The Rock of Gibraltar painted my me at one of my watercolour lessons
Way back in the summer of 2015, I set off on a blogging adventure. Inspired by the likes of Lucy at Attic24 and several other craft bloggers, I decided that I would have a go at sharing a few snap shots of my life on the Rock. At the time, I had a the unique selling point that I was based in Gibraltar, and at that time, there were no other craft bloggers active on the Rock. I thought that even if no one was interested in what I was making, at least I could share beautiful photos of my sunny surroundings way down in the south of Europe.
The Upper Rock Nature Reserve
I felt compelled to share some of the quirks and beauty of where I was living at the time – a much misunderstood place from the outside. There is so much more to Gibraltar than the day trips from cruise ships and bus tours from along the Costa would have you believe. There’s much more than red phone boxes and fish & chips, British bobbies and Marks and Spencer in the sun. It’s home to a diverse group of people with origins from far and wide, the fortunate byproduct of it’s geographical location at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsular and just a short distance across the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco and the African continent beyond.
The Europa Point lighthouse with the Strait of Gibraltar beyond
Soon I began sharing a series of blog posts called ‘A stroll around Gibraltar’ as I took my camera and later my phone along on walks around the narrow streets and back alleys of Upper Town and into the Nature Reserve of the Upper Rock – in fact my post about the ‘facts and figures of the Med Steps’ remains my most read post to date. I posted more than 200 Sunday Sevens posts and hosted a Friday Photo Challenge on Instagram one year as well.
The view northwards from part way up the Med Steps
I also used Postcard from Gibraltar to share what I was making, from the dressmaking and watercolour classes which I was able to attend once all three Little Postcards (my three sons) were old enough to all go to school, as well as a number of community crochet projects I joined in with from Yarndale worldwide appeals for crocheted bunting and mandalas to Eleonora from Coastal Crochet‘s Seaside Stashbusting blanket and Changing Tides blanket crochet-alongs.
My Seaside Stashbusting blanket inspired by Sandy Bay in Gibraltar
As our family went on trips around the place I would blog about our travels in my ‘A Postcard from…’ posts which included Rome, The Algarve, Carcassonne, and skiing in the Dolomites, as well as UK destinations like Manchester, Cheshire, and Suffolk.
A few photos from one of our holidays in Suffolk as I worked on an Eleonora Tully design from Little Box of Crochet for that year’s Summer Craft Challenge
Postcard from Gibraltar also opened doors for me and I began writing for an online parenting magazine in Gibraltar which now no longer exists sadly, I also got articles published in print for the Calentita! Gibraltarian food festival magazine. In short, Postcard from Gibraltar gave me the confidence to venture back out of my domestic set-up after many years being a stay-at-home Mum.
My Attic24 cosy stripe blanket at Europa Point
In 2020, along with everything else which was happening in the world, close to home for us, change was afoot. We found ourselves moving back to the UK after 11 very happy years in Gibraltar. It was a big adjustment, which wasn’t made any easier by the pandemic, but we survived! At the time, I wondered whether I should continue with Postcard from Gibraltar as it would no longer be ‘from Gibraltar’. I had begun my new podcast project ‘Making Stitches Podcast’ by then, and whilst it brought me very welcome creative distraction – especially during lockdown, I felt I would miss Postcard too much if I just finished it, so I kept it going in a slightly less regular, less sunny and blue skies kind of a way!
I may be in the north of England now but we do still get occasional blue skies! (Photo taken at Dunham Massey this week)
More than 2 years on from our move though, I think the time is right to say goodbye to Postcard from Gibraltar. I won’t be saying goodbye to it completely though. This blog and all of the previous posts will still be available to read and if you should search for Postcard from Gibraltar online, it will still lead you here. Postcard from Gibraltar is evolving, just as I have, and from now on, will be known as Making Stitches.
It felt right to adapt what I’m already doing to compliment what I have been working on with Making Stitches Podcast. In the last two years, that has gone from strength to strength and is now in it’s 6th Series with more than 50 episodes featuring interviews with creative people from many different disciplines including crochet and knitting (including my old friend Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet), dressmaking, embroidery, textile art, weaving, yarn dying and more. In addition to this, I have made a foray into crochet design myself with the launch of my amigurumi crochet patterns. My life has changed quite a bit from what I was doing back in Gibraltar and it’s time this blog caught up with me.
