Submitted by Daniel Schilling on the 2017 summer session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
This free weekend was probably my favorite on my program in Spain, even though, it was technically spent outside of Spain. Jisha, Johnna, Meredith, Phil and I all decided to head to Gibraltar, a small English colony on the very southern point of Spain. Its defining feature is the gigantic Rock of Gibraltar, a 426 meter high rock situated on the very point of the colony from which you can see Africa in the distance. It is a point of controversy in Spain, as it is owned by Great Britain, but is technically in Spanish territory. Spanish boats that enter the area are often chased away and Spain wishes to re-own the the area as its placement is inconvenient. Meanwhile, Great Britain wishes to keep it, because it is militarily strategic and a good vacation spot. Needless to say, it is quite a sought after place, and on my visit I could definitely see why.
My friends and I arrived in Gibraltar around 11:00 pm on Friday. The train/bus ride there was super long, but luckily the scenery along the way was breathtaking. You have to drive through uninhabited areas of Spain, where there is nothing, but sand and olive trees for miles. It was actually quite peaceful. Upon arrival, we checked into our flat and found that it was amazing. There was more than enough space for all of us with a full kitchen and tea provided. My friends joked that I was very British. We went out for take away and got some shawarma which seems to be very popular in Spain. So far, we were all in very high spirits. Despite this, the train ride was very long and by the end I was tired. We went to bed early, excited for the next day.
On Saturday, I woke up at 8:00 am in anticipation for the day’s events. We got an authentic English breakfast and my friends were shocked to see that in England eating baked beans and tomatoes with eggs in the morning is common. I felt very nostalgic, as I was in England a year ago and knew this to be common. I gladly ate them and soon we were off on our hike.
We hiked all the way up to the sky ride, where I was very nervous to board. I have a slight fear of heights and the glass car seemed like it would sway in the wind. It ended up being very cool however, as even though it did sway and I was terrified, we got to see all of the rock of Gibraltar at its finest.
At the very top, we got off the carriage and immediately saw monkeys, which are quite common on top of the rock. I took a lot of pictures, and even saw a baby one that looked like it was born this week. The pictures I sent home to my Mom made her incredibly jealous.
After seeing the monkeys, we hiked through the nature part. We saw a lot of abandoned military artillery batteries, including one which was open. We went inside it and found that it was very dark with a lot of scary cages, and I was a bit nervous to go too deep. We ended up continuing our walk as there was a lot more to see.
The walk around the nature park included beautiful views of the rock and the surrounding ocean. I was also shocked and surprised when fog started to move in, as it looked like something from a horror film. It engulfed the whole city below us, and it was eerie, but beautiful. We walked to the cave of Saint Michael and learned that they give concerts there. I would love to go see one sometime. The entire cave lights up along with the music playing and the stalagmites and stalactites are indescribable. I was a bit disappointed that the lower part of the cave was closed, but perhaps one day I will go back.
From the cave, we hiked up to the suspension bridge. Despite my fear of heights I decided to cross it, and got some amazing pictures of Gibraltar as well as myself on the bridge.
Meredith is also afraid of heights, but we both faced our fears and it wasn’t so bad. This program is helping me to get out of my comfort zone, and that’s something I appreciate immensely.
We ended up hiking to the World War II military tunnels, which were very cool. Along with the clouds and wind, the tunnels were very cold and it was refreshing after a long hike. We learned a lot about how the rock was used as a military look out and that there are 34 miles of tunnels under the ground. It was very cool. They had models of old English military attire, and in all it was an interesting history lesson I knew nothing about. It helps to clarify the importance Britain sees in the rock.
Finally, while we were on the rock we went to see the old Moorish castle. It was very pretty, but overall not very eventful. The castle was old and decaying, with the outside being nicer than the inside. You could see a beautiful view of the beach and the rock behind you and the castle looked very stereotypical with turrets and gray brick with small windows. It also had a nice garden outside and it was a good way to end the walk down the rock.
In all, we ended up walking 15 miles on Saturday. After the trip up the rock, we got lunch and went to the beach to relax. We swam in the ocean which was nice, and I climbed along the rocky point all the way out into the water. From there, I could see huge fish and ocean life and it was very fun. I love exploring different areas and it makes me want to go back and dive the area with my dad. I know he would like it a lot. After my exploration, I fell asleep on the beach and we didn’t leave until 7:00 pm. We got dinner on the way back and by then we were all very tired and ready to relax. We changed, showered and ended up watching The Mummy while drinking some of the tea in the flat. It was very relaxing and peaceful and it was also the most comfortable place I’ve slept in ages. It was an awesome day and it ended on a good note.
Today is Sunday and so far it’s been good, but a bit boring. Boring is fine with me, as I’m very tired and ready to finish my homework before heading to bed. We woke up very early and packed up, since we needed to be out at 11:00 am. I went for a short walk to see the rock one last time and take some pictures as the sun came up. I also found a very cool, old church, with lots of flowers and stained glass windows. It amazes me what you find walking around Europe and it’s perhaps the thing I love most about it. America is so young and new that nothing this old exists there, and yet, in Europe it’s common. You can walk past apartments and skyscrapers, take a left, and suddenly find a cathedral that’s hundreds of years old. It’s astounding.
After my walk and check out, we got breakfast and took a taxi to the train station where I am now. We have a long ride back to Granada, but I’m looking forward to my nap. In all, this free weekend was amazing and one of my favorites of the whole program. I loved seeing how the island functioned with the position it’s in, with one foot in Spain and the other in England. Gibraltar functions with people of both British and Spanish descent, pound and euro currency, and Spanish and English languages. It was interesting, although a bit strange, and I hope to one day go back with my family.