Back From Gibraltar

Last Year I attended a week long seminar in Gibraltar  at the end June/beginning July.  We decided that Celia, Isobel and Fenella should come with me for a bit of a break but Diana committed to her piano teaching in London and concerts.

Having landed at the unique and rather short runway, where the approach can be dramatic and the landing somewhat ‘urgent’ with reverse thrust and brakes being heavily applied, having landed one side of the main road, closed for the air traffic movement and ending up within a short walk of the end of the runway (aka “The Mediterranrean”) on the other side of the main road!

We stayed at the Four Star, “Rock Hotel” an Art Deco style of building (just) but with a gracious ‘Colonial’ atmosphere with very large reception and lounge areas and magnificent views over the Bay of Gibraltar – very busy with shipping it was too! Upon booking in we were greeted smilingly at reception with some bad news and good news, I played the game and elected to hear the bad news first.  “Fully booked, Sir with the type of room for you and your daughters (i.e. two twin rooms). But the good news, you have been upgraded to a Suite!

The Suite was magnificent, with welcoming small decanters of Sherry and Whisky and we had the biggest balcony I have ever seen!  Huge, I could have easily parked my car there. landed a helicopter, placed the garden shed in a corner and still have room for flowers and seats to enjoy the view from!

Room 112, I recommend it!

The girls thoroughly enjoyed The Rock, hotel and place, one exciting trip was by coach and ferry to Tangiers, the best accompanied tour they’d ever had – they don’t normally like them.  Celia bought a very attractive Moroccan Rug(!) But we managed the extra weight/luggage OK.  The food in The Rock was fine but the English Breakfasts were magnificent. Coffe always fresh and of a high standard and the best scrambled eggs I have ever had in a hotel, consistently good, still trying to figure out the trick of that!   Only thing lacking “Proper” Marmalade but a very small point, they had those little individual things.  Oh yes, if you would like chocolate instead of coffee, that was willingly served and ‘just like home’!

The Rock itself gave rise to a real adventure with an ascent (without me, busy at the seminar) to the top via The Mediterranrean Steps, a minor rock climb in places perilously close to huge sheer drops. Well done Celia, who suffers from vertigo! The Barbary Apes were met up with and I post a charming picture of Celia exchanging ‘looks’ with one!  Evening meals in town were not much to write home about and I can just say ‘OK’.  The place is kept nice and clean and is pretty ‘English’ in many ways.  Red telephone boxes, an English double decker bus even!  The girls felt very happy and secure there and – they tell me there seemed to be a lot of handsome young men around. I take their word for it but the point was backed up by the artist lady who had a little shop/studio in the hotel; she recommended the Rock for the girls, said she had arrived some years ago and found her husband there and lived happily ever after!

Leisure? Well the skies were a marvellous Mediterranean Blue all week, temperatures into the 30’s and a lovely sea water Hotel swimming pool, surrounded by lush greenery and a convenient bar etc was a daily delight for all of us (time permitting sometimes for even me in the evening!

Would we go back, well that has to be a frm ‘yes’, much enjoyed by all!

A High Place for Celia Who "Doesn't Like Heights"!