Looking south towards the Rock – photo taken on Alcaidesa beach
I will still post my monthly Postcards (because I would miss writing them too much) although I can’t guarantee I’ll be any more prompt with posting them (!) and I’m pretty sure I will have another go at a Summer Craft Challenge again next year, so in a way nothing has changed, just the name.
View of Gibraltar from La Linea
Thank you to everyone who has read my posts, liked them or commented through the years and a special thank you to those of you who have become friends through this medium too. Your support, although virtual, has been very much appreciated over the years and it’s that which has kept me going. Who knows what lies ahead?
Today is 10th September which is Gibraltar National Day and I wanted to mark the occasion with a special blog post. As our family moved back to the UK this summer after over a decade in Gib, it will be a strange National Day for us. It will also be a ‘different’ one for the people of Gibraltar as this year, the traditional rallies and gatherings have been cancelled due to Covid-19.
This is my tribute to Gibraltar on National Day 2020, a post which I hope, will show my deep affection for the Rock and it’s people. It’s a place which will be forever in my heart, and I dearly hope I will be able to return to frequently in the years to come.
Gibraltar National Day rally – Casemates Square 10th September 2019
Way back in May, before we made our epic move back to the UK, I got the chance to do something I’d never done before…. walk the whole way round the Rock. It’s not something I’d done before because it takes quite a while and strictly speaking you aren’t allowed to walk through one of the road tunnels to complete the route.
However, during the waning weeks of lockdown while there was very little traffic on the roads many people were walking through and the authorities were turning a blind eye. Being someone who doesn’t like to bend the rules very often, I saw this new development as my opportunity and took it. (FYI it’s very busy on the roads again now, so I really wouldn’t recommend doing it now. PLEASE BE SENSIBLE AND DON’T WALK THROUGH).
Here goes…
Europa Road
I began my walk in South District not far from where we used to live on the (normally busy) Europa Road.
Past the beautiful blooms of bougainvillea and nasturtiums.
Rather than going the long way around via Queensway or Main Street, I walked above the Trafalgar Cemetery and popped through Prince Edward’s Gate and into Gibraltar’s old town that way.
Trafalgar Cemetery Prince Edward’s Gate
And into town…
Town RangeLooking from St Mary’s School towards St Andrew’s Church
I walked along pavements I have walked countless times before over the years. It was strange to think that just a few weeks later, we would be saying goodbye to Gibraltar after 11 very happy years. During that time these streets, which once felt so alien and unlike where we had come from, became our home.
St Andrew’s Church of Scotland
I passed below the beautiful and historic Garrison Library.
Gibraltar Garrison Library
…and further on into town along the narrow Governor’s Street north towards Casemates Square.
Governor’s StreetCasemates Square
As you can probably tell from the bright blue skies in the photos – it was a rather warm day!
Casemates Tunnel
In the north east corner of Casemates is a tunnel which leads to…
Landport Tunnel
… Landport Tunnel which was, once upon a time, the only way to access Gibraltar by land. All the area beyond the city walls was once sea before a series of land reclamation projects were undertaken. At curfew each evening those big wooden doors would be closed and the drawbridge on the other side would be lifted sealing inhabitants of the Rock inside for the night.
The tunnel is steeped in history – walking through it you can imagine some of the people who must have come through here over the centuries. There is a bend in the middle for defence purposes I believe.
Northern Defences
As you come out of Landport Tunnel Gibraltar’s military heritage is in evidence on your right and above your head lies the Northern Defences – a place I would have loved to explore before we left.
Onwards and northwards I headed towards the airport and the sundial roundabout.
Sundial roundabout with the airport runway and air traffic control tower beyond
My path turned to the East at this point along Devil’s Tower Road.
This road (which is normally very busy but thanks to lockdown was extremely quiet) has a mix of older housing blocks, flashy new developments and industry. The Rock looms above it all.
At Eastern beach you pass the local vehicle licensing and MOT test centre, behind this military pill box.
As I passed by this spot I was rather taken by this little chap!
