View Full Version : The Gibraltar Blog
As is traditional, I thought I should start a blog for my Gibraltar trip which starts tomorrow. I actually have an overnight stay at a Heathrow hotel today (helpfully paid for with loyalty points) so that I don't have to get up at stupid o'clock in the morning. I'm not sure what the quality of updates might be, I'm taking the trusty netbook but it's about 84 years old now, creaks and groans like an old washer woman on laundry day and suffers from occasional blue screen syndrome.
I don't really have a plan for the week, I'll hit the tourist information place vwhen I arrive and see what trips are going. I want to get out and do a bit of dolphin spotting and maybe do a day trip to Tangiers. I definitely want to get to Spain as well, even if it's just stepping over the border. I've visited around 15 different countries but amazingly never been to Spain.
None of this will interest you lot of course, what you'll want to hear about are the pubs and the beer. Well from my previous experience there are plenty of pubs on the Rock, sadly no cask beer but I'll hunt around for something interesting. They also have the most southerly pub in Europe which will be worth seeking out. The Trafalgar, the Clipper and the Venture Inn were the best sports pubs from what I can recall from 10 years ago and I'll be keeping up to date with the Olympics, as I suspect will be the proud Gibraltarians.
Cheers
Clive :cheers:
Grailhunter
07-08-2012, 11:30
None of this will interest you lot of course, what you'll want to hear about are the pubs and the beer. Indeed, but we will be interested in your travels as well sir. Not sure what beer you might encounter in Morocco but suspect it will be 'interesting' if nothing else. Hope you have a good flight and the landing in the High Street is not too scary !
I will try to accommodate all of my audiences. I think I will close my eyes on landing as you can't see anything but water either side. I heard they had built a tunnel so that the traffic doesn't need to cross the runway, that's taken some of the fun away.
BTW Grailhunter, if you are still doing the London perambulation on the 17th could you text me the starting point as that will be my first day back. Hopefully I will make it.
Just a quick update as the WiFi is an extortionate £10 for 4 hours in this hotel so I'm using the phone. Having watched more cycling golds I'm wishing I was going today as British Airways are giving free Avios to anyone flying on days when GB win medals. Let's hope for some tomorrow . No representation in either the Women's 100m hurdles or the Men's 1500m tonight and only an outside chance in the Discus. Must get some decent sleep tonight as I need to be getting to the airport for around 6am tomorrow. Step away from the Minibar !! :whistle:
Loving the BA Galleries Lounge at Heathrow, this was worth getting up early for. A haven of calm plus free breakfast and free booze. A little early perhaps even for me but maybe just a little Champers :cool:
The WiFi password in the lounge is lasvegas, it must be a sign, maybe that should be the next trip.
First Class Rail travel, BA Lounge, Champagne breakfast - my god what have you become!
Flying off to Spain tomorrow evening - whilst it's unlikely that we'll be in the same city at the same time, assuming you do get to step foot (shouldn't this be feet) on the mainland, give me a call and let's see if we can get together - that being said it may cramp your style given I'll have the 3 amigo's with me.
Needless to say enjoy yourself and keep the blog going - not that I'll be able to read it given i'll be in the middle of nowhere.
Lons, could you look out for my suitcase in Spain, because it's not bloody here:moremad: in Gib where it should be. BA think it's probably in Vienna. Having stupidly put everything in my case my sole possessions are a comb, a pen i picked from the Holiday Inn, a book by Michael Palin, thankfully my medication and thankfully a wallet full of plastic. M&S here I come, good job this is Gib and not Kazakhstan.
Frankly I expect more from BA Club class !!!!
I have no charger for this phone so the next post may not be for a while.
Grailhunter
08-08-2012, 11:37
Will text you about the 17th nearer the time. Is definitely going ahead.
Last time I flew BA they lost my luggage. It did turn up within 24 hours though.
Now if you'd gone Easyjet cattle class this wouldn't have happened you know. Sorry that isn't very helpful is it.
Seriously I hope your stuff turns up PDQ. Don't let it spoil your holiday.
the gasman
08-08-2012, 13:06
Very sorry to learn about your missing suitcase Millay. At least you have spared all the good people of Gib the sight of you in your speedos. I hope your belongings arrive very soon.
Thanks Grailhunter, Easyjet don't fly here and there's no Travelodge either !
Cheers Gasman good of you to join up and take the p1$$ . Have got some essentials at M&S plus shaving gear and toothpaste. Even found a charger for this phone so I'm back in business. These WiFi costs are dam expensive though.
None of this will interest you lot of course, what you'll want to hear about are the pubs and the beer. Well from my previous experience there are plenty of pubs on the Rock, sadly no cask beer but I'll hunt around for something interesting. They also have the most southerly pub in Europe which will be worth seeking out. The Trafalgar, the Clipper and the Venture Inn were the best sports pubs from what I can recall ...cheers:
Oh dear, I feel myself mounting my soapbox again...but what a pity we don't have a means of including these pubs (for that is what they are, rather than continental bars) in the main site. Millay, have you thought about opening a review thread for them?
