Gibraltar

Where else on earth are two countries separated by an airport runway? The town of La Linea de la Conception lies at the far southern tip of Spain. It borders the city of Gibraltar on a small slip of land that curiously is part of British Overseas Territory. Gibraltar International Airport sits on the Spain side. While it is owned by Spain, the airport is operated by the UK’s Royal Air Force. Its 5800-foot runway spans the two countries’ border with the waters of the Mediterranean at one end and the Straits of Gibraltar on the other. Arrivals from Malaga terminate in La Linea. To cross the border from La Linea de la Conception, Spain to Gibraltar, one must walk across the middle of the airport runway. If, as it happened to us, a plane is preparing to take off or land, gates are closed to auto and pedestrian traffic for about 30 minutes until the flight has done its do. Walking across an airport runway is something that should be added to one of those Facebook posts that ask how many have you done, i.e., parachuted, sneaked out at night, flown in a helicopter, etc. 

We were not expecting much from the home of the great Rock of Gibraltar, but it bestowed us with spell-binding experiences. First, the Rock is gigantic, nearly 1400 feet high and nearly six miles long. It is even larger than depicted in photos, and the peak most often photographed is only part of the mountain. The famous Rock can be seen from many miles away and is the dominant feature in the area.  

The city is much more than the Rock. It is history-laden, surrounded by walls and defensive gateways, and pretty beaches. Gibraltar is a very modern city with an incredibly manicured and attended botanical garden at the foot of the Rock. 

Our first experience in Gibraltar was harrowing. It occurred when while exploring the city using the GPSMyCity app, we popped out on the Grand Casemates Square. The plaza was outlined with ancient gateways that are now stylish shops and restaurants. That morning, restaurateurs were busy setting out menu boards and putting up tables under plaza awnings. Some had a good crowd of people enjoying coffee and full English breakfasts. Stunningly we hear a loud cry and a great commotion. A huge Yellow-legged gull squawked loudly and attached his great beak to a young pigeon. OH!!! I always thought pigeons and seagulls were partners in crime, begging for breadcrumbs and sharing what they found. Nope! Seagulls here have become predators.  

This big bird only managed to grab the poor pigeon’s tail feathers. The little pigeon could still flap and scratch, but the seagull determinedly held its tail. This went on for an agonizing bit of time until a gentleman tried to interrupt the ruckus. We have often been told not to interfere in the circle of life, but the scene was gut-wrenching. As the man attempted to frighten the seagull, it only flew to the top of an outdoor restaurant’s canvas cover with the poor pigeon still in his beak to continue with the poor pigeon’s torment.  

I am not a great lover of pigeons as they pester people and poop all over beautiful plazas and statues, but to witness this was horrifying. The seagull was at least five times the size of the pigeon and he never released his beak’s grip on the poor youngster’s tail feathers. The pigeon did not seem to be yet injured or in pain. It just wanted desperately to escape. Still, the great seagull held on and never attempted a more lethal hold. 

Finally, highly bothered and unable to take any more, we left. I don’t know the end of this story, but I can only imagine what it might be. Big guys often win. But I was disturbed for the rest of the day and even days after, I cringe to think of this horrific scene! 

Gibraltar sits at the foot of the Straits of Gibraltar between Spain and North Africa. Imagine its strategic importance not only for trade but for European defense. The Rock of Gibraltar with its commanding height over the Straits and its many caves and natural tunnels played a key part in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713. Two hundred years later, it was instrumental in protecting England from Germany in WW II. There are around 34 miles of tunnels inside the Great Rock, some natural but many manmade where canons were fired, armaments were stored, and great wartime posts held off a German siege for more than three years.  

A little historical note: A siege is when an army attempts to take over a heavily protected area. The strategy is to maintain the attack until the target runs out of food and supplies. Germany attempted to do that, but Great Britain, after evacuating the people of Gibraltar to other English holdings like Ireland, India, and Jamaica, fortified the mountain with 16,000 troops, great heavy cannon artillery, and mountain tunnels for life-sustaining provisions . . . a bakery, sleeping quarters, a hospital, storerooms and more. No wonder they were able to defend Gibraltar and the Straits until the end of the war. 

Although removed from their homes for three wartime years, most of those evacuated returned to their homeland, Gibraltar.  

We took the aerial cable car to the top of The Rock. Each ticket cost 38 British pounds but gave us entry to everything: the great paths leading to the defensive caves, gun batteries, St. Michael’s natural cave system, the glass Skywalk, the 230-foot-long pedestrian suspension bridge, the Moorish Castle, and all the amazing lookouts where with the naked eye a person can see the Straits of Gibraltar and the coast of North Africa. We walked it all. Most people, including me, are enamored with the Macaque apes that live freely on the great Rock of Gibraltar. Signs warn visitors that these cute, furry, tailless apes will snatch and even fight a human for a plastic bag. They associate plastic bags with food. Some people just don’t read or listen. Stan and I ate our packed lunch long before we stepped out to where these Macaques might be; some folk did not. Those apes are fast. We saw a family come walking up a hill toward us. The mom had a plastic bag hanging from her arm. We thought, oh dear! Suddenly a great ape sitting peacefully on the wall ran out and in a split second grabbed her bag. While she and her family stood there all agape, the ape inspected the bag. When he discovered it only held a Coke Zero, he threw everything on the ground and raced back to his spot on the wall. Maybe the next people who don’t heed the warnings will have something better.  Maybe he is a Pepsi fan.

We are trying, really trying to understand and speak Spanish. But here in Gibraltar, the language was indistinguishable to us. Most spoke English but when we heard people using Spanish, it sounded like something we never heard before . . . Spanish tempered by the speaker’s heritage with British, Indian, and Moroccan accents.

The town is laden with fascinating British history and culture. One might expect to see menus offering peas and mash, meat pies, and Sunday roast. But here in this now heavily invaded tourist town, the main fair in addition to well-known American fast-food shops is little more than fish and chips, Indian food, and sushi, We had wildly spiced Indian food one night that gave our tummies fits and had fish and chips two times for lunch.  

One afternoon after walking all over the city, Stan bought his favorite . . . a double scoop of gelato. We found a streetside bench in front of our apartment building and asked the older gent sitting there if we could share the bench. He welcomed us, and we quickly got on as we began to chat. He looked frail but his clear blue eyes had a sparkle behind his glasses. He told us he was from Italy and had spent his working days “driving a train.” In his later days, he traveled the world on buses, trains, and flying “standby” to many of the same places Stan and I have visited. He shared his favorite cities and adventures. He also told us he has been robbed numerous times. Sometimes, only his phone was snatched but one night a group of young people woke him up in his bed and invaded his room to steal his stuff. One of the good guys in the group convinced the others to leave him alone. He was just an old man. We talked about trying to learn a second language. He shared with us his thoughts on the subtle differences between the Italian and Spanish languages. He speaks both. We delighted in the hour we spent with this well-traveled man who now has knee and heart issues that keep him traveling only in small circles these days on foot, and, get this, by electric scooter. 

We don’t know that man’s name but we liked him. He liked us. We think he may be sitting on the same bench in the warm late afternoon sun every day just outside our Gibraltar apartment at No. 10 Main Street, waiting to meet his next friends from places far away.