Gnome created by Gibraltar street artist JuppCan you spot the spy holes in a line on the Rock in the bottom third of the photo?
There are plenty of reminders on the East side of Gibraltar’s military past as well, apart from the spy holes in the Rock above your head is this cairn constructed in memory of the members of the Black Watch who worked here to create some of Gibraltar’s Defences. I wonder what they thought about the heat of the Med after traveling down from the Highlands of Scotland?!
Heading south towards Catalan Bay
The sun was rather intense at this spot beating down on my head (I’m glad I wore a hat!) and the crickets were chirping in the grass by my side.
Catalan Bay
All of a sudden after the industrial buildings the developments give way to a huge land reclamation project and on the other side – beautiful Catalan Bay. When we first arrived in Gib, this was our beach of choice in the summer. It’s small-ish and is less easy to lose children when you take your eyes off them for a millisecond! Plus there is ample parking if you arrive early enough in the day. Lately though, we moved to Sandy Bay which is a lot less densely populated and gives you much more space.
Beach protocol in Gib is something which you quickly learn as a newcomer to the Rock. Local families have their traditional pitches where they always set up camp on the beach and it can be quite easy to ruffle feathers if you plonk yourself down in a seemingly empty spot. At the height of summer beach umbrellas, deck chairs and tables appear on the beach at first light many hours before their owners appear to take up residence. It is quite a sight to behold.
Catalan BayLooking down over Catalan Bay village
Rather than dashing down to the beach to feel the sand and waves on my toes I kept on going along Sir Herbert Miles Road which hugs the back of Catalan Bay village (Sir Herbert Miles was Governor of Gibraltar from 1913-1918).
Catalan Bay rooftops
Catalan Bay was once solely populated by ex-pat Genoese fishermen and their families. Until about 100 years ago the village was cut off at high tide and the only access was via the beach when the tide was low. Genoese was the language spoken here and Caletaños (Catalan Bay villagers) are responsible for a lot of the Genoese words which have become a fixture in the Llanito dialect in Gibraltar.
Traditional wooden fishing boats at Catalan Bay (Photo: Postcard from Gibraltar archives)
Traditional wooden boat building is still a skill which is passed down through the generations in this village. The beautiful handcrafted rowing fishing boats are used daily by village fishermen to catch fish, they are also used for a traditional annual boat race in the Bay.
Brightly coloured Little Genoa
Along Sir Herbert Miles Road is the pretty and colourful development of Little Genoa (can you see what they did there?).
All the while the huge Rock is there above you!
After Catalan Bay is Black Strap Cove, a small stretch of undeveloped land between Catalan Bay and Sandy Bay. As with much of the Gibraltar coastline you can see now abandoned military installations amongst the rocky cliff side. It is a haven for wild flowers in spring and I’ve seen Barbary Partridges here at times too. A lovely spot.
Next stop Sandy Bay…
When we first arrived in Gibraltar 11 years ago, there was a tiny pebble beach here at Sandy Bay. The winter before we arrived brought tremendous storms and sea swells and washed the beach away (as well as running a huge tanker aground by Europa Point and causing damage elsewhere in Gibraltar). Maybe 5 years ago (my memory may be wrong here) the Government completed the project to build a couple of groynes to protect the beach and shipped in tones of sand to replace what had been lost in the storms.
Sandy Bay is now a large beautifully sandy stretch of beach and thanks to the rocky arms stretching out to hug the beach, the water here can be calm where the conditions are choppy elsewhere for swimming. The perfect spot to spend a day with the family! It’s now our beach of choice.
The housing development of Both Worlds which forms a barrier between the main road and the beach was built just over 50 years ago and opened just around the time the border between Gibraltar and Spain was closed by General Franco. Overnight Gibraltarians couldn’t cross over for holidays and trips into Spain, and Both Worlds became a holiday destination for many local people.
When it opened there were shops here, food delivery services (much like what many of us rely on these days) and even a mini buggy taxi service which would give residents a lift along the length of the resort. I happened upon a fabulous newspaper supplement advertising the new Both Worlds development in a 50 year old Gibraltar Chronicle at the National Archives a while ago. It made for fascinating reading!