Ah the joys of international travel! I'm with Grailhunter - if you'd traveled as the rest of us poor impoverished individuals have to i.e. Ryanair then you'd still have your luggage - that being said if Ryanair advertised that they flew to Gib then they probably mean Murcia.
I'll keep my eyes open for the luggage however as you know I have standards and therefore should I find that the case isn't too my liking then I'll choose to ignore it.
Gasman - you do realise that I'm now struggling to get rid of the image of Millay in his speedos.
Very sorry to learn about your missing suitcase Millay. At least you have spared all the good people of Gib the sight of you in your speedos. I hope your belongings arrive very soon.
http://budgysmuggler.com.au/ :twigs:
Internet connection is about as reliable as BA baggage handlers this morning so i will report later
Found myself some free WiFi, at O'Reilly's Irish Pub , there's one everywhere.
Started last night know the Three Owls on Irish Town with particularly poor pint of Fosters then on to The Clipper for some food. Next to The Lord Nelson and the Venture Inn for an ice cold Caffreys. The evening was saved by Gib's oldest pub the Star Bar where I found a generous fruit machine, friendly talkative locals and a bottled beer called Gibraltar Barbary Beer. Apparently it's brewed using hops grown at Almeda Gardens in Gib which are shipped to Bushy's Brewery on the Isle of Man.
Breakfast on the roof terrace this morning with fantastic views of the Rock and the bay. Been for a walk around the marina area and am now taking refuge from the midday sun, Mad Dogs, Englishmen and Gibraltarians go out in the Midday Sun it seems.
No sign of my bag yet but I'm hoping it brings back some lederhosen as Lons and Gasman can't cope with the idea of speedos ;-)
Thanks Grailhunter, Easyjet don't fly here and there's no Travelodge either !
I stand corrected, saw an Easyjet flight take off this morning, presumably going to Liverpool as all of Gib's bar staff appear to be Scousers .
The daily BA flight from Heathrow should have arrived by now. It would be a victory for hope over realism to imagine that my bag is on it.
Oh dear, I feel myself mounting my soapbox again...but what a pity we don't have a means of including these pubs (for that is what they are, rather than continental bars) in the main site. Millay, have you thought about opening a review thread for them?
I'll do that ETA, it might be useful to anyone visiting.
Made a new purchase today a notebook (a paper one) so along with the pen I nicked from the Holiday Inn I can make notes about the pubs and all the other things that have been going through this unquiet mind.
Grailhunter
09-08-2012, 11:37
Fosters and Caffreys ! Mate this does not sound good.
Are you sure you'd rather not be back here enjoying all the fun of the Olympics ??
Fosters and Caffreys ! Mate this does not sound good.
Are you sure you'd rather not be back here enjoying all the fun of the Olympics ??
I'll be hunting out that Barbary Ale again tonight. The Landlord of the Star told me some pubs have it but they don't seem to publicise it. He didn't have it on show but I saw a flyer picked one up and said "have you got one of these". Yes he said pointing to more flyers in a display !! It may have been his Scouse sense of humour but he seemed serious and a bit surprised that someone actually wanted the beer.
Mobyduck
09-08-2012, 21:14
http://budgysmuggler.com.au/ :twigs:
Which ones Millay?:confused:
Grailhunter
10-08-2012, 14:01
Any sign of your luggage yet ?
Any sign of your luggage yet ?
Nope, the BA website says they are still tracing it, I think it's going on a European tour.
I've been without Internet for much of the day, couldn't find any WiFi and O2 suddenly decided that I had left Europe and wanted to charge me worldwide roaming fees of six quid per MB. I was at Europa Point which is about as close as you can get to Africa without being there but I was still in bloody Europe.
Just hooked up to the hotels Internet on TV service so at least I have a keyboard to use for the next 24 hours (although it doesn't have a pound sign!). So I will do a bit of catching up tonight.
Now that I have a half decent keyboard to work with I'll write up a post that I prepared about the flight. If you recall I left you i the opulence of the Galleries Lounge at LHR. From there it was a short walk to the departure gate where the buses were loading to take us to the plane. In a celeb spotting moment I saw Paul Weller, bit of a scruffy git but I saw him in Club Class later a few seats in front of me so pretty sure it was him.
One thing that wasn't in Club, or indeed Economy, was my suitcase as I was to discover later. It was only as I was getting on the plane that I noticed the luggage sticker on my passport had someone else's name and a destination of Vienna. After a moment of blind panic I realised there was nothing I could do and just had to leave it to fate.
A low flying altitude and a fairly cloudless sky meant some good views from the plane and luckily I had a window seat. We left UK shores and flew directly over Guernsey and then crossing that sticky out bit of France (Around Brest and Dinard I think). Going over these coastal areas there were plenty of small boats criss-crossing the waters leaving vapor trail like patterns in their wake. In some sort of inverse symmetry I expect we looked similar to them from down there as they did to us from up here. Seeing a lone vessel a bit further out to sea I think of a mate who has just bought a boat and was last heard of trying to find his way to Brighton (does anyone at work know if he made it?).
