There are rare things in life that never lose their impact, no matter how many times one experiences them, and for me, these have usually come in the form of a handful of visual experiences. Sometimes, it’s just the sheer majesty and or beauty of a vista that never pales, while at other times it has something to do with the emotional context of the scene, and occasionally, it’s a combination of the two. For instance, due to my lifelong fascination with King Saul, standing at the top of Mount Gilboa in northern Israel, looking out across the Jezreel Valley has been top of my enduring impact chart for the past forty years or more, but lately, running it a close second is our now oft-repeated approach to Gibraltar on the highway from Spain. This latest viewing was the most memorable yet, with the rock adorned by a plume of cloud, blown backwards like a massive shock of silver hair.
Perhaps, in this lunatic, unpredictable world, the sight of the great rock, immoveable and timeless, boldly withstanding all that the elements can throw at it, offers a sense of reassuring permanence which only seems to increase with repetition.
Following on from my earlier post on our initial return to Gibraltar after a gap of over twenty years, we have managed to visit several more times, and on each occasion, we have become increasingly impressed with life on the Rock. There’s no doubting that the drab and dreary Gibraltar of last century has been consigned firmly to the past and that a new, confident and energetic modern little city is rising in its place. Moreover, the once-faded and shabby old town centre has been sensitively spruced up and now stands above its modern surrounds like a proud grandparent watching over its thriving progeny.
“Unique” has become a much overused and abused term, but in the case of today’s Gibraltar it really is just about the only adjective that does the place justice. From its airport runway pedestrian crossing (sadly, to be lost very shortly to a new tunnel) to Rosia Bay, where one swims alongside giant container ships, not to mention it being Europe’s only truly harmonious “multiculture”, Gibraltar is a total one-off.
The iPhone snaps below hopefully transmit some of that uniqueness, and a sense of its intoxicating optimism…
Looking south from Rosia Bay, across the Straights toward Jebel Musa (the “other” Pillar of Hercules) and the Moroccan Coast. An anglers and swimmers idle, a mere fifteen-minute walk from the old town… Looking north-west from Rosia Bay toward the southern Cadiz province coast. My intrepid wife Dido can just be made out taking a choppy swim to the right of the photo. The waters here, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, are very cold this early in the year, and the only other person in the water was a retired Royal Navy diver, and he was in a wet suit – the wimp! A decaying old mooring jetty between Rosia and Camp Bays, one of the few remaining monuments to the “old Gibraltar”…Concrete picnic tables at Camp Bay, looking remarkably like an Anthony Gormley sculpture (only better, for being accidental), with the busy Straights in the background…For those craving authentic Spanish beach cuisine, but too lazy to traipse across the border into neighbouring La Linea, Gibraltar is now blessed with a handful of genuine frieduras and chiringuitos, such as Cabana on Camp Bay. The only difference from La Linea, is that here your waitress or waiter is as likely to have a Scouse accent as an Andalusian lilt, but never fear! The fried boquerones (whitebait) and the grilled calamares are every bit as delicious as along the coast…Meanwhile, just a short stroll away in the old town, one is suddenly in a different world, that feels something like a cross between Hampstead (in London) and Valetta, with a touch of Toulouse, depending upon the light, the weather and the time of day.The one place it doesn’t feel anything like, despite being filled with Spanish workers and tourists, is southern Spain!
The old centre of Gibraltar has been blessed with fine English buildings since the Georgian period, but again, it’s only in the past two decades or so that both its government and its people have restored these architectural gems to their former glory. This house is an excellent example of what I mean, and with it’s Decimus Burton-style balconies and iron work, it has a fabulously classy colonial look…
And I could not end this piece without a couple of views of Gibraltar’s most famous feature. This one, taken early on a chilly late Spring morning, with a high sea mist clinging on to the Rock like grasping fingers…And finally of course, a slightly unusual shot (from Western Beach) of what is arguably the most famous sphynx-like profile in the world (except of course for that of the Sphynx itself).
Normally, we fly to and from Malaga airport when traveling to our Spanish home from the UK, but due to COVID-19 flight disruptions we were forced to fly in and out of Gibraltar this past trip. Not having been to Gibraltar for more than twenty years, and with mostly bad memories of the place, we were not too happy about this particular expedience. However, we found it almost unrecognisable in the harbour areas especially, where there has been billions of pounds of investment in new port-side developments. We also sensed an energy and a confidence about the town which was missing before, making it a far more pleasant place than we remembered to spend time in.
Moreover, Gibraltar’s gastronomy for so long stuck in the Britain of the 50’s and 60’s is also experiencing an exciting overhaul. Those wishing for a decent meal that isn’t fish and chips, a full English or a toastie, are now spoiled for choice, from local Iberian fish-based chiringuitos to the full range of continental choices, and a host of excellent ethnic eateries, from Indian street food to high end pan-Asian fusion. And in addition to the traditional British-style pubs*, the Rock now boasts a large choice of gastro pubs and sophisticated bars.
Thus, much to our very pleasant surprise, we not only thoroughly enjoyed our little break, we can’t wait to return…
1) LOOKING SOUTHWEST: We stayed at the famous Rock Hotel, which offers splendid panoramic views of the bay, Algeciras, and across the straights to Morocco, where sits the mountain in this picture, Jebel Musa – widely believed to be the Rock of Gibraltar‘s fellow “Pillar of Hercules…”2) LOOKING NORTHWEST: Algeciras – one of Spain’s busiest cargo ports – lies across the Bay of Gibraltar (Bay of Algeciras for the Spanish) and together with Gibraltar’s own, far smaller harbour, offers a constantly changing vista of animated shipping. A ship spotters paradise…A small container ship leaving Gibraltar shortly before sunset, heading for the Straights and the Atlantic Ocean beyond…3) The La Alameda Botanic Gardens were just across the road from the hotel, and although dating from 1816, were new to us, and were a particularly exotic and lush surprise… 4) Although relatively small, the gardens are beautifully laid out, and crammed full of flora and fauna from all over the world…5) Of all the airport lounge views we have ever seen, this takes some beating.
* My only gripe about drinking in Gibraltar is that we could not find a hand-drawn British beer anywhere on the Rock. There are “serious” ales and bitters available in all of the pubs, like London Pride and Old Speckled Hen, but these are all on smooth-flow taps, so not quite the same.
ARKS, ADAM AND AXARQUIA 