Magical light show and endless tunnels
उजवाडाक आयलां: 23.02.2022
खबरांपत्राची सदस्यताय घेयात
#27 Gibraltar
The first meters on Gibraltar are adventurous: you have to cross a runway for passenger planes. On the way there we did that by taxi, on the way back on foot. We were lucky because there was no plane landing or taking off in both cases. If that had been the case, Winston Churchill Ave - that's the name of the road that crosses the runway - would have been closed for 20 minutes, because it is: Air traffic has priority over ground traffic! The runway is short, only about 1700 meters, and is bordered by the sea at both ends - so it can get wet if the pilot misjudges. "Gibraltar is the most dangerous airport in the world," knows Tariq, our taxi-driving tour guide.
One of our stops is the stalactite cave. It was formed by the dissolution of limestone by rainwater, which creates the many stalactites and stalagmites. "A stalactite is a dripstone hanging from the ceiling of a cave, its counterpart is the stalagmite growing from the ground," Tariq explains. In 1974, scientists found evidence that the cave was already known in prehistoric times. Paintings were also discovered showing a goat painted with charcoal. It is estimated that people used the cave more than 40,000 years ago. For tourists, this attraction has been beautifully prepared. Every five minutes there is a light show that impressively showcases the gigantic dripstones. Rating: absolutely worth seeing!
Our last station is the unique tunnel system that runs through Gibraltar. The labyrinth is known as The Great Siege Tunnels and is considered the most impressive man-made defense system. Work began in 1782 during the so-called Great Siege (1779 to 1783), when the French and Spanish unsuccessfully tried to recapture the peninsula from the British. In just five weeks, 18 men drove a tunnel 25 meters into the rock - only with a hammer and crowbar. Occasionally, it is said that a few kilograms of black powder were also involved. Until the end of World War II, the tunnel system was expanded to 52 kilometers and housed up to 16,000 soldiers - unimaginable considering that Gibraltar is only a little over six square kilometers in size.
At the end of our trip, Tariq took us to the harbor, where there are supposed to be a few good restaurants. We decided on Bianca's Restaurant, one of the first on Gibraltar. A scoop of ice cream cost two pounds, which is about 2.40 euros, and a piece of cake six pounds, or 7.20 euros. Nevertheless, we treated ourselves to a small snack, and Icke noted that my Patatas Bravas - those are fried potato pieces with a special sauce - were the best she had ever eaten ...
The first meters on Gibraltar are adventurous: you have to cross a runway for passenger planes. On the way there we did that by taxi, on the way back on foot. We were lucky because there was no plane landing or taking off in both cases. If that had been the case, Winston Churchill Ave - that's the name of the road that crosses the runway - would have been closed for 20 minutes, because it is: Air traffic has priority over ground traffic! The runway is short, only about 1700 meters, and is bordered by the sea at both ends - so it can get wet if the pilot misjudges. "Gibraltar is the most dangerous airport in the world," knows Tariq, our taxi-driving tour guide.
One of our stops is the stalactite cave. It was formed by the dissolution of limestone by rainwater, which creates the many stalactites and stalagmites. "A stalactite is a dripstone hanging from the ceiling of a cave, its counterpart is the stalagmite growing from the ground," Tariq explains. In 1974, scientists found evidence that the cave was already known in prehistoric times. Paintings were also discovered showing a goat painted with charcoal. It is estimated that people used the cave more than 40,000 years ago. For tourists, this attraction has been beautifully prepared. Every five minutes there is a light show that impressively showcases the gigantic dripstones. Rating: absolutely worth seeing!
Our last station is the unique tunnel system that runs through Gibraltar. The labyrinth is known as The Great Siege Tunnels and is considered the most impressive man-made defense system. Work began in 1782 during the so-called Great Siege (1779 to 1783), when the French and Spanish unsuccessfully tried to recapture the peninsula from the British. In just five weeks, 18 men drove a tunnel 25 meters into the rock - only with a hammer and crowbar. Occasionally, it is said that a few kilograms of black powder were also involved. Until the end of World War II, the tunnel system was expanded to 52 kilometers and housed up to 16,000 soldiers - unimaginable considering that Gibraltar is only a little over six square kilometers in size.
At the end of our trip, Tariq took us to the harbor, where there are supposed to be a few good restaurants. We decided on Bianca's Restaurant, one of the first on Gibraltar. A scoop of ice cream cost two pounds, which is about 2.40 euros, and a piece of cake six pounds, or 7.20 euros. Nevertheless, we treated ourselves to a small snack, and Icke noted that my Patatas Bravas - those are fried potato pieces with a special sauce - were the best she had ever eaten ...
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