Across the Bay of Biscay and we hit the Spanish coast at Santander, I look out for Lons and the boys but to no avail. The peaks and valleys of the craggy mountain ranges below look like crumpled paper until we get to the flat plains of middle Spain where, according to Eliza Doolittle, is where the rain mainly stays.
Soon we get the 10 minute call and start our descent, this is where a window seat becomes a little disadvantageous, especially for the nervous flyer. As you descent lower and lower, seemingly almost touching the many tankers in the Bay all you can see from either side of the plane is water. The runway is a simple strip of land built out into the Bay and you don't see it until about 2 seconds before the wheels touch down - to great relief.
to be continued...........
So there I was, standing with everyone else, except Paul Weller who perhaps only had hand luggage, waiting for the bags to come down the conveyor belt of expectancy. Or in my case the conveyor belt of hope. After a couple of false hopes were cruelly dashed I think I'd have jumped up and down like a kid shouting I can see it, I can see it, if my bag did actually appear, but of course it didn't.
I was dragging myself resignedly to the luggage information desk when I heard someone call "Thompson" from behind me, and my heart leapt. It didn't stay there long though as I turned and saw one of the airline staff with a small blue unfamiliar bag, with my name on it. This undoubtedly belonged to some poor sole in Vienna.
After filling in the obligatory forms and providing details about my case the lady from GibAir shook her head and said "this is terrible, this is a terrible security breach, this bag could have a bomb in it and you'd be in trouble because your name's on it". I told her that if it had a bomb in it we'd all be in trouble, and pointed out that she was the one wheeling it through the terminal. We parted with a promise that she would phone me with a reference number later that day, which she did. There was no promise that anything would actually be done about it, and so far there doesn't seem to have been. Cab to the hotel and I check in for an 8 day stay with a tiny bag that even the Amazing Beesley Brothers from 15 Blokes in Hamburg fame would have found small. (Just search "15 Blokes in Hamburg", with the speech tags, if you want to read a long rambling report of that trip)
Anyone who has used these hotel Internet TV things will no doubt sympathise as to how frustrating and inefficient they are. Damn thing kept logging me out just as I was submitting a large post - luckily the auto-save function meant I didn't lose everything. Plus it has a weird keyboard layout and a spell checker that doesn't seem to be based on any language in the known world. Anyway here's a resume of yesterday, Friday.
I awoke to a cool morning and noticed that the top of the Rock was covered in a light mist, not unusual around here it seems. During breakfast on the roof terrace I noticed the ruins of the old Moorish Castle about half way up the Rock and found a walking route marked on a town map. It didn't look too far so off I set in the cool morning air. After a couple of dead ends that are everywhere in the old town and one or two doubling back I eventually found the road I needed and started to climb, and climb, and climb, not helped by the sight of a bus whizzing by, I'll remember that next time. I did eventually get to the castle and the WWII tunnels beyond that but by that time I was a quivering wreck of jelly and could only just manage to take a few photos. It was noticeable from up there how much the town has grown since I was last there, a whole mini village of residential high rises, bars and restaurants has been created in what is called Ocean Village. Back in 2002 the only thing I remember around there was a few restaurants along Marina Bay which has now been swamped by it's new larger neighbour.
Having underestimated the distance, steepness and the heat I decided to find the bus stop and bought myself a 1.50 day ticket and took a ride back to town. There I had a quick trip to the border and back then switched buses and took a ride to Europa Point at the other end of the Rock. There are a couple of interesting exhibitions here, the only lighthouse outside of the UK to be run by Trinity House and some good viewing points. It is said that you can clearly see the coast of Africa on a clear day - sadly Friday was not one of those days. The mist had got lower and thicker to the extent that the lighthouse started broadcasting a warning siren. It also meant that I couldn't get a decent view of the impressive Mosque of the Two Holy Custodians that dominates the point.
Right, that's the tourist bit over, I know you want to hear about pubs and beer and being at the southern end of the Rock I had to try to find the Edinburgh Arms, Europe's southernmost pub. Unfortunately being so close to Africa has confused O2, my European roaming data connection went down and I got a text informing me that I had left Europe and that I would need to switch to a worldwide package, at stupid rates. So I wasn't able to check the exact location but had a map and a vague idea of where it was. Caught the no.2 bus and got off near the junction of Europa Road and South Barrack Rd knowing I needed to start to descend to find Naval Hospital Road. Just as I was getting a bit lost and looking quizzically at the map a young kid came by, helpfully asked where I was trying to find and said "follow me" as he set off down a set of steep steps (Sunnyside steps) at the pace of Usain Bolt. He quickly realised that the fat old English bloke wouldn't be able to keep up and he waited patiently for me, and was rewarded with the price of a coke. This proved an excellent shortcut as the Edinburgh Arms was just a few minutes walk from the bottom of these winding steps.