It is now a residential block, half of which is for over 50s and the rest is sold on the open market. Some of the apartments can be rented as holiday lets.
Old military buildings south of Sandy BayLooking north towards Sandy BayDudley Ward Tunnel
A short way south of Sandy Bay is Dudley Ward Tunnel. This is the tunnel which isn’t supposed to be used by pedestrians but during lockdown became a regular pedestrian route around the Rock because of the greatly reduced traffic on the roads.
Goodbye sunshine… into the cool darkness. I had my fluorescent gear on so I could be seen clearly walking along the side of the road (fortunately just two cars passed me by). I didn’t hang about for long, it felt very naughty to be in there. I don’t mind telling you that was a bit relieved when I popped out into daylight at the other end!
The coastline here is different to the other end of the tunnel, the cliffs are steeper and go right down to the sea below.
Cliffs covered in wildflowers (can you spot the nesting gull?)
You get a clear view of the clay pigeon shooting range which was built for the Island Games last year.
2019 Island Games Clay Pigeon shooting range
This section of the Rock is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the photo below you get a true sense of the magesty of the cliffs looking northwards. Down at just above sea-level is the Gorham’s Cave complex which is full of important archaeological research.
It truly is a beautiful spot.
Looking south towards Europa Point and the Moroccan coast beyond
When I could see the lighthouse at Europa Point, I felt like I was on the final leg of my journey. Not long now before I could have a cold drink and a sit down!
Out at sea, as I was walking, I spotted a bit of argy-bargy between a Guardia Civil boat and a Royal Navy rhib. That’s a common sight round these parts as there is an ongoing dispute about who the British Gibraltar Territorial Waters actually belong to. Sometimes skirmishes make the British news, one day I saw a flare being fired by the British after a Spanish vessel continued on a collision course towards a submarine. That was quite a sight I can tell you!
Europa Advance Road
Onwards in the full heat of the sun heading south…
Trinity Lighthouse
… there she is – Trinity Lighthouse. Doesn’t she look magestic?
The lay-by which offers this stunning view also has a touching memorial for a young soldier.
As you round the bend in the road, in front of you is the dramatic sight of the Mosque.
Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque
Between the mosque and the lighthouse, Europa Point is a rather iconic part of the Rock. It’s also home to a fabulous play park for young children, a heritage information centre, Gibraltar University, the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe and the recently built Europa Point stadium which is home to Gibraltar Rugby & Gibraltar Cricket and was used to house the Nightingale facility to cope with Covid-19 patients (although, so far, thankfully, it hasn’t needed to be used).
Looking towards the lighthouse, park & stadium between the mosque and university accommodation.
The road swings round to the north again after Europa Point offering great views of the Rock.
Europa Road looking northView from Europa Road down to Little Bay, the Nuffield Pool and Camp Bay beyond
Looking westwards out to see you see both the Moroccan coast (on the left of the photo below) and the Spanish coast (on the right) the strip of water between them is the famous Strait of Gibraltar and the gateway to the Mediterranean.
Europa Road here gets quite narrow as it was once crossed by an archway and policed by an army sentry.
It was a defence point to stop invaders approaching from the south getting access to the town.
And finally I had reached my destination… almost home, I was back in South District!
Two hours on from when I’d set off, I had completed my circuit of the Rock. I am so pleased I managed to tick this walk off on my to-do list in Gibraltar. Despite living there for over a decade, there are still some things I didn’t manage to achieve, like visiting the Lower St Michaels Cave and exploring the Jungle and the Northern Defences. I hope one day I will be able to do those things.
In the meantime, when I’m in my new home in the UK I have some truly wonderful memories of our time in Gib, and feel truly blessed that we had our time there, and that the Little Postcards could enjoy some of their childhood there too.
Thank you Gibraltar and happy National Day 2020! 🇬🇮
Hello and welcome to the final Sunday Sevens of 2019. (Sunday Sevens for those who haven’t visited Postcard from Gibraltar before is a selection of photos – usually seven, from the past seven days).
We were traveling yesterday so this is more of a Monday Sevens this week! I hope you have had a good week and a fun Christmas. Here goes…
Sunday lunch in the sun
Last Sunday we had a lovely family meal at Queensway Quay. After lunch we went for a bit of a walk to look at the fish and the boats.
