Spain - 20 Tarifa, Gibraltar and the nearest we are going to get to Africa

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We left Seville and headed off for Tarifa. This would be our furthest point out and from now on we would be on our return journey to the United Kingdom. However, having said that it would take at least a week of solid driving in Suzy to get home. And that is without any sleep.

The weather has cooled and although still a warm 25 degrees it feels a lot colder. Perhaps the mountains have something to do with this. The scenery has changed from flat lands to hilly, the vegetation cactus some flowering with pretty orange buds . Fields of corn, some harvested, sunflowers , the sea to one side of us and Africa. Tantalisingly close despite the heat haze hugging the Staits of Gibraltar. Huge container vessels at sea. An odd scene in a way. Much imagined and now we are here. Yellow mignonettes growing wild . Upon further investigation they are yellow thistles very different from the mauve prickly ones we have back home.

We stayed overnight at camping Valdequacares, a small ACSI site across the road from miles and miles of yellow clean sandy beach as far as the eye could see. The plots were fairly small, the supermarket shop as empty as our fridge in Suzy. We failed at the large Carrefour in Seville. The barrier height 2 metres 2 which would have taken off the top of Suzy and the satelitte dish. Ah well their loss. The reception friendly and the cost overnight 16 euros including tax. We did enquire about trips to Africa and they could be done by high speed hydrofoil from Tarifa but the difficulty was getting the 20 or so miles into town . YOu could go dolphin watching for a cost or for 48 euros trip over to Tangier have lunch in a typical restaurant and visit a souk. The price went up by 20 euros to include something else and finally by another 20 to include a visit to the royal palace. Not quite Africa but just a port so we decided to save our 150 euros for something else.

We left the campsite and drove up into the hills above Tarifa where we got a wonderful view of the Med with container ships passing through the straits of Gibraltar. Africa there but still hazy in the morning sun. We found a good pull in with cafe. The owner had placed seats in and out where you could sit and photograph the new continent.

We travelled into Tarifa which had the feel of a frontier town. You got the impression of illegal immigrants getting over the short distance from Africa to Europe and then travelling through Spain , France and heading for Britain. We found a much needed LIDL store. Not my favourite but beggars cant be choosers when the fridge is barer than Mother Hubbards Cupboard.

Whilst we didnt feel threatened we chose to leave one of us in the motorhome whilst the other did the shopping. The car park was full of what looked like beggars sitting about with water which I presume they took to the beaches to sell. I was accosted by one young lad. Not threatening he smiled and brought me his shopping trolley. I handed over my 1 euro which normally I would have put in the handle to retrieve later. I did my shopping - fresh milk a luxury as I am not fond of UHT milk. Some fresh bread, pasta and sauce , a fresh strawberries. Heading back to the car I put the trolley back inserted the handle in and realised I was never going to get my euro back. He had fleeced me and I hope he enjoyed whatever he used it to buy. It was only a euro and I would willingly have given it him without him taking the proverbial out of me and then waving as I left the car park.

We hit the road heading for Gibraltar. The last time I saw it was in 1966 and I had hoped to go back to introduce Glenn to its strangeness . Britain, red phone boxes, police me you recognise, stores from back home but we had decided to give it a miss. The main problem was it was a hot potato again with Spain who wanted it back. Perhaps because it is the European elections this week the MEP's were sabre rattling and Gib was a good sabre to rattle. Next week after the elections are over perhaps things will settle down again. We saw the rock and it looked massive a virtual island at the end of Spain guarding the straits between Europe and Africa. Photographs did it no justice. We were approaching from the wrong side . A bit like a face it has a better side. And that haze still spoilt any decent camera shots. It was as if Gib didnt exist to one side. Not a street sign saying Gib this way. It was only when we got past we saw the directions to La Linea the border and Gib itself. It was as if Spain was trying to ignore this big lump of rock which seems to want to remain British forever.

Once past a few Gib registered cars went by. They all seemed to get stuck at the peages as if the officials were making a point before letting them on their way.

Our destination for the night was the large Camping Club and Camping and Caravan club Camping Cabopino. Huge and sprawling it spreads for miles. On a hill the plots are terraced away from the sea and the beach. It is the preserve of the British who overwinter here. Two swimming pools , one indoor, one out, a football pitch, petanque pitch, excellent clean toilet blocks , small shop, Indian and Italian restuarants. ACSI again 16 euros which was good value for all the facilities . There are a mixture of semi permanent caravans and motorhomes and bungalows one of which was called CArtref. The welsh word for home.

I paid my money and got talking to an English guy - as you do. I asked how long he was staying and he turned out to be a resident of the last three years. His children had grown up and he saw no reason to return home. He paid the first year a deposit of 1500 pounds which he would have lost had he not stayed the year. After the year this deposit was returned to him. The cost per month to stay including electricity and water was 495 euros a month. I could understand why he stayed although I was a bit lost as to what you would do here for three years. Stir crazy perhaps.

At night we dined at the Italian, a lovely mixed salad and a minestrone soup followed by spag bol with a chicken and cheese dish. Brilliant place, lovely atmosphere and a perfect end to the day.

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