It was empty when I went in, around 1pm, apart from a friendly chatty landlady. Another customer arrived later. I will do a fuller report on the pub when I set up the Gibraltar Pub Review thread but it was a nice place to spend a couple of hours and have a few relaxing beers while writing up some notes. It has a proper pub feel to it and from the quiz nights and charity events advertised I sense it is very much a community pub. Sporting memorabilia on display include boxing gloves signed by John Conteh, a David Coulthard F1 helmet and bizarrely and old deep sea divers helmet siting between the Ladies and gents toilets. Beer was keg London pride which was Ok, plus Strongbow, San Miguel and a few bottles.
Caught a no.3 bus back to town with even the locals moaning about the heat, apparently a heatwave is coming!! Back o the hoteljust in case my bag had turned upon the midday flight. It hadn't so left a stroppy message on BA's luggage handing site and resigned myself to another day without my essentials, I'm beginning to forget what I packed anyway. Had some early evening food in the Theatre Royal Bar behind the hotel which boasts of around 60 different combinations of burgers - I only wanted one. They also had bottles of the Bushy's Barbary Beer so I had a couple of those while having a read and a chat with the friendly South African owner. Then it was back to the hotel, try this Internet thing out and update the blog, which you can see from previous posts.
It's coming up to 10am here now (Saturday), and the sun is shining bright, I think it's going to be a hot hot day. I was thinking of taking one of the dolphin spotting trips but will probably wait until my camera arrives. So it will probably just be a bit of touristy stuff today, might go out to Europa Point again now that it is clearer. Off for a shave then decide which pair of speedos to wear today!!
Until next time.
the gasman
11-08-2012, 11:52
The Edinburgh Arms sounds a great place to spend a few hours. Look fwd to reading the report and hopefully you might have your camera back shortly. I hope the recipient of your baggage in Vienna have not taken some pics on your camera ! Wear the gold speedos with the union flag on the front covering up your PB personal best. Enjoy the good weather and a long drink. :drinkup:
I'm in the pretty rough Pig & Whistle on Waterfront Rd, doing research for you lot !! and there's a newspaper clipping above the bar that says "8 days and one pair of budgie smugglers". I can only conclude that I am not the first to fall foul of the vagaries of BA's baggage handling in Gibraltar .
TWear the gold speedos with the union flag on the front covering up your PB personal best. Enjoy the good weather and a long drink. :drinkup:
But they are so last year gasman !!!
BTW you need to start posting some more and get rid of that teetotaller tag, it doesn't suit you. Even Lons has made spritzer swallower level ;-)
Moving on down Waterfront I'm now in the Red Lion, more research, drinking a German lager St Pauli Girl, not sure what the ABV is but it can't be just for girls. Just won £160 on a gaming machine :-) . They could only change up £20 so i will have to carry the rest with me to the next pub. Still, it's good exercise.
After a quick visit to the Cock & Poulet (?) am now back in Casemates Square and have found bottled Fullers beers, Pride, ESB and Honeydew in the most unlikely of places.Cafe Solo is just that a cafe but they are allowing me to sit at their bar drink Pride and use their WiFi .
In the Star Bar just me and Mamma Dee drinking Mamma Dee's Gibraltar legendary Mamma Dee's JC's mixed by the lady herself. A years old drink formulated for the Navy by Mamma Dee herself, or so she tells me. It's essentially a John Collins with gin, and as it's happy hour a double gin
Grailhunter
11-08-2012, 20:05
Mame Dee sounds interesting. Will that luggage ever arrive ?
Mobyduck
11-08-2012, 20:13
http://www.events.gi/offerDetails.php?offerId=14
http://www.events.gi/offerDetails.php?offerId=14
es I've worked out that some of these pubs are connected, I hate to use the phrase 'chain pubs as they are all very different.
As Thin Lizzy might have put it, had they been in my position, "The Bag is Back in Town". Finally I have my suitcase, everything seems to be there but the handle has been broken and my clothes have more wrinkles than Mamma Dee. In a final defiant show of ineptitude GibAir promised to deliver it to the hotel early this morning - they didn't. So I went to the airport myself, hoping desperately that they hadn't put it on the midday flight back to the smoke. Thankfully they hadn't. I suppose I could have insisted they delivered it for me but once I had it in my sights I wasn't about to trust them with it again, so I took it back myself. At some point I must sort ou a compensation claim but right now I'm going to try to enjoy the rest of this holiday.
Mobyduck
12-08-2012, 13:49
As Thin Lizzy might have put it, had they been in my position, "The Bag is Back in Town". Finally I have my suitcase, everything seems to be there but the handle has been broken and my clothes have more wrinkles than Mamma Dee. In a final defiant show of ineptitude GibAir promised to deliver it to the hotel early this morning - they didn't. So I went to the airport myself, hoping desperately that they hadn't put it on the midday flight back to the smoke. Thankfully they hadn't. I suppose I could have insisted they delivered it for me but once I had it in my sights I wasn't about to trust them with it again, so I took it back myself. At some point I must sort ou a compensation claim but right now I'm going to try to enjoy the rest of this holiday.
