Chillin out in the room. THG & Hannah have gone for afternoon tea but afternoon tea, just ain’t for me. Having discovered that the tourist attractions worth seeing were closed due to the inclement weather George and I made up for it with a rare bit of retail therapy. I stood in the front porch of a leather shop, for a momentary respite from the rain as much as anything, and was tempted in by a sign saying SALE 50% OFF. They had some nice leather jackets there, very similar to the one the guy in Ronda wanted 300+ Euros for but at £400 reduced to £200. Didn’t do it for me but I did look at a number of them. The shop owner then knocked the price down to £170, just for me, and when I didn’t bite he further reduced it to £140. His last gasp offer “because I was the only business he would have had today” was £100 so we did a deal and I walked away with a very nice suede lambs leather jacket. At that price it was too good to turn down. Everything comes to he who waits. Might wear it tonight when we head to “Charlie’s” for dinner.
It is defo taxi weather still even though everywhere is walkable in Gib. Don’t want to rock up at Charlie’s in a damp condition. We are getting to the “end of trip state of mind” where actually if a flight was offered tomorrow we would probs take it. However we still have the rock and the tunnels to see which should be a high point. My dad served in the RAF as a radio operator inside the rock in 1953 when he did his National Service.
Although most attractions in Gibraltar were shut you really do get the impression of the place as a military stronghold over the centuries. Bastions, batteries and forts everywhere. Even the naval base has a protective boom across the entrance. It does feel strange though, a short walk as it is from very Spanish Spain.
Had a nice chat with the woman in the photograph shop. I’d nipped in on the off chance they might have some old RAF shots from the time my dad was here. They didn’t but I did walk away with pics of John Jennon and Yoko Ono together with their Gibraltar Marriage Cert. There’ll be room for that in the shed. Anyway the woman in the shop was a Gibraltarian born and bred and knowing that I came from Lincoln mentioned their own Lincoln RedImps team based in Gib. Their match last night was postponed due to the weather. She said Gibraltar’s proudest moment was when their national side beat Celtic 1 – 0. Will have been some time ago but still very fresh in the national memory.
Shame our trip coincided with unusually bad weather but it is what it is. We are taking a taxi tour around the top of the rock tomorrow morning to cram in all the main sights and finally see the tunnels.
Thassit. The sun is going over the yardarm and I am in the Rock Hotel. Ciao amigos.