Yesterday we took a tour to
Gibraltar which is about 137 km (85 miles) from
Málaga.
Overall it's pretty tiny as it only covers 6,7 km² (2,6 sq miles) and 40% of the land area has been declared a nature reserve since 1993.
Gibraltar has a 1,2 km (0,75 mile) land border with
Spain. As it's part of the
UK, which isn't in
Schengen, you have to go through passport control to enter when coming from
Andalusia.
We knew we were in the UK because as soon as we arrived it started to rain. Fortunately it didn't last.
The Rock of Gibraltar is 426 metres (1,398 feet) high and is made out of Jurassic limestone. The rock has lots of tunnelled roads but most are closed to the public as they are used by the military.
Europa Point is Gibraltar's southernmost point and on a clear day you can can see
Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar. The lighthouse began operating in 1841.
The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque was a gift from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. It cost around £5 million and opened in 1997.
The Great Siege Tunnels were dug out by the British at the end of the 18th century during the Great Siege of Gibraltar. They were used during WWII and tours are available.
St. Michael's Cave is a network of over 150 limestone caves about 300 metres (980 feet) above sea level. Cathedral Cave is the largest chamber and was converted to an auditorium.
The cable car was built in 1966. It takes people from the base to midway up the rock, the the Ape's Den, in about six minutes.
The most famous residents on the rock are the 300 Barbary macaques. They aren't scared of people and will get in to a bit of mischief if you aren't careful.
Main Street is the main business and shopping district. It's only 1 km (0,6 mile) so it's quite an easy stroll.
The Convent was once a convent of Franciscan friars built in 1531. Since 1728 it has been the official residence of the Governor of Gibraltar.
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment overseas defence. The unit was formed in 1958.
Built in 1817, and previously used as a library, the building was reopened in 1969 as the House of Assembly. In 2006 the House of Assembly was renamed parliament.
Here's Gibraltar's city hall. The building was originally a private mansion built in 1819.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowned was consecrated in 1462. It is Gibraltar's oldest Roman Catholic church.
King's Chapel was built in the 1530s and given to the Church of England in 1704.
The Great Synagogue was founded in 1724. It was the first synagogue on the Iberian Peninsula since Jews were expelled from Spain and
Portugal back in 1492 and 1497 respectively.
The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1838. It belongs to the Church of England.
The Naval Monument was built by the Americans in 1937 as a WWI memorial commemorating the UK and USA's joint efforts during the war. In 1998, a bronze plaque was added to commemorate the Allied invasion of North Africa in WWII.
King's Bastion used to defend Gibraltar during the Great Siege. In 2008, it was repurposed as a leisure centre with cinemas, ice skating, bowling, and a fitness centre.
Gibraltar was a great day trip and highly recommended. Although we did have a bit of a downpour when we first arrived, followed by heavy hail, it did clear up and turn out to be a beautiful day.
That fickle UK weather I guess.
There's some street work going on in front of my new flat. building. The sidewalk has been dug up for just a couple of days so far.
Only a couple of us had been there before so we took the others on a quick tour after work. 
For example, they've done up the spot where Hungarian kings and queens used to be crowned.
Everyone else got to go home today but I headed to Slovakia for meetings in Bratislava tomorrow.
I went to my GP clinic this week to see the optometrist and she diagnosed me with "old man eyes". I asked her how bad it is and she started off with "at your age...". 
The prescription isn't that bad and I just need reading glasses. My VZP insurance entitles me to new glasses every three years.
The prescription comes with a 150 Kč ($6.90) discount on frames. That's not a whole lot so I end up paying out-of-pocket for better frames and anti-glare, anti-scratch lenses. The discount is taken at the store so I don't need to submit anything to the insurance company. I should get my new glasses in seven to ten days.
Our first day trip was to Tangier which was my first time in Africa. It was a long day and gave us a quick feel for the city. There are still places I want to visit in Morocco but I don't have a burning desire to go back to Tangier. But I did ride a camel.
Our next day trip was to Granada and a visit to La Alhambra. Granada seemed like such a great place that we really want to stay here next time. Perhaps combining it with visits to Córdoba and Sevilla. 
No visit here is complete without seeing the macaques. I made sure to pick up a toy monkey souvenir for Tünde. It makes loud monkey noises so I'm sure she'll love it; Claudia probably not so much but my job as godfather is to spoil her.
The food this week was a definite highlight. Everything was so fresh, especially the seafood. 
On the way back from Málaga I had a four hour layover in Zürich. 
Yesterday we took a tour to Gibraltar which is about 137 km (85 miles) from Málaga. 
The Rock of Gibraltar is 426 metres (1,398 feet) high and is made out of Jurassic limestone. The rock has lots of tunnelled roads but most are closed to the public as they are used by the military.
The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque was a gift from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. It cost around £5 million and opened in 1997.
The Great Siege Tunnels were dug out by the British at the end of the 18th century during the Great Siege of Gibraltar. They were used during WWII and tours are available.
St. Michael's Cave is a network of over 150 limestone caves about 300 metres (980 feet) above sea level. Cathedral Cave is the largest chamber and was converted to an auditorium.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowned was consecrated in 1462. It is Gibraltar's oldest Roman Catholic church.
King's Chapel was built in the 1530s and given to the Church of England in 1704. 
The Great Synagogue was founded in 1724. It was the first synagogue on the Iberian Peninsula since Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal back in 1492 and 1497 respectively.
The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1838. It belongs to the Church of England.
The Naval Monument was built by the Americans in 1937 as a WWI memorial commemorating the UK and USA's joint efforts during the war. In 1998, a bronze plaque was added to commemorate the Allied invasion of North Africa in WWII. 
King's Bastion used to defend Gibraltar during the Great Siege. In 2008, it was repurposed as a leisure centre with cinemas, ice skating, bowling, and a fitness centre.
Yesterday we went on a guided tour to Granada which is 150 km (93 miles) northeast of Málaga. Granda is in Andalusia, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and home to over 472,000 making it the 13th largest urban area in Spain.
Our tour was actually of the Alhambra with only about an hour for a whirlwind glimpse of the city. What we saw of the city looked great. Next time, I want to stay in Granada.
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