Thankfully, as the Beatles might have said its not "Bag in the U.S.S.R."
Thankfully, as the Beatles might have said its not "Bag in the U.S.S.R." :D:D
Or Barbara Dickson from Evita with "Another Suitcase in Another (Arrivals) Hall". That could be the theme tune for BA's next advert.
Please bear with me whilst I hijack this thread with a message for those at work. It's very important as it's about Fantasy Football!
I've set up the RBS Predictors pool in SportGuru which has now become SuperBru. Everyone who played last year should have got an invite but some (Meister?) may have changed e-mail addresses. The code to join the pool is MINTOOZY.
In the main Fantasy Premier League game I have opened the Thompsons Fantasy league again. If you played last year and entered a team you should automatically go into the league. Matt, Selby and Gibbo are in so far. Please put the word around about this, the league code is 158046-46682.
If any of you lot want to join Pubs Galore and leave a comment feel free to do so. You can add reviews of your favourite pubs and bars and you don't get any spam, although you do have to listen to a bunch of ageing pissheads banging on about beer !! I had expected to see MsPinkCoffee or MrLumberjack making an appearance on the blog by now.
Anyone from Pubs Galore can ignore the above details, we have our own leagues set up for both competitions and there are separate threads about each.
Thank you for your indulgence, I remain ..... in Gibraltar
A quick update on yesterday (Sunday), after I'd been out to the airport to pick up my well travelled suitcase. Just like in the UK, Sunday buses in Gibraltar are few and far between so, now that I had my camera, I thought I'd take a walk to the Marina and get some photos. Also called into the casino which has a fantastic outside viewing gallery, and more slot machines than you could shake a very large stick at. Came away about £20 poorer but that included a couple of drinks so I consider that a moral victory :cheers:
Had some food at O'Reilly's which is becoming one of my regular haunts. It has a large outside seating area which is always packed with red faced sweating people fanning themselves to try to keep cool. Being a stupid Englishman I always sit inside in the beautifully air conditioned bar using their free WiFi. I picked up a copy of Panorama, a local newspaper, for a read. It was quite evident that they still hate the Spanish with a venom and will happily blame them for anything from exceeding fishing quotas to deliberate border delays to an increase in crime rate and, recently, harbouring Al Qaeda terrorists :ninja:
Strolled back into town and walkied into an open mic night in The Tunnels bar in Casemates Square. When some Latino Beatles fan murdered Twist & Shout and Imagine I nearly walked out but it did get better and was quite an enjoyable hour or so. The Olympic closing ceremony was showing on giant screens in Casemates Square and that was quite a nice atmosphere. Final stop was another regular, the Star Bar where I watched the closing ceremony until around 1am with a couple of English 'boat people' and resisted the attempts of Mama Dee to pour more JC's down my throat :drinkup:
Not sure what today holds, might pop across the border to La Linea or do the cable car trip up the Rock. I think today will be a good day to do the tourist bit, I've heard that tomorrow a giant cruise ship will be in port with 3,600 visitors all tramping through Main Street :eek:
the gasman
13-08-2012, 15:13
Millay will you be crossing the border into Spain or as GIB look on as enemy territory ? I read that Molly Bloom another "Irish Pub" at La Línea de la Concepción could be worth a visit. Take care though with passport and Euros to the ready.
the gasman
13-08-2012, 15:37
Millay - I see that there is a guy on the trip advisor site offering helpful tips when visiting Gibraltar - st_vincent or something similar I think. He seems to get around a lot so must have a great desire and passion to travel and drink :)
Millay - I see that there is a guy on the trip advisor site offering helpful tips when visiting Gibraltar - st_vincent or something similar I think. He seems to get around a lot so must have a great desire and passion to travel and drink :)
I have to own up to that one. St Vincent is the pseudonym I usually use for travel websites and Millay is the one I use for pub and beer websites. Things can get a bit confusing when I'm travelling to drink beer though :D
Did the whole tourist thing today, including getting stupidly sunburnt. So I'm now back in the hotel having stood under a cold shower for 10 minutes and slapped on the aftersun. I have a couple of large bottles of water to rehydrate the old body and am watching Kent stuff Warks in the 40 over cricket. I can see this being a lazy evening in but it will give me the opportunity to update the blog and write up some of the pub reviews I've been collecting. I've also got a couple of books with me. I like to read something topical when I go away so at present I am in the middle of Sahara by Michael Palin, the story of his journey across .... well, the Sahara. The other book is by Pete Brown, often referred to as the beer drinker's Bill Bryson. It's called Three Sheets to the Wind with a sub-title of "300 bars in 13 countries, one man's quest for the meaning of beer". Quite appropriate given that, as it was in my suitcase, it's been to more countries than me on this trip.
Grailhunter
13-08-2012, 19:04
Impressed you have got sunburnt. Good to know you haven't just spent your time skulking around in pubs and bars !
Mobyduck
13-08-2012, 19:24
Impressed you have got sunburnt. Good to know you haven't just spent your time skulking around in pubs and bars !
Beer garden?
