Gibraltar with love

---

I have never seen a travel book on Gibraltar. Every time I browse in a bookshop it’s the same order. Germany….Ghana….Greece. Has one ever been written I wonder, and if not, why not? The size of the place no doubt, Gibraltar is small and it would be difficult to fill an entire book. If you knew Gibraltar you would know that is not the case, my three visits there have taught me that much. “Go and write it yourself” a voice in my head tells me. Well every book needs an introduction and here is my introduction to my book. Maybe I will write the rest one day.



I suppose I have always been fascinated by Gibraltar, probably because it is different. That little bit of England perched on the southern tip of Spain, a rock not a land, a place steeped in history much of it military. But mostly because I had never been there.



Holidaying in The Algarve with my partner I was reading the brochure on the coach trips available and the word ”Gibraltar” leapt off the page. Finally a chance to visit this fascinating place had presented itself. At the booking desk I enquired how long we would spend on the coach as I suspected it was a fair drive. “Five hours each way”, was the reply. That decided it. I had to pass this opportunity up, how long would we actually get to spend there if ten hours of our day were spent travelling.



The following year we were holidaying in Fuengirola and once again the brochure advertised day trips to Gibraltar. Only this time the Rock was only a couple of hours away and we were soon in possession of our coach tickets.



The day of our trip dawned and we boarded the coach with mounting excitement tempered by some trepidation. Gibraltar’s frontier with Spain had been in the news all summer back in the UK with horror stories of how long it was taking to cross the frontier as the Spanish border officials flexed their muscles in retaliation over a dispute about Gibraltar extending an artificial reef. When would I get my first glimpse of the Rock, I wondered. The answer to that was a few miles away but it was a sight like no other. You are expecting something substantial, after all it is known as The Rock but I was not prepared for the sheer size of it. From that distance it looks like rock and nothing else, how could anyone possibly live there.



As our coach pulled up in the no-mans land between La Linea (the Spanish town next door) and Gibraltar our hearts sank. All you could see were cars in a queue that seemed to stretch for ever like the M6 on its worst behaviour. It seemed our worst fears about delayed border crossings were being realised. Our driver disembarked and returned a few minutes later and after a hushed conversation in Spanish with our guide we were informed that it was going to take around four hours for the coach to cross the border but don’t worry, it’s alright, we can cross the border on foot and the driver will stay in the queue. As senses of relief go this was a big one.



The first thing you notice at ground level is how large the rock is, how it imposes itself over the town which is built at sea level extending partially up the rock. We passed passport control and walking towards the town we suddenly realised we were walking across the runway of Gibraltar’s airport, something I can safely say that I have never done before, anywhere. You have no choice, there is no other way in. I am used to looking both ways and checking for cars before I cross the road but aeroplanes!







We proceeded to spend a wonderful day in Gibraltar doing the things that tourists do, aware that the clock was ticking the whole time until the moment when we had to climb back on the coach and leave. We had fallen in love with this wonderful place that isn’t really a little bit of England at all but a place in its own right with its own customs and the Gibraltarians are rightly proud of it. Arriving back at our hotel the first thing we did was to book another trip the following week. We hadn’t scratched the surface of Gibraltar, we wanted to see more.



The beauty of Gibraltar is that is has something for everyone. Casemates Square is a square full of character with cafes, bars and restaurants where you can dine or drink al fresco and indulge in some serious people watching. Main Street leads off Casemates Square, a pedestrianised street lined with shops and will keep the serious shopper occupied for hours, the duty free offers here have to be seen to be believed. If you want to get out of the town and get some fresh air you can climb the rock, it’s alright you don’t have to do it by foot although you can if that is your pleasure. There are plenty of tours that will take you there as well as a cable car. Once there you will enjoy views that are unsurpassed in my opinion. The rock is also the home of the legendary Macaque Apes.



A trip to Europa Point is a must. One of the last open areas in Gibraltar it is a place of astonishing beauty where you look out to sea past the lighthouse and see Morocco, yes you are that close to Africa. Turn your head a few degrees to the right and you will see the Atlantic Ocean meet the Mediterranean Sea. There are tunnels and caves galore built into the rock and each one has its story and history.







If a beach holiday is your thing you will not be disappointed. There are four sandy beaches namely: Sandy Bay, Eastern Beach, Western Beach and the village at Catalan Bay which also houses one of Gibraltar’s best hotels, the Caleta. There is something rather special about sitting on a beach and looking out to sea and knowing that there is nothing European in front of you.



Back in the town and as fine a marina that you could wish to see awaits you. Full of ships of sumptuous luxury the view really is second to none. Keep an eye on the Cruise Ships that regularly arrive and depart, maybe that is how you will arrive. The Sunborn will catch your eye; it may have been a ship at one time but it is now a luxury 189 room hotel. There really is no better way of spending an evening than sipping an ice cold drink at The Ivy whilst gazing out at the marina.







And to top it all you can spend your English money anywhere in Gibraltar. All prices are quoted in Sterling and Euros.



Our holiday ended and we had to return home but back home in England several months later I popped the question to my partner and she happily said “yes”. We now had a wedding to plan and once the idea of getting married in Gibraltar was floated nowhere else stood a chance and on 2^nd October 2014 we were married in our favourite place following in the footsteps of John and Yoko.



Have I whetted your appetite? I hope so. Because there is more, much more.

---