At the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Marianne under Axarquía, Places

The Rock of Gibraltar, one of the Pillars of Hercules in Greek mythology, has a strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea, with Europe to the north and the continent of Africa to the south.

Standing at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar it’s magical to look across the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea towards Morocco in North Africa – only nine miles away!

I hope you´ve enjoyed this spectacular entrance, which is my contribution to this week´s Sunday Post.

Other posts you may be interested in:

CBBH Photo Challenge: Multi-Coloured

Venturing further afield: San Sebastián in the heart of Basque country

The Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life

Cheeky Monkey: Now you see him, now you don´t!

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Marianne under Photo challenges, Places

I recently posted that I can see Africa from my terrace, and that seemed to cause a frisson of excitement around the globe, so I thought I would give you an even better view!

On a recent trip to Gibraltar (less than a three hour drive from my home), with a friend visiting from Australia, we arrived at the top of The Rock to see the magnificent sight of another continent just 8.9 miles across the water. AFRICA!

This is the stunning view that greeted us at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, with a backdrop of the mountains of Morocco, including Jebel Musa, the other Pillar of Hercules – the name given in the ancient world to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.

What a view!

I glanced over to my right, to take in the Spanish mountains dropping into the sea, and when I looked back this little guy was posing for me!

He´s a Barbary ape – Europe’s only wild monkeys. Local legend has it that as long as the Barbary Macaque population exists on Gibraltar, the territory will remain under British rule.