. These animals know who we are and what we bring. After we got out of the car I noticed a huge area filled with chopped up fruit and veggies. AHA!! Food!! A good way to get ANY animal to gather including the seagulls crowding the air just above. The Barbary Apes are the species here. They are so friendly. Especially if you have food for them. They climb right up on your back for a munch on some delicious treats. I have the picture to prove it, although the delicious treat had already been devoured by then. My friend Alice was trying to get the attention of one of the apes on the wall and a little baby crawled up my other friend (who was standing next to her) just to get on her back and nab the treat. These furry friends were all over the place and not very afraid of us. They posed in pictures and stood their ground as if we weren't even there. Meanwhile I got some great scenic shots from on top of the rock and into the harbor below. The sun was out and we were all enjoying life at that moment. We were shuffled into the car again and taken to the Siege Tunnels on the other side of the rock. The Spanish War of Succession set the stage for a series of battles. The American Revolution inspired a French-Spanish expedition to reclaim Gibraltar in 1779. A British-Dutch force set out to capture strategic points on Gibraltar and ordered troops to dig out areas of defense. These tunnels grew to 370 feet of winding tunnels through the limestone rock with various caves overlooking the land below where a cannon would stick out. These ingenious tunnels defeated the French-Spanish revolutionaries and they remain here on the island where they were essential in the WWII Allied effort. It was yet another great place to view the city and see how this strategy was a superior one. You can barely notice the openings from below and the tunnels were extremely fortified by the landmass around them. We came out of the tunnels and we had friends again. They just followed us from the pervious point or some new ones heard all the noise from the tours coming through for the day. More apes. This was so much fun to see. We headed back to town where we wondered through this cute little British town. I was told if you want to live here, it might cost you about $1,400/month to rent a 1-bedroom apartment. If you want to buy one of the nice coastal 1-bedroom apartments that are being built at the bottom, then you'll have to shell out a mere $2 million!!!
After all the sightseeing we sat down for a nice English Sunday dinner. Most of the shops in town were closed because it was a Sunday, so we didn't walk around town too much. English Sunday dinner consists of a meat (mostly roast beef, but it can be chicken, lamb, or pork) in gravy with roasted and mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cheesy cauliflower, and a Yorkshire pudding. My British friend Kerry explained that all Yorkshire puddings are would be the equivalent of pancake batter mixed with pepper and spices and poured into a muffin tin. They get baked and puff up like pastries. When you cut into the tops, it's mostly air and then there's the gooey batter at the bottom. It was sooooo good. I had a Magner's Cider with my Sunday dinner and afterward we had a delicious cup of English tea with a scone. Now this scone was more like a biscuit with raisons in it that we smattered with butter, jelly, and whipped cream. YUM!!! I was in heaven for the afternoon as we enjoyed our meal under the cool breeze and the light rain that fell for the afternoon. We headed back to the ship satiated, but before we made our way completely we stopped at the grocery store. Yes, the Morrison's. She was able to get over $70 worth of English groceries that she could have in her cabin and I bought a few English delights that I had been craving, including 3 bottles of Magner's Cider. As we pulled away from the rock, I was amazed that I got to see such a wonderful port.
We had an interesting even in the night as well. We were scheduled to host a James Bond 007 Martini Night in the Ocean Bar with the guests. We would get free martinis while we socialized with the guests. I was a tad nervous since hobnobbing is not my specialty or forte in life. Just before the event started, the fire alarm went off and it was for real. The bridge came on with an announcement saying that they have isolated the reported smoke and other announcements would be made upon progress. The captain came on shortly later and out of breath from running from the dining room up 4 floors and all the way forward to the bridge saying that fire teams were assembled and they are trying to locate the source of the smoke, but not to worry. It was in the incinerator area so it may just be a cause of smoke leaking out of the incinerator. We went upstairs all decked out and began the event. All through the first 20 minutes or so we kept getting updates until finally the problem was solved and the smoke had been contained and dispersed. It was just a slight problem with the incinerator. I took a friend of mine around with me as we greeted the guests. It was very crowded in there and people were just enjoying the dancing and the music. We made our way around the room and decided to sit at this table where there was one guest who was all by herself. We thought we'd give her company and she was delighted to have us there. In the first 5 minutes of broken and hard conversation we both realized she was not just drunk, but stinking drunk. She was all by herself, so Alice and I felt like we really couldn't just up and leave her at this point. The conversation was thin even with my sociable friend, Alice. Finally I asked her to come up and dance since she was pestering Alice and I to dance and according to house rules, we really can't dance together as cast members. We can only dance with guests. This was mistake number one. I was holding her up on the floor and now sweating in my formal. This happened for 2 dances because I didn't want to offend her. She would go crazy too and just let loose dancing. SHE was having a ball. I guess that's all that matters. I was worried about her falling on the floor and after some of the stories I heard about this woman from bar staff, I guess she did just that a few nights prior. So Alice and I eventually steer away from the table. We had to stay longer than we wanted because she bought a round of drinks. Another lady was on the dance floor and her husband refused to join her. She looked like she was having fun and a nice lady, so I joined her on the floor. Mistake number 2. She was ALSO stinking drunk. She said I made her night, which was fine and eventually Alice danced with the husband. This brought the husband and wife together for the next dance. While I was dancing with her though I had to hold her up, she hit on me, and then asked me to be her son. This is why I do not dance with passengers on a regular basis. I don't usually have to hold people up when I dance with them and if I do, I put them back. However, I felt like tonight it was my job to be a little more lenient and schmooze a little. Bring up the ratings so to speak. According to our Cruise Director, it may just bring up the ratings because the folks loved it. I also felt like most of the folks were out there doing ballroom dancing of which I know very little of. Cha Chas, rumbas, fox trots, and such. Things I couldn't lead because I don't know the dance. Get me on a disco nightclub floor and I don't have to lead anyone and if I do it's just some fun stuff and nothing proper. Needless to say it was an interesting evening.