Impressed you have got sunburnt. Good to know you haven't just spent your time skulking around in pubs and bars !
Beer garden?
I resemble those remarks !! I have done the full tourist thing today and will prove it in subsequent posts, which honestly haven't been made up ;)
So, here's the story of Monday, part 1. Had an earlyish breakfast and a proper shave for the first time in three days, these disposable plastic razors have a habit of removing a couple of layers of epidermis. Retrieved my passport from the safe and some odd Euro that I had left over from a previous trip somewhere. Caught the No. 5 bus to the frontier, which is only about 50 meters from the airport buildings. We did have a wait on the approach as a BA plane was just landing so the gates were down. It did give me a chance to get a couple of photos and videos as it was an open top bus (note previous comments about sunburn!!) The bus was incredibly busy and there seems to be people streaming over the border, each way, constantly. It's a fairly informal border if you are walking, with a British flag on one side and a Spanish one on the other.
Spanish customs involved a rather disinterested woman asking me if I'd bought any cigarettes (maybe she just fancied a smoke). The smuggling of cigarettes from the duty free haven of Gib across the border into Spain is a major concern and provides another reason for the two feuding factions to have a go at each other. Immediately you arrive on the Spanish side you are faced with a vista of tackiness not seen since the Rio handover offering in the Olympic closing ceremony, did you see that? It seemed to comprise of a roadsweeper, a huggy bear style pimp (a la 70's cop show Starsky & Hutch), a guy with lightbulbs attached to his jacket and what looked like gold cybermen. They'll have to do better than that in 2016, perhaps we could lend them Eric Idle who easily outshone the embarrassing Spice Girls.
Anyway back to La Linea, or La Linea de la Concepcion to give it it's full and rather unworthy name. Cross the main road and you are faced with posters, banners, adverts and lines of shops, bars and restaurants whose sole purpose seems to be to take money from those who have curiously wandered over the border. I didn't spot the Molly Bloom Irish Pub gasman, poor planning on my part, I really should have done some research first. Deciding to decline the kind offer, announced to the crowds via a loud hailer, from a couple of guys selling melons from a transit van, I used some of my loose Euro to buy a beer and gave the rest to someone collecting for the Catholic Mission - or maybe her crackhead boyfriend, I have no idea.
Decided to get away from the madness and had a walk around the quieter parts of the town and the marina before heading back to Blighty. The queue for the buses back into town was horrendous so I decided to walk which would take me a cross the runway, you should never miss the chance to walk across an airport runway if you get it. Unless anyone knows otherwise I think Gibraltar is the only airport that has a public road running across it. Again we got delayed, this time by an Easyjet flight taking off and then waiting another 15 minutes for a poncy little bi plane thing to arrive. The sight and sound of all the scooters and bikes when the barriers finally went up was something like the start of the Moto GP.
To be continued .......
oldboots
13-08-2012, 20:38
Unless anyone knows otherwise I think Gibraltar is the only airport that has a public road running across it.
well not nowadays but when I was a wee boy, Prestwick (Glasgow's and indeed Scotland's International airport) had the road to the seaside running across its runway. Many's the time the family sat in Grandad's Ford Popular waiting for some plane to take off or land before we could get down to Croy Bay..... I'll go and take my medication now, just thought I'd mention it.
Keep the aspidistra flying, old boy
Having successfully negotiated the airport runway I follow the hoards into town and head for the Marina to see if there are any dolphin spotting tours going. There are two rival companies running tours, Dolphin Safari which claims to be "the original" and Dolphin Adventure which is a newer boy on the block. But the Dolphin Adventure boat was going out first so I booked on that. I did wonder whether it was a great idea to spend another couple of hours out in the blazing sun after being out all morning but thought I might as well do it as I was there. The safety talk was a bit worrying as we had to remember how to locate, put on and inflate three different types of lifejacket and also lauch the two life rafts. But we'd already set off by then so I just hoped we wouldn't need to.
Out into the bay we go, with some good views of the Rock, Spain and even Morocco in the distance. There was also some interesting commentary, did you know that dolphins would die if they fell asleep in the water, much like ourselves I suppose. To cope with this they have the ability to turn off half their brain at a time so that one half is asleep and the other is awake, and then they just switch over. Apparently they can fully function in this half asleep state, much like ourselves maybe?, I'll try that one out with the boss at work next time I'm only half awake ;)
We hadn't seen any dolphins yet but the strategy of following the Dolphin Safari boat, which was already out in the Bay, paid dividends and we found about half a dozen. They weren't particularly active and when the Dolphin Safari boat returned we lost them altogether. Undaunted the crew decided we should head further out where a larger pod had been reported. The plea to "look out for dolphins and let us know if you see any" seemed a strange sort of reversal of roles between supposed experts and excited amatuers. But we did find dolphins and they were larger in numbers and more active than the first lot. A trip worth doing.