Monday morning run
I managed to motivate myself enough on Monday morning to go out for a run (it took quite a bit of will power!). As I ran past the beach at Camp Bay, I couldn’t help but notice that there was rather a lot of plastic washed up on the sand. As I took a breather I thought I’d pick up some rubbish. I was rather shocked with what I gathered in just a couple of minutes (below).
Sunny Christmas Eve
We had a lovely Christmas Eve lunch at one of our favourite Gibraltar restaurants. It was a beautiful day and I managed to order the biggest lamb dish I have ever seen. Thankfully, I had help to finish it!
Christmas Day walk
On Christmas late afternoon, I went out for a walk with Eldest to burn off a few of the calories I’d consumed. We walked south to the lighthouse at Europa Point and then back up north towards town and home again. As we walked along we met the Governor of Gibraltar who was also out for a Christmas Day stroll!
Boxing Day Polar Bear Swim
On Boxing Day I managed to get out for another run – I was doing so well last week (not doing so well of late though). Whilst I ran past Camp Bay, a group of brave souls were taking part in the Polar Bear swim in aid of Cancer Relief Gibraltar.
Wander with the Little Postcards
Later on on Boxing Day as Mr Postcard had to work, I headed into Spain with the Little Postcards and we had a lovely walk by the seaside. We spotted a few four legged friends on our travels.
Will I or won’t I finish this by the end of the year?
So on Friday I was determined to have a good go at finishing my changing tides blanket (pattern from Eleonora at Coastal Crochet) but unfortunately I have been beaten in my quest. I tried and failed to get it done before the end of the year – I can say that because we have now left Gibraltar for a New Year stay in England and I have left the blanket behind – there wasn’t room for it in my case.
I have, however made a lot of progress and the end is in sight, so it won’t be too long I hope. I have also brought a WIP with me to try and finish that instead while I’m away.
Grey day
That lovely sunshine we had over Christmas was long gone by Saturday. The sky was the same colour as the Rock! Never mind, we had a very good spell of weather over Christmas so I’m not complaining.
And that brings Sunday Sevens to an end for another week. I do hope that you enjoyed this week if you celebrate Christmas.
Thanks very much for sticking with me this year, it’s been a bit of a quiet one for Postcard from Gibraltar as I’ve been rather busy doing other things this year. I hope to be around a bit more in 2020.
The Sunday Sevens blog series was first created by Natalie from Threads and Bobbins.
Hello there, sorry for the radio silence last weekend, life was just too busy for blogging. But I’m back with a bumper Sunday Sevens x2! Here goes…
Bowling on a Sunday afternoon
Two weeks ago today, my parents were just a few days into their stay here in Gibraltar- their first visit this year. On Sunday afternoon, we took Grandma bowling! I’m not sure why a film about Venice was being projected onto the screen above the alley!
A beautiful building
I found myself stepping through the door of a building I have passed many times before to have a meeting. I was rather blown away with the beauty of this historic vestibule & staircase.
Hibiscus in bloom
Mr Postcard spotted some hibiscus plants at the supermarket and brought some home. They have really cheered up the balcony with their bright flowers.
Remember to look up
I was on the upper floor of one of the shops on Main Street and spied this rather elegant facade on the building across the street. Admittedly it looks in need of a bit of maintenance but there’s something quite charming about the wonky slats on the shutters. As a homeowner with wooden shutters I can vouch for the fact that they don’t stay looking pristine for long with the intense sunshine we experience here over the summer months. It’s rather a destructive force on paintwork.
Oh for a proper camera
I’m afraid this photo doesn’t do the view justice, but one evening I drove south to Europa Point and as I turned on the road to the Eastside I spied a large orange coloured moon just above the horizon. It was stunning, so I pulled over and attempted to take a photo – it doesn’t do it justice I’m afraid!
Literary festival time!
So this is the main reason why Sunday Sevens didn’t happen last week. It was the annual Gibraltar Literary Festival and it was just amazing. Four days of fascinating talks given by people from all walks of life. Just loved it. I only wish I could have seen more and that it didn’t only happen on 4 days each year!! Below is pictured former BBC journalist Gavin Esler who gave a great talk on Brexit and some of its implications.
