I visited Gibraltar a couple of years ago. I tried to visit most places but the castle and museum were closed for refurbishment. Are they now fully open because I am hoping to visit again in May?
Last time O'Hara's battery was open on a request basis; you had to phone someone who would arrange a time to go and let you around. I never got round to that. Is this still possible? I bet the views are amazing. What do they let you see in the battery? Are you allowed inside anywhere?
I didn't get to see the East side, I think the road was closed due to rocks falling. Is this still the case? Is it possible to walk around the rock? I presume if you walk past the Calletta and keep going you eventually come to Europa point?
> I visited Gibraltar a couple of years ago. I tried to visit most > places but the castle and museum were closed for refurbishment. Are > they now fully open because I am hoping to visit again in May?
> Last time O'Hara's battery was open on a request basis; you had to > phone someone who would arrange a time to go and let you around. I > never got round to that. Is this still possible? I bet the views are > amazing. What do they let you see in the battery? Are you allowed > inside anywhere?
> I didn't get to see the East side, I think the road was closed due to > rocks falling. Is this still the case? Is it possible to walk around > the rock? I presume if you walk past the Calletta and keep going you > eventually come to Europa point?
O Hara's Battery has never ceased to be a matter of amazement - in that it should remain closed for so long. No idea if it's open now either. There is a road as you say past Catalan Bay, through Sandy Bay, which will take you to the lighthouse at Europa Point. However this still remains closed due to works securing the cliff face. There was a tragic incident some time ago since when it's been closed, when falling rocks (through sheer bad luck) crushed a car with some of its occupants as they drove, at the entrance to the tunnel by Sandy Bay. It's a major task securing so much rock above, and providing rock fall-proof shelter below.
However it as NEVER been possible to walk from Sandy Bay to the Lighthouse as the road, when open, was only ever a vehicular road. Pedestrians were never permitted, for safety reasons. Not only was there the very real risk of getting knocked over in the relatively poor light inside (esp when just on entering, motorists would be unaccustomed to the relatively dark interior) but it's a relatively long tunnel and you;d be walking within a high concentration of exhaust fumes for a while. There were occasions when walkers were permitted, typically when sponsored "round the rock" walks occurred. There were organised anually by the Bayside Comprehensive Lower Sixth form (in the days when that summer was NOT spoilt by O or AS levels!) and occurred in June / July.
>There is >a road as you say past Catalan Bay, through Sandy Bay, which will take you >to the lighthouse at Europa Point. However this still remains closed due to >works securing the cliff face. There was a tragic incident some time ago >since when it's been closed, when falling rocks (through sheer bad luck) >crushed a car with some of its occupants as they drove, at the entrance to >the tunnel by Sandy Bay. It's a major task securing so much rock above, and >providing rock fall-proof shelter below.
>However it as NEVER been possible to walk from Sandy Bay to the Lighthouse >as the road, when open, was only ever a vehicular road. Pedestrians were >never permitted, for safety reasons. Not only was there the very real risk >of getting knocked over in the relatively poor light inside (esp when just >on entering, motorists would be unaccustomed to the relatively dark >interior) but it's a relatively long tunnel and you;d be walking within a >high concentration of exhaust fumes for a while. There were occasions when >walkers were permitted, typically when sponsored "round the rock" walks >occurred. There were organised anually by the Bayside Comprehensive Lower >Sixth form (in the days when that summer was NOT spoilt by O or AS levels!) >and occurred in June / July.
Yes, we were told that story (by some army chap when we visited the tunnels IIRC) when we last visited. However I had not realised the road was for vehicles only. It's a shame as I would have quite liked to walk around the rock: only mad dogs and Englishmen and all that ;)
I think we did walk through a tunnel to Europa point from the other side of the rock last time. Can you still do that? What public transport takes you that way?
I forgot to say that last time we foolishly (imho) signed-up to the lower St Michael's cave tour which tourist information said involved "some" rope work. We were all too terrified to ask to stop and turn back! If no-one has been (don't!) you have to climb up and down near vertical rock faces and then walk along a ledge a few inches wide around an underground lake; how no-one fell in amazes me!
There seem to be some good deals if you arrive in the week, rather than the weekend. Both the Rock and Eliot are at low prices. The Eliot is central which is nice, but does it suffer from noise being in the centre? I suppose that for some destinations the Eliot is good but many other attractions are past the Rock so I suppose the rock is just as good if you want to head south to the 100 tonne gun, Europa point, nature reserve, etc.
