You may have noticed that recently steps have featured heavily in my posts, mainly because of my intention to compete in the Med Steps challenge coming up this spring. Well that got me thinking and do you know there are an awful lot of steps around Gibraltar? It might have something to do with the fact we live on a flipping great big rock and there is a lot of gradient going on!
Another reason for steps is that they take up a lot less space than roads and for many people they are the only way to access their homes, particularly in the pedestrian reliant narrow lanes and passages of town and upper town.
The steps here can be a real challenge, especially in the rain (which can make some of them very slippy) and in the hot summer when slow and steady is the order of the day.
If you are a visitor to Gibraltar, you don’t need to venture far from the main consumer attractions of Main Street to be faced with steps a plenty.
You might think, so what? What’s the big deal? A flight of steps is just that. But no, they come in so many shapes and sizes.
There are big ones…
Small ones…
Shallow ones…
Steep ones…
Unloved ones…
Named ones…
Anonymous ones…
Ones with ramps to help us parents with prams…
Floral ones…
And colourful ones…
Yep there are definitely a lot of steps here, it’s a wonder folk round here join gyms to be honest! Right I’m off for a lie down after all that climbing ;-)!
Can’t remember, did you see my Forty steps post? I think I can say I’ve seen most of those on your post 🙂
No I haven’t I’ll have a peek. 🙂
By the way are there 40? I didn’t count them 😉
Here’s the link:
https://everypicturetellsone.wordpress.com
Who knows? Looks like though.
Thanks 🙂
Er, warning. You might find ‘Clouds’ a little controversial …
Ok 🙂
Thank you I enjoyed reading that. I often wonder what stories these buildings and streets to could tell. I’ve walked past those steps so many times over the years.
My legs are aching just looking at that lot! Who knew there could be so many variations?
And that is just a tiny fraction of them all. They’re great for keeping fit but can’t be fun for the elderly and less mobile.
No or, as you say, with pushchairs or a bicycle…
Indeed 🙂
Loved your steps, steps, steps . What an amazing array of steps ! Definitely food for thought, so many questions.
How do small children cope with the array of steps?
Plus many more. I won’t bore you with them. For some strange reason your wonderful pictures have really made me think .
Sue x
Oh Sue, what a lovely comment. I’m glad I gave you food for thought :-). It is a bit tricky with small children. I used to regularly do one of those flights (with ramps) with a baby in a pram and a pre-schooler on a buggy board. It was exhausting but I didn’t need to go to the gym 😉 thankfully those days are over and I just have drag the smallest (4yrs) along with us now! You do get used to them over time but there are days when they seem longer and steeper than usual! 🙂
The different steps are fascinating, I like the steps with the ramp, what do people with prams or wheelchairs do at all the other steps?
Err good question. Bump up and down I guess. Mobility access hasn’t quite reached all of Gibraltar yet…
Wow – that sure is a lot of steps! Did you have to walk up & down them all to get the photos too? The pram ramp is something I’ve never seen before; what a great idea!
I reckon I walked up around half of them to take the photos. That’s not a bad thing though – it’s good to get the heart pumping every now and again! 😉 the pram ramp IS a good idea as long as the ramps match the distance between your wheels!! I’ve gone ‘off the rails’ a couple of times which can be scary especially at the top of a tall flight 😳.
Oh I never thought of that! That my have raise our heart rate too! Haha!
It did a little 😉 !
Awesome photos from the place, which I visited in the 70s. 🙂
Fascinating! Really enjoyed seeing the pictures. It’s kind of odd, but I like steps and I like climbing, so I would probably enjoy it there! Must be so hard for people with mobitlity issues, though.
Glad you enjoyed the post, thank you for taking the time to comment! 🙂
Lived at Tudury’s steps in 1965-1967 and had my daughter there(Royal Naval hospital). I would like your authorization to have a website create a picture for me from your photo
Yes no problem at all Pamela! Thank you for asking.