Accidental bloomers
So in my dressmaking course I am currently making a pair of trousers. After two trial attempts I am now ready to do the real thing, however my lovely teacher pointed out that the fabric I had bought may be a bit itchy so I should line them. I had some excess lining fabric left over from my jacket last year and used that. I didn’t have enough to line the full leg, just to above the knee – hence I now have a rather fetching pair of bright pink bloomers!
Getting ready for the big match
Gibraltar played host to the Swiss National team this week as the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers continued. Look even Moorish Castle was wearing a shirt! Sadly the support from the Tower of Homage wasn’t enough. Gibraltar lost 6:1.
Obligatory sunset
We had a lovely sunset one evening last week. The high clouds were back lit by the sun which had already disappeared behind the hills opposite.
The last glimpse of sunshine!
We had been warned that bad weather was on the way, on Wednesday morning I could sense this being the last sunshine we’d be seeing for a while, I was correct…
Winter weather
And the rain came, and gale force winds! Thankfully my parents’ flight home managed to land ok, but some flights this week had to be diverted to Malaga to land because of the strong winds. Sadly for me, it meant the end of their two weeks here which seemed to go too quickly.
Christmas is around the corner!
Last night Gibraltar turned on its Christmas lights. They were actually supposed to be turned on on Friday but the weather warnings were such that it was postponed and the stage etc was dismantled to prevent it being damaged by the gales.
It was all put back together in time for a packed Casemates Square to see the Christmas tree get lit up.
And that brings this bumper Sunday Sevens to a close for this week. I hope you haven’t dropped off while reading it – it’s been so long!
Have a good week, and I hope to be back next Sunday all being well!
Hello, another week gone by and all of a sudden (if the TV executives & supermarket bosses would have you believe it) Christmas is round the corner… not thinking about that just yet! Here’s this week’s Sunday Sevens:
Wildlife Park open day
On Sunday, I took the Little Postcards along to the Alameda Wildlife and Conservation Park in the Alameda Botanical Gardena. This little ‘zoo’ as we used to call it was important to us when we first moved to Gibraltar 10 years ago with just 2 Little Postcards. We lived across the road from the gardens and they became our garden replacement after moving from our home in the UK with our own garden.
The wildlife park is in a very small corner of the gardens and is a sanctuary for animals which have been seized from boats by customs and also houses a few of the problematic native apes who have found themselves outside of the Upper Rock ape community.
The open day was to raise funds and awareness for the work the park carries out and was a huge success if the number of families there was anything to go by.
We all fell for the African Grey parrots who had a lovely chirpy conversation going on with themselves, the other birds, the apes next door and visitors too!
Blue skies are back again!
We had a rather wet weekend last weekend, although nowhere near as bad as the weather the UK has experienced this week. By Tuesday the blue skies were back again.
What a scorcher
By Wednesday morning, this is the weather we were having, it was so hot on the Eastside, although it was grey and blustery around the other side of the Rock! Gibraltar has a very complex weather system…
Wonky carrots
I got quite a shock when I pulled this carrot out of the bag! Diamond, our bunny liked it nonetheless.
Here comes the rain again
Just look at those grey clouds… the rain came back…
Seagulls galore
The noise from these roosting seagulls was terrific!
Sparkly lights across the Strait
Do you see those lights over the water? That’s Morocco. It looked so close on Friday night as I was driving past Europa Point.
And that brings this week’s Sunday Sevens to a close. Thanks for stopping by!
First week of the school summer holidays over already! Just another 8 to go…
Saharan dust at sunset
The calm before the busy week ahead…. a Saharan dust sunset last Sunday evening.
We’re watching you!
On Monday we went to the beach – better start the holiday as we mean to go on… it was lovely!While we were there we were watching HMS Echo mapping the sea bed off the East coast of the Rock.
New pool
Gibraltar has a new /old pool. The former MOD Nuffield Pool was handed back to the Gibraltar Government a while back and was left empty and unused (which is a terrible waste). Anyway, a couple of weeks ago it was opened to the public for the first time (previously you had to have MOD connections to get in). It is utterly marvelous and I can see us making use of it a lot this summer – we went twice this week!