BTW is there a Gibtele PAY sim that tourists can pick-up for cheap calls home? The problem with roaming on my UK sim is that incoming calls are charged.
> On Thu, 1 May 2008 18:51:16 +0100, "Ken" <k...@k1at.freeserve.co.uk> > wrote:
>>O Hara's Battery has never ceased to be a matter of amazement - in that it >>should remain closed for so long. No idea if it's open now either.
> That's a great shame.
>>There is >>a road as you say past Catalan Bay, through Sandy Bay, which will take you >>to the lighthouse at Europa Point. However this still remains closed due >>to >>works securing the cliff face. There was a tragic incident some time ago >>since when it's been closed, when falling rocks (through sheer bad luck) >>crushed a car with some of its occupants as they drove, at the entrance to >>the tunnel by Sandy Bay. It's a major task securing so much rock above, >>and >>providing rock fall-proof shelter below.
>>However it as NEVER been possible to walk from Sandy Bay to the Lighthouse >>as the road, when open, was only ever a vehicular road. Pedestrians were >>never permitted, for safety reasons. Not only was there the very real risk >>of getting knocked over in the relatively poor light inside (esp when just >>on entering, motorists would be unaccustomed to the relatively dark >>interior) but it's a relatively long tunnel and you;d be walking within a >>high concentration of exhaust fumes for a while. There were occasions when >>walkers were permitted, typically when sponsored "round the rock" walks >>occurred. There were organised anually by the Bayside Comprehensive Lower >>Sixth form (in the days when that summer was NOT spoilt by O or AS >>levels!) >>and occurred in June / July.
> Yes, we were told that story (by some army chap when we visited the > tunnels IIRC) when we last visited. However I had not realised the > road was for vehicles only. It's a shame as I would have quite liked > to walk around the rock: only mad dogs and Englishmen and all that ;)
> I think we did walk through a tunnel to Europa point from the other > side of the rock last time. Can you still do that? What public > transport takes you that way?
This wouldbe the tunnel from the Lighthouse area to Little Bay and Camp Bay, the one where, as you emerge while walking downhill, within the mouth of the tunnel you see a perfectly framed waterfall on the cliff face ahead. This is Keightley Way tunnel (the one between Sandy Bay and Lighthouse is Dudley Way). Public transport is not a problem. Route 3 will take you to the Lighthouse, and having walked though the tunnel to the small beaches (the larger one has a pool with concrete dolphins in it) and then through at least one, at most two (depending on your chosen route) very much smaller tunnels, around 15 - 20yds long each you come to Rosia Bay - where Nelson's body came ashore in 1805 after the Battle of Trafalgar. Just beyond that, and jsut starting up the hill which would take you towards the Casino (eventually) you can catch a bus on Route 4.
> I forgot to say that last time we foolishly (imho) signed-up to the > lower St Michael's cave tour which tourist information said involved > "some" rope work. We were all too terrified to ask to stop and turn > back! If no-one has been (don't!) you have to climb up and down near > vertical rock faces and then walk along a ledge a few inches wide > around an underground lake; how no-one fell in amazes me!
It is a truly amazing place that! I've been, and found it all fascinating. The worst bit comes at the end. Having been exerting yourself significantly for over an hour, you finish with a vertical climb up a slippery wet rock face!
> There seem to be some good deals if you arrive in the week, rather > than the weekend. Both the Rock and Eliot are at low prices. The Eliot > is central which is nice, but does it suffer from noise being in the > centre? I suppose that for some destinations the Eliot is good but > many other attractions are past the Rock so I suppose the rock is just > as good if you want to head south to the 100 tonne gun, Europa point, > nature reserve, etc.
In reality, nothing is v far from anywhere else in Gib. I do not stay in hotels when I go. personally I would prefer one of the hotels in the centre, such as Elliot. Have you tried the Cannon hotel, in Cannon Lane just a couple of hundred yds from the Elliot? How about the Bristol Hotel? If however you;re hiring a car, the favourite must be Queens Hotel, as it's just across the road from the cable car station with the large car park which is at its base.
> BTW is there a Gibtele PAY sim that tourists can pick-up for cheap > calls home? The problem with roaming on my UK sim is that incoming > calls are charged.
