Day 12: Gibraltar

I woke up surrounded by the decadent aromas of hashish and mint tea! Well, not quite, but the area was very arabic!

I'd pitched my larger tent as I was 'in residence' over 3 nights. It was a Cabela XWT Tent:

(Cabela ad)

I'd bought and shipped it from the States in 2009. It's very comfortable and, as the name suggests, an extreme weather tent designed for use in the North American wilderness. I camp throughout the seasons so it was going to get a good deal of use.

I wandered over and crossed the bridge onto the expansive beach:

Morocco was visible across the Straits of Gibraltar through the mist:

 And the beach seemed to go on for miles.

Today was going to be an easy day with a visit to the Rock. I had been to Tangier twice before, once in 1969 and the other as part of our honeymoon so I didn't feel too compelled to go there again.

General Franco closed the gates between Spain and Gibraltar in 1969, after the Gibraltarians had held a referendum and voted to remain under British sovereignty. All the Spanish workers were pulled out and many Moroccans (and I) moved in to fill the void. I'd left school and wanted to spread my wings a little, and Gib was a good prospect for obtaining casual work for a few months. I'd not been back since then and looked forward to reminisce and visit some old but familiar places.

In that summer I took on a job as a lorry driver, after taking and passing my Gib commercial drivers' licence, collecting goods from the docks off the lighters and delivering them to various businesses around the Rock, including all the materials necessary to build a block of flats (remember nothing could come in by road at that time). I had several Moroccan labourers attached to my lorry who did the manual labour. I just drove and sunbathed on the cab roof and got paid for it. What more could a schoolboy want?!

Gib is probably more British than Britain is today. It maintains its exacting traditional heritage with so much pride, from the red telephone and pillar boxes to the traditional British 'bobby'.

 

The history of the Grand Casemate Gates and the square behind, go back to the Moors in 1160 and their intended conquest of Gibraltar. It's one of the main accesses into the old town of Gibraltar and Main Street.

Just to the right of this Gate was the Food Market (now a Public Market). It was possible then to buy a piece of juicy steak from one of the many butchers there, take it to the cafe at the entrance, and they would cook the steak to your preference, add chips, mushrooms and whatever else you wanted just for a few pence!

Turnbull's Lane leads off Main street to what was 'Smokey Joe's'!

 

'Smokey Joe's' was where I also ate regularly. It was very inexpensive and provided very good quality food, with 'Arroz con Pollo' being one of my favourites! It was taken over by a Moroccan family in 1970 and has remained in their hands ever since. Nothing has changed over all that time!

This is Governor House:

and the Alameda Gardens:

and the Caleta Hotel in Catalan Bay (that stood completely alone then):

At the far end of this photo the road disappears into a single lane tunnel (now one way from the other direction). I recall, in 1969, that a couple of us drivers  had delivered our loads around what was then called the Caleta Palace Hotel area. We decided to race for the tunnel! I'm not sure who won but I do remember being scared! I heard that a lorry had crashed a few months before doing the very same thing to the demise of the driver. But boys will be boys!

This used to be the old dockland area where the lighters were offloaded of their goods and where I used to work. It's now a very smart Marina surrounded by apartments.

It was here I got into an argument with a Spanish worker over the politics of Gibraltar and Ceuta (Spanish Morocco) and he drew a knife on me...then put it away again I'm pleased to say!

Much of 'new' Gibraltar is just to the other side of this area and is built on many acres of now reclaimed land.

That, for me, was a wonderful day with many reminisences. These 'big' events that occur in your teens remain with you. Flying alone to Gib on spec was quite a big deal for me at that time, bearing in mind that every one of my 5 school mates who was going to come with me backed out at the last minute.

67 miles only today.