After all the sightseeing we sat down for a nice English Sunday dinner. Most of the shops in town were closed because it was a Sunday, so we didn't walk around town too much. English Sunday dinner consists of a meat (mostly roast beef, but it can be chicken, lamb, or pork) in gravy with roasted and mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cheesy cauliflower, and a Yorkshire pudding. My British friend Kerry explained that all Yorkshire puddings are would be the equivalent of pancake batter mixed with pepper and spices and poured into a muffin tin. They get baked and puff up like pastries. When you cut into the tops, it's mostly air and then there's the gooey batter at the bottom. It was sooooo good. I had a Magner's Cider with my Sunday dinner and afterward we had a delicious cup of English tea with a scone. Now this scone was more like a biscuit with raisons in it that we smattered with butter, jelly, and whipped cream. YUM!!! I was in heaven for the afternoon as we enjoyed our meal under the cool breeze and the light rain that fell for the afternoon. We headed back to the ship satiated, but before we made our way completely we stopped at the grocery store. Yes, the Morrison's. She was able to get over $70 worth of English groceries that she could have in her cabin and I bought a few English delights that I had been craving, including 3 bottles of Magner's Cider. As we pulled away from the rock, I was amazed that I got to see such a wonderful port.
We had an interesting even in the night as well. We were scheduled to host a James Bond 007 Martini Night in the Ocean Bar with the guests. We would get free martinis while we socialized with the guests. I was a tad nervous since hobnobbing is not my specialty or forte in life. Just before the event started, the fire alarm went off and it was for real. The bridge came on with an announcement saying that they have isolated the reported smoke and other announcements would be made upon progress. The captain came on shortly later and out of breath from running from the dining room up 4 floors and all the way forward to the bridge saying that fire teams were assembled and they are trying to locate the source of the smoke, but not to worry. It was in the incinerator area so it may just be a cause of smoke leaking out of the incinerator. We went upstairs all decked out and began the event. All through the first 20 minutes or so we kept getting updates until finally the problem was solved and the smoke had been contained and dispersed. It was just a slight problem with the incinerator. I took a friend of mine around with me as we greeted the guests. It was very crowded in there and people were just enjoying the dancing and the music. We made our way around the room and decided to sit at this table where there was one guest who was all by herself. We thought we'd give her company and she was delighted to have us there. In the first 5 minutes of broken and hard conversation we both realized she was not just drunk, but stinking drunk. She was all by herself, so Alice and I felt like we really couldn't just up and leave her at this point. The conversation was thin even with my sociable friend, Alice. Finally I asked her to come up and dance since she was pestering Alice and I to dance and according to house rules, we really can't dance together as cast members. We can only dance with guests. This was mistake number one. I was holding her up on the floor and now sweating in my formal. This happened for 2 dances because I didn't want to offend her. She would go crazy too and just let loose dancing. SHE was having a ball. I guess that's all that matters. I was worried about her falling on the floor and after some of the stories I heard about this woman from bar staff, I guess she did just that a few nights prior. So Alice and I eventually steer away from the table. We had to stay longer than we wanted because she bought a round of drinks. Another lady was on the dance floor and her husband refused to join her. She looked like she was having fun and a nice lady, so I joined her on the floor. Mistake number 2. She was ALSO stinking drunk. She said I made her night, which was fine and eventually Alice danced with the husband. This brought the husband and wife together for the next dance. While I was dancing with her though I had to hold her up, she hit on me, and then asked me to be her son. This is why I do not dance with passengers on a regular basis. I don't usually have to hold people up when I dance with them and if I do, I put them back. However, I felt like tonight it was my job to be a little more lenient and schmooze a little. Bring up the ratings so to speak. According to our Cruise Director, it may just bring up the ratings because the folks loved it. I also felt like most of the folks were out there doing ballroom dancing of which I know very little of. Cha Chas, rumbas, fox trots, and such. Things I couldn't lead because I don't know the dance. Get me on a disco nightclub floor and I don't have to lead anyone and if I do it's just some fun stuff and nothing proper. Needless to say it was an interesting evening.
posted by Chris | 4:30 PM
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