We arrived at Gibraltar international airport around 08:50hrs; 15 minutes ahead of schedule due to wind direction. After crossing the single runway we walked into the terminal building to await security checking.

Not having any baggage to reclaim we were able to begin the long walk to our hotel (1/2 mile – lol).
Immediately outside the airport, we were amazed to see the Spanish border!

It was a little cloudy and pretty windy while walking to the place we were staying. Liz was pleased to borrow my hat to stop her hair blowing into her eyes. Due to the compact nature of the colony, after walking out of the airport along the main route into town, we had to cross over the runway. It’s set-up much like a level-crossing in England. When a plane’s en-route the claxons sound and down come the barriers stopping the traffic!
Can you imagine the chaos if the A41 had a runway crossing it?

Twenty minutes later we found our hotel. It’s a super yacht permanently moored in Ocean Village Marina.
We’re on deck 4 in a Junior suite, which has a big bed – long enough to accommodate my leg length. (A rare treat, given most hotels offer standard doubles.)

Having dropped off our bags, we headed into town to explore and get our bearings regarding the location of attractions we’ll visit tomorrow, Monday or Tuesday morning. While on making our way along the second leg of the high street we encountered the ceremonial parade.

Angela – those bayonets were fierce. You def wouldn’t want that skewering your leg or anywhere else. Earlier today, we passed a cemetery where some soldiers from The Battle of Trafalgar are buried. I wondered if the costumes worn (in photo) fitted that period or were later? What do you think?

Funny story; we saw a beautiful flowerbed of cyclamen which was a real treat. Amazingly having seen the cyclamen Liz said “I really like those, what are they?” (pointing to some ornamental cabbage plants, dotted between the cylamen.) She added, “why are you laughing, what’s funny?”
“Oh, nothing,” I reply chuckling. “Don’t you remember seeing them in Chiltern View Nursery last year and not liking them?”
Any memory of the event had been erased from her mind… strange but true.

We walked 15,000 steps around town, found Morrisons where we bought some bottled water and satsumas to take with us on our excursions tomorrow and Monday before returning to our hotel for a rest – given we left the house to travel to Luton at 04:30hrs this morning.