As we get back to the Marina I feel my arms and face burning like the Olympic cauldron so take refuge in, yes you've guessed it, O'Reilly's Irish pub and their fantastic air conditioning. Had a late lunch and grabbed a solitary beer, my ONLY BEER OF THE DAY, I'll have you know. On the way back to the hotel I popped into the Gibraltar Museum for just a quick look around as they were closing within the hour. Interesting place and I may go back again to have a proper look.
And that was the tale of the day. Not sure what tomorrow will hold but I am certain that it will include a long sleeve shirt and a large hat :o
Beautiful views out across the Bay this bright morning. The port of Algeciras can clearly be seen and the mountains of Africa peeping their heads above the clouds. There is also a massive cruise ship entering port ready to disgorge it's 3000+ passengers. I'll need to get to that cable car quickly if going to beat them to it. Must try to stay out of the sun more today.
you should never miss the chance to walk across an airport runway if you get it. Unless anyone knows otherwise I think Gibraltar is the only airport that has a public road running across it
on barra they land on the beach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barra_Airport_(Scotland)
747
on barra they land on the beach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barra_Airport_(Scotland)
747
Are you shore ? Do you think they have a please fasten your lifejackets sign instead of a seatbelt one.
Big queue for the cable car so had a walk around the beautiful Almeda Gardens. Came back and the queue was three times as long. Place is packed with tour buses, presumably from that cruise ship. Will have another go later today or tomorrow morning.
Had a bit of a boozy * afternoon yesterday and went off piste to find some of the small bars that the tourists don't tend to frequent. Of those of note I found a Spanish bar called the El Cortijo with a bullfighting theme, complete with what i hoped was a fake bulls head mounted on the wall. I also found two Moroccan clubs with beautiful tiled interiors. I remembered one of these, the splendidly named Splendid Bar, from my 2002 trip. In there i met a guy i had seen in El Cortijo earlier and he insisted on buying me a beer. The Moroccan bars were understandably quiet as we are still in Ramadan, I even had to wake the barman up in one with my best "Hola !"
Going to be another hot one today so going to try to catch the first cable car up the Rock. Me and a few dozen others i suspect.
* The predictive text on this phone is driving me mad, it wants to turn boozy into booty and every time i type in Gibraltar it tries to turn it into vibrator!!. So i have to be very careful if i am planning a Gibraltar boozy afternoon.
Well I finally made it up the big Rock today, I was on the first cable car up and it wasn't too busy that early. There are some fantasic views from up there and it was interesting to see the extent of the new Ocean Village marina development that wasn't there on my last visit. There seems to be some land reclaimation going on on the other side of the Rock as well, near to the Caleta Hotel where I've stayed before. I remember the wonderful sunrises from their breakfast room and had hoped to pay another visit but the buses don't start that early and I think I've done enough walking this week.
Apart from the views it's interesting to walk around the top of the rock and explore all the brick and concrete buildings that are now in ruins. Presumably these would have been military posts and stations and one stage. But the star attractions of course are the Barbary Macaques, and although these tend to be referred to as apes they are in fact monkies. They are also the only non-human primates living wild in Europe, if you exclude England football hooligans. Legend says that if these macaques were to leave Gibraltar it would cease to be British which, rumour has it, led to Churchill ordering their replenishment when numbers dwindled during WW2.
Not that numbers are a probalem now, there are around 300 of them in 5 troops dotted around the Upper Rock. The troop at the top cable car station looked to be around 30 strong and very friendly and used to human contact. In fact they always seemed to ensure that one or two of them were there to greet each cable car as it arrived and they were all totally untroubled by the shrieks of delight and the numerous photos being taken. In fact they seemed rather disdainful. The young would bound around from balcony, to rocks to trees providing entertainment and the older ones, even a female with her baby, were quite happy to sit with their disinterested look amid a dozen or more of those funny humans clicking away with their cameras just a few feet away. And then suddenly they just walk away looking bored and settle somewhere else, but never far away from their human cousins. Although fed daily by the local authorities, mainly to stop them coming into town to forage, they will at any opportunity look for food. We were advised not to carry plastic bags as they associate these with food and will try to steal them, and also that there is a £500 fine for anyone feeding them.
A trip up the Rock, either by cable car or by road, is highly recommended should.you ever find yourself on this craggy little bit of Britain.
Mobyduck
15-08-2012, 19:05
A trip up the Rock, either by cable car or by road, is highly recommended should.you ever find yourself on this craggy little bit of Britain.
Did it by road in 1990,The apes/monkeys were buggers then.
Did it by road in 1990,The apes/monkeys were buggers then.
I don't imagine the Spanish were much better around that time :D
After a bit of a lazy afternoon yesterday (Wednesday) I popped out around 7pm with the intention of having a couple of drinks and trying to turn my remaining Gibraltar pounds into English ones. You wouldn't believe how many bars I had to go into to get this done ;) But it gave me a chance to tick off a couple of new ones for the review thread, when I finally get around to it. After finding ESB at the All's Well (it was) on Casemates I had a final ceremonial bottle of Bushy's Barbary Beer at the Star Bar, got back to the hotel around 10:30pm, and promptly fell asleep.