Gib in the news
On Thursday morning Gibraltar hit the news, a tanker containing Iranian oil and suspected of heading to Syria (in breach of EU sanctions) was seized by the Gibraltar Government with the help of the Royal Marines.We took a drive around to the Rock to see it, we spied it just off the South West coast beyond the lighthouse.
Another beach day
I’ve got this beach thing sorted I think! It takes me a few attempts to get into my stride with what to take etc. Now the Little Postcards are a bit older I can actually take the risk of looking at a book without fear of them getting into too much bother – this is a very nice development! Next week I think my crochet willhave to come too…
Calentita time!
Calentita came to town on Friday night. The annual food festival takes over the main Casemates Square and Market Place (below) with food stalls, tables, musical acts and cookery demonstrations. We always get there early for a quick feed with the Little Postcards before it gets too busy later on.
Island Games
Last night, the NatWest International Island Games kicked off in Gibraltar at the new (not quite finished yet) Europa Point Sports Complex. Teams from 21 visiting islands from St Helena to Greenland, the Isle of Man to Sark arrived. Gibraltar will host them in a number of sports for the next week. Be prepared for a rather sports inspired Sunday Sevens next week!
And that brings this week’s rather busy Sunday Sevens to a close. I hope it’s been a good one for you. Until next time, bye for now!
Sunday Sevens – which features 7 photos from the last 7 days was first created by Natalie from Threads and Bobbins.
Hello there, happy Sunday! Here’s another week’s Sunday Sevens, seven (or more) photos from the last seven days…
Sunday afternoon park life
Last Sunday afternoon we found ourselves in Commonwealth Park, beautiful green oasis in the centre of a rather built up place. The Little Postcards hooked up by chance with some friends from school and ran about like mad things for an hour or so.
Flags of thanks
In last week’s Sunday Sevens you may have noticed I was doing a spot of sewing – on Monday I finished it off. It was a ‘Flag of Thanks’ which is heading to Salisbury to be displayed to raise awareness for homeless veterans. The flags will then be made into blankets for those homeless veterans.
The military in Gibraltar decided to get on board with the project but asked the wider community to get involved too. There were several workshops for people to attend and contribute to the flag collection from Gib. I wasn’t able to attend so made mine at home.
My flag was added to the collection and even got featured in a photo opportunity with the wives of the Commander of the British Forces in Gibraltar (left) Vicky Henry and of the Governor of Gibraltar (right) Lorraine Davies.
If you would like to find out more about the flags of thanks check out the Flags of Thanks website .
Another day, another park…
One of the Little Postcards had a school trip this week to the Alameda Gardens. It was a lovely spot to sit in the sunshine and wait for him to finish!
International Space Station fly-past
Its a bit of a grainy photo but that white dot is the International Space Station crossing the skies over Gibraltar on Tuesday night. I double checked flight radar and it definitely wasn’t a plane, but it was moving far too fast to be a star!! I heard earlier in the day that it would be passing over head and popped out onto the balcony on the off chance it may go past and struck lucky. It appeared between the wispy clouds.
Evening stroll
One evening I headed out with Eldest for a walk in the evening to Europa Point. As we were walking the call to prayer began at the mosque. It was beautiful hearing the melody on the breeze.
Farewell to another sub
Like last week, I have spent rather a lot of time at my laptop this week working on a project. Also like last week, I have looked up at just the right moment to see something interesting sail past. This week it was a black sailed yacht and a submarine leaving port!
50 years since the Frontier Closure
50 years ago yesterday, the border gates between Gibraltar and Spain were closed. This act by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco cut Gibraltar off from the mainland. Families were divided and telephone lines were cut. It was a terrible time for those living on both sides of the border. This week it was remembered by both communities. There’s a fantastic exhibition on at the moment to commemorate the events of 50 years ago which include the original gates.
That’s all for Sunday Sevens this week, I hope the next seven days are good for you.
Hello there and a very happy Sunday to you. I hope you’ve had a good week. We are edging closer to the school Easter holidays here in Gibraltar – just one week of school left to get jobs done before I have days full of boys! Here’s this week’s look back at the last seven days… (and, incidentally it’s my 500th Postcard from Gibraltar post! That sounds like rather a lot doesn’t it?!)
