Day 66: San Roque (Cycle)

Today was all about cycling to, up and from, The Rock of Gibraltar.

The thing is that when I plot my routes I typically don't check to see whether I'm going to pass through an area of industrial oil/chemical refining. Well, today I wished that last night I'd checked for such hazards, as I cycled through an area dominated by Cespa (kind of like the BP or Shell of Spain). Cycling through a cocktail of carcinogenic chemicals was not what I'd expected to experience on my way to Gib. However, I must admit that yesterday I had seen the refinery from San Roque. It simply didn't occur to me that I'd be cycling through it today!

Anyway, no problems with border control. Indeed, the borderman seemed more interested in cycle chat than potential contraband, drugs running or other such nefarious activities I may have been pursuing during my visit!

First, I went to the lighthouse at Europa Point:

And was surprised to discover a mosque there too:

Then it was off to see Catalan Bay, where in the past I spent my days off, drinking and such like! - I think it is much changed since I last visited in the mid 80's! I had some good times there!

On return to the town I was somewhat disappointed to see that the Horseshoe Bar was closed! I once exited that there bar via the barred windows! Oh what fun we used to have! especially after having knocked back a fair few John Collins!

Then it was time to cycle up the rock, on the way I saw this sign:

It was definitely a sign of things to come:

When I took the following photograph, one if the wee b*!?$ards tried to steal the contents from one of the three pockets of my cycling top. Fortunately, it did not get the camera because I was holding that (obvious since I was taking a photo at the time!); my immediate concern was for my mobile phone and wallet, which was still there in pocket No3 - phew; but, what it had taken, and immediately thrown away, was my empty plastic bag that had once contained fruits and nuts: which I'd already consumed! It certainly made me more wary when I stopped and I could see that the cheeky wee monkeys were about! [That is Catalan Bay you can see down there and, some new build residences and some under construction].

• Distance driven: 0
• Distance cycled: 62 kilometres
• Weather: Chilly start, warmed up later, about 18°C mid afternoon.

Today's route (which was supplemented with a couple of K's off-piste cycling):