So I'm awake early this morning and have been putting the final finishes to my fantasy football teams, doing my SuperBru picks for the weekend and also doing some transfers in my fantasy cricket teams. It's a busy time of the year when the last few crucial weeks of the cricket season overlaps with the new football season. Plus I signed up for the Currie Cup competition on SuperBru and that's just started - they'll be total guesses.
The other thing occupying my unquiet mind this morning is how I'm going to get all this new stuff I've had to buy into what was already an overstuffed suitcase. I think the hotel maid may be left with a few things, although what she's going to do with avocado shaving gel and gold lame speedos I don't know. I must remember to find the receipts for my new purchases and make sure they're in my hand luggage. It would be quite ironic if they were in my suitcase and BA were to lose it completely on the way home. I'll certainly be checking my luggage sticker very carefully this time.
The flight home leaves at 12:50 so I will need to leave here around 11:30, no point in getting there early, I don't imagine there is anything akin to the Heathrow Galleries Lounge at Gibraltar's airport. Then I'll be saying a fond farewell to the Rock and leaving behind some good memories - and the avocado shaving gel.
Tomorrow I'm meeting up with Grailhunter and a few others for a crawl around North London and on Monday morning I'm due at my doctors for a blood test :eek: I hope they find some mixed in with all this alcohol.
gillhalfpint
16-08-2012, 06:51
Thanks for sharing your holiday. I enjoyed reading your adventures.
an enjoyable read safe journey home
Grailhunter
16-08-2012, 09:42
After finding ESB at the All's Well (it was)
Reckon GIB could be a potential destination for the Beesley boys then.
I remember going up the Rock by road a few years ago in a minibus. Frightened the living daylights out of me. The road was precarious to put it mildly. Regretted not going by cable car afterwards but chose the road because of my fear of heights. Big mistake !
Have enjoyed reading of your expolits and it has whetted my appetite to visit myself when I can. Your reviews will come in very useful for when I make it there.
Looking forward to tomorrow. Kick off is at the Masque Haunt.
I did think about the Beesleys when I saw it. Don't think i could put up with their moaning about the beer selection in every pub but we could sort out a trip at some stage. Waiting for the flight home there's a nice air conditioned VIP lounge with free WiFi to relax in.
See you tomorrow in the Masque Haunt then can hopefully take in the Fountain and the Wenlock if it's still open.
Just checked "Who's Online" and there are three guests and two spiders viewing the Gibraltar Blog. Who are you anonymous people, although you are very welcome, hope you've enjoyed it.
Did it by road in 1990,The apes/monkeys were buggers then.
Me to, mid 80s and the buggers would nick or bite anything
Mobyduck
16-08-2012, 19:40
I don't imagine the Spanish were much better around that time :D
I remember that on the way out the Spanish border control took great pleasure in emptying the entire contents of the car out.:moremad:
Mobyduck
17-08-2012, 08:31
Me to, mid 80s and the buggers would nick or bite anything
Are we talking about the Monkeys or the Spanish?
A belated update just to let you all know that I have arrived safely back on the mainland. The flight was fairly uneventful, I didn't manage to get a window seat but the young baby in the row in front was less troublesome that I thought it might be.
Need to update my location and find myself another avatar now. I'm on a crawl around the Old Street area later with Grailhunter but hope to start the Gibraltar Pub Review thread before I leave.
Thanks to all those who have followed the blog and left comments. It's had over 2,000 hits and it's been fun chatting to those who have left comments.
I have no major trips planned for the future as yet, but Vegas is never far from my mind. Just need to find the money.
Cheers
Clive
Strongers
17-08-2012, 14:45
Cheers Clive.... I've enjoyed reading this thread over the last few days and I look forward to your next adventure!
Bucking Fastard
17-08-2012, 15:46
A belated update just to let you all know that I have arrived safely back on the mainland.
With or without your baggage;)
Mobyduck
17-08-2012, 20:13
With or without your baggage;)
Or speedo's .:eek:
Old Blue
22-08-2012, 13:05
749
I've just really enjoyed catching up on this thread as well, thanks Millay. I was there a few weeks earlier, although we were staying in Estepona and didn't manage to spend as much time in Gib as I'd have liked...definitely up for a revisit. Here is a photo of a barbary ape playing with my hire car - which caused me some anxiety at the time as I had to return it to Avis about an hour later and wasn't quite sure how they would react to monkey damage! It was okay in the end though.
They're certainly entertaining , I spent a couple of hours up on the Rock just watching them playing and interacting with the tourists.
So I see my attempt to get you over to Spain ended in failure - I kept the phone on hoping and praying that I could share a beer (or ten) with you.
Anyway I'm not bitter as I'm guessing we'll get together next Friday in London.
Enjoyed catching up on the blog - fantastic as always
I did get over the border Lons but only for a couple of hours. I didn't feel I should impinge on your family holiday - however much you might have welcomed it.
See you down in the Smoke on Friday. Believe the plan is to meet at the Paternoster 12:30 -1pm and move on from there. So you can catch us up after your meeting :whistle:
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