Mother’s Day lunch
We went out for a lovely lunch on Mother’s Day. A glass of Prosecco, rose and a beautiful view across the Strait to Morocco came with the meal.
Med Steps on a Monday
It’s been a long time since I’ve been up the Med Steps on a Monday morning, but I managed it this week. It was lovely up there, grey skies but some sunshine, and cool breezes. Perfect conditions.
And Spring has sprung…. the native Gibraltar Candytuft is blooming.
Dressmaking class
As I finished my jacket at last week’s lesson, it was time to draft another pattern for a new project at this week’s lesson. I bought this lacy fabric (below) from my teacher Dorcas a while ago because I loved it and really fancied making a top with it. That process has begun now.
Crochet blunder
I have been working on a filet patterned crochet jumper for a while and decided to pick it back up again this week. Unfortunately I paid the price of not rereading the pattern properly as I just carried on with a 4mm hook I found in the bag with the partially made jumper. Having done 2/3 of the front I got the measuring tape out to check if it was time to shape the shoulders. It was long enough, but, and it’s a big but, the pattern didn’t match the back. I was two pattern repeats short – I should’ve used a 3.75mm hook! It’s been unraveled, and I’m now playing catch-up!
Frustrating flights
We decided to do something we don’t normally do on Thursday – we went over to Spain while the Little Postcards were at school. It was a rather long drawn out process. We left home, got stuck in a queue to cross the runway as a plane was landing… then I realised I’d left my phone at home so we had to turn around and go home again to pick up the phone in case school called with a problem. Then I took this photo as we were stuck for a second time with another plane landing… instead of taking 15-20 minutes to get from our home to the border, it took 50!! Whoops.
We had to forfeit our lunch, instead of leisurely tapas we had a service station sandwhich in the car to make sure we were home in time to pick the Little Postcards up! Maybe we’ll get the tapas another time…
Stormy day
The weather on Friday was rather grim, wet, very grey and with gale force gusts. This was the rather uninspiring view of the Bay of Gibraltar around morning school run time. There were rumbles of thunder as I walked home – fortunately I made it back indoors before the horizontal rain started!! (The big grey ship may be a Spanish aircraft carrier coming into port in Algeciras across the Bay from Gibraltar.)
Saturday sunset
We’ve not had a Sunday Sevens sunset picture for a while. I caught the last rays of sunshine disappearing behind the hills opposite our home yesterday.
That’s it for this week’s Sunday Sevens, I hope the coming seven days are kind to you.
As always I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.
Another week has passed and here’s another Sunday Sevens!
Homeward bound
On Monday I flew back home after my parents’ Golden Wedding Anniversary celebrations. I left a sunny Manchester for a sunny Malaga!
Commonwealth Day
Can you spot the Commonwealth flag flying? It was Commonwealth Day on Monday and schools and government offices were closed. Many schools took an extra day off on Tuesday too, so no dressmaking class for me this week.
Crochet in the sun
We’ve had a few stunningly sunny days this week. Perfect for a bit of crochet in sunshine…
Watercolour flamenco
I don’t like painting people or animals, they usually end up looking like aliens! This flamenco dancer had an unusually long giraffe-like neck for quite a while… flowers & buildings are more in my comfort zone!
Rainbow lunchbox
I treated myself to this gorgeous falafel salad for lunch one day this week. It was as tasty as it looked.
Fun at the park
We’ve made the most of the good weather this week and had a couple of trips to the park at Europa Point. It’s been great to get the kids out for fun and fresh air.
Golden Hour stroll
Yesterday evening we had a lovely walk just as the sun was setting, everything looked so pretty in the golden light.
And that’s it for this week, I hope it’s been a good one for you in spite of the terrible things which have happened this week.
Sunday Sevens is a blog series which was created by Natalie from Threads and Bobbins.
This week, reflection is the theme for Alison in Andalucia’s #52fridayphotos and a trip to the park at Europa Point early this week was a perfect opportunity to catch this reflection. You can just make out the southern end of the top of the Rock behind the mosque at Europa Point reflected in my Little Postcard’s sunglasses.
