GIBRALTAR

I know it has been a while since the last blog, but we have not been idle, tha is for sure. We had planned to come in to Gibraltar to have some steel work done so we can have a bimini (sunshade) so duly turned up on time. Dave first came here in 1964 when he was a young lad in the Navy, and after that on many more occasions. The two of us were last here 16 years ago when we were bringing Spirit home to the UK. So it was with a measure of anticipation, that Dave especially had, that we began the motor up the Bay, dodging all the ships at anchor as well as those on the move and the odd high speed ferry. In to the marina and finally alongside. This was a Saturday and so we went out to find the church for Mass the next day and then the supermarket. All I had been hearing from himself was that we could go to Morrisons. So of we trundled into the afternoon heat. Up the street, around the corner, under the archway, more up the street until we came to a wedding which found us the church. Next was further up the street and Marks and Spencers came into view. And then Mothercare, and then not a lot.
'I am sure it is over this way ' says Dave
'Shall we ask?' says I
'I know where I'm going' says Dave, 'It'll be just down this way'
Trudge, trudge, steps, street, steps
'Are you sure it's this way?'
'It used to be'.
'Oh'
Jen is now very hot. So next man passing gets accosted. Yup, the supermarket has moved and we are going the wrong way. Where is it? Back that way where the flats are - the blocks of flats almost on the horizon. (Bit of exaggeration, but you get the picture.)
Trudge trudge and finally Morrisons comes into view. Straight in to the coffee shop and sink into a chair. I'm sure everyone could hear the barking from our feet. We looked around and it was really weird - Morrisons in Gibraltar is the exact clone of the one we used to go to in Fort William. Even the coffee cups are the same.The only real difference was the small bar and fruit machines in the corner of the coffee shop for chaps waiting for the ladies to do the shopping. So we loaded up with just enough for the day and set off for the boat - except we were not sure of that way either. Made it back and flopped and decided to look at the map we had been given - we had actually gone miles out of our way but now knew the short cut.
Sunday we went to Mass at the cathedral which is really lovely and has electric fans down the aisles - guess where I sat, not quite on top of one, but almost! Then icecream and coffee on the way home. Tomorrow was going to be a big day as Metal Mickey was coming. And so it all began. We had organised for the mail to come here as well and went in hope to the office to collect it - nada (nothing). So now we had the eternal wait for the steel work to arrive and the post. Not to mention the lady for the canvas work. It has been so frustrating - the metal work was done reasonably quickly considering the chap was away for a week, the mail has taken over a month and we are still waiting for some, and the canvas work is not going to happen as there is no way we are waiting till mid September.
You might guess that this is not the best of places to be, and in that you would be right
Gibraltar is a rock with dense population around the base and the Gib we knew has vanished. When we were here before it was a thriving port with all the amenities for fixing boats you could think of, but now most of this has gone and has been replaced with modern high rise flats. The area where the docks were has been filled in and built on and the whole of the area around the marina is one big succession of bars and a casino and a few trendy shops. There is still one chandlery with some bits, but there was only one guy doing steel - hence our captivity - and one lady doing canvas who was not interested in us, hence no canvas. The bars are not the nice ones like in Spain, but the worst of British overseas pubs - loud, grubby and all selling full english greasies. In this heat that is the last thing you want. I give exception to the nice ice cream shop- Kate eat your heart out as the ice cream is to die for. The noise at night is awful and there is no getting away from it. Disco music comes out loud and clear, throbbing away until 6 am. It is too hot to shut the boat up, we just have to put up with it. And the drunken shouting as well. Why is it that the Brits are so awful overseas? even when they are living here. The shops further up town are all UK high street too, and fail to excite the interest, it is such a come down after Spain. It is also very hot, over 30 degrees each day and this week we have had 38.5 and 33+, and that means I can only keep the cabin at about 5 degrees cooler - and it is humid, over 70% every day. So Dave has been up town getting fans - we now have 4 in total and would be lost without them. We have finally got some of the mail we were expecting and have now only 2 parcels outstanding - then we are off!
All time has not been wasted however, and we have been productive in doing jobs about the boat, learning more Spanish and chilling out as best we can. We go out and about in the early mornings when it is a bit cooler to do the shopping - the way to Morrisons is only 10 minutes if you go the right way!
Internet access has been very fraught. There is only one provider here and the service is overloaded and not well run, so we go days at a time when we get no access then days when all is OK. Thank goodness for steam driven technology of the radio link. So I will blog as regularly as I can with daily snippets of what we are up to now that you have the over view. It is not all gloom and doom!
I leave you with a picture of our neighbour, the runway, which is only a couple of hundred yards away. This was taken from the boat. You could believe that you could reach out and touch the planes as they come in. There are about 4 planes in and out a day, so it is not bad at all. In fact give me a runway instead of a casino any day!