You can always purchase a PAYG SIM on Main St. Look at http://www.gibtele.com/residential/wireless/reload/ and on that page, click on RETAILERS to download a pdf for outlet info. BUT before you rush headlong into this, check with your UK mobile provider for an up-to-date pricing list. Thanks to EU regulations, roaming charges have dropped so much that in may cases it's just not worth the bother of buying a SIM at your destination. If nothing else, how do your frinds contact you now that you have a totally new 'phone number?
Its not open but I went there last weekend and the gun is looking good.
Just climb round the gate or start to walk onto the Med Steps paths next to the gate and then climb up and over the embankment.
The ladder up the side of the housing that contains the gun has rusted at the top, but if one is light, like me, then you can climb up.
The real problem is avoiding all the f'kin gulls that swarm over the top. If you don't take a brolly then you might come back looking like a white-washed villa.
So, although closed, no one is going to stop you from looking around.
On Thu, 1 May 2008 21:41:33 +0100, "Ken" <k...@k1at.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>This wouldbe the tunnel from the Lighthouse area to Little Bay and Camp Bay, >the one where, as you emerge while walking downhill, within the mouth of the >tunnel you see a perfectly framed waterfall on the cliff face ahead. This is >Keightley Way tunnel (the one between Sandy Bay and Lighthouse is Dudley >Way). Public transport is not a problem. Route 3 will take you to the >Lighthouse, and having walked though the tunnel to the small beaches (the >larger one has a pool with concrete dolphins in it) and then through at >least one, at most two (depending on your chosen route) very much smaller >tunnels, around 15 - 20yds long each you come to Rosia Bay - where Nelson's >body came ashore in 1805 after the Battle of Trafalgar
Yes, that's exactly the route we walked back from Eurpoa point last time. We were not expecting to walk all the way there and all the way back but we never saw a bus so just kept going!
> Its not open but I went there last weekend and the gun is looking good.
> Just climb round the gate or start to walk onto the Med Steps paths next > to the gate and then climb up and over the embankment.
> The ladder up the side of the housing that contains the gun has rusted at > the top, but if one is light, like me, then you can climb up.
> The real problem is avoiding all the f'kin gulls that swarm over the top. > If you don't take a brolly then you might come back looking like a > white-washed villa.
> So, although closed, no one is going to stop you from looking around.
> On Thu, 1 May 2008 21:41:33 +0100, "Ken" <k...@k1at.freeserve.co.uk> > wrote:
>>This wouldbe the tunnel from the Lighthouse area to Little Bay and Camp >>Bay, >>the one where, as you emerge while walking downhill, within the mouth of >>the >>tunnel you see a perfectly framed waterfall on the cliff face ahead. This >>is >>Keightley Way tunnel (the one between Sandy Bay and Lighthouse is Dudley >>Way). Public transport is not a problem. Route 3 will take you to the >>Lighthouse, and having walked though the tunnel to the small beaches (the >>larger one has a pool with concrete dolphins in it) and then through at >>least one, at most two (depending on your chosen route) very much smaller >>tunnels, around 15 - 20yds long each you come to Rosia Bay - where >>Nelson's >>body came ashore in 1805 after the Battle of Trafalgar
> Yes, that's exactly the route we walked back from Eurpoa point last > time. We were not expecting to walk all the way there and all the way > back but we never saw a bus so just kept going!
Also be prepared for the amount of new building work going on. You'd think with a place as smallas Gib, with the amount of stuff that's gone up over recent times thre'd be scant need for any more. But no. It's all new stuff going up and higher up every day. What a contrast between Gib and the surrounding areas!
The joke is told of a Spaniard who has heard of but has never visited Gib. When he returns home his friends ask him what Gib is like. H replies that it will be very nice, once they finish building it.
>"zii kell" <huj22mlikzq9...@temporaryinbox.com> wrote in message >news:fvfl3h$731$1@registered.motzarella.org... >> Its not open but I went there last weekend and the gun is looking good.
>> Just climb round the gate or start to walk onto the Med Steps paths next >> to the gate and then climb up and over the embankment.
>> The ladder up the side of the housing that contains the gun has rusted at >> the top, but if one is light, like me, then you can climb up.
>> The real problem is avoiding all the f'kin gulls that swarm over the top. >> If you don't take a brolly then you might come back looking like a >> white-washed villa.
>> So, although closed, no one is going to stop you from looking around.
I reinstalled my laptop on the weekend and for the moment newsgroup access from home is down (along with email; Thunderbird profiles and some incompatibilty between new and old rubbish) so have to post only the Google groups web browser, which is rather annoying.
When the pc is feeling better I shall post, which I hope is soon. z
