Gibraltar: The family-friendly hoilday that is oh-so British
Gibraltarians retain a deep affinity with Britain and have voted to remain British by a considerable majority. Yet with their mix of English, Spanish, Moorish and other nationalities, residents have their own distinct character.
Gloria is taking us to the top of the Rock at 1,400 ft for some ape-spotting. The famous Barbary apes are the symbol of The Rock, and any visitor is obliged to visit them on their high redoubt, although they are by no means restricted to it and can be spotted elsewhere.
From the Rock's summit you can look west to bustling Algeciras, south to Morocco's Rif mountains and north-east, along the Spanish coast towards MalagaThe sensible way to the summit is by cable car, but Gloria insists on driving, negotiating narrow roads that have featured in James Bond films.
From the Rocks summit you can look west to bustling Algeciras, south to Moroccos Rif mountains and north-east, along the Spanish coast towards Malaga.
The views are good, too, from the Rock Hotel, my base, where former guests include Ernest Hemingway, the Two Ronnies and those pesky apes, who have been known to sneak into the rooms for chocolates and a kip on the double bed.
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Bl! ooms of stalactites burst from the roof like monster broccoli.
Legend has it that the caves are haunted by the ghosts of explorers who tried to find an undersea passage through which the apes are said to have arrived from Africa.
A Barbary Macaque, a popular and playful symbol of GibraltarSmudge, a former soldier from Stoke-on-Trent, escorts me through a network of tunnels constructed during World War II to house up to 10,000 soldiers.
Theres still graffiti chipped into the walls by bored squaddies, much of it outside the womens showers.
Winston Churchill had identified Gibraltar as a strategically vital location and ordered it to be defended at all costs.
He demanded that more apes be imported, knowing their disappearance would, for many, symbolise the end of British rule. Today, as Smudge explains jubilantly to his tour groups in several languages, the monkeys remain.
Out on the street, Gibraltar, with its Bobbies and red phone boxes, feels like an England imagined by Richard Curtis complete with M&S and a plethora of VAT-free shops. The euro is accepted almost everywhere, but make transactions in sterling to avoid imaginative exchange rates.
Irish Town, parallel to the high street, Main Street, has a relaxed feel and colonial-style buildings that transport you back to an era when the Rock was overrun with pirates. Now, with its small, safe beaches and well-tended parks, Gib is more family-orientated.
The towns restaurants reflect its broad mix of inhabitants. Among the best are the Viceroy of India and Kowloon Restaurant.
Monkeys arent the only local wildlife. Dolphin Safari organises trips out of the bay for spectacular views of two continents and dozens of cavorting dolphins.
Built on an area partly reclaimed from the sea, the Ocean Village complex includes apartments, shops, restaurants, bars and a marina. Gibraltars pubs tend to reflect the British links, and! many re main the preserve of older, tattooed expats.
I opt for silky cocktails at the Rock Hotels Barbary Bar. And as I look out over the ocean, a Barbary ape ape hops on the balcony and performs remarkable acrobatics, with the glittering, ship-clogged straits and dark mountains of Africa as a dramatic backdrop.
Travel facts
Monarch Airlines flies from London Luton to Gibraltar from 70 return, 08719 405 040 or visitwww.monarch.co.uk The Rock Hotel has double rooms from 148 Call 00 350 2007 3000 or visit www.rockhotelgibraltar.
com Gibraltar Tourist Board www.gibraltar.gov.uk/holiday.php
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