The rock
We visited the rock of Gibraltar this spring and, in spite of the insurance advertising, it isn’t as solid as is claimed.
Indeed, the rock has 30 miles of caves and caverns, some of them provided by Mother Nature, but more hollowed out by British engineers seeking a safe haven for munitions and, during the Second World War, a hospital that was never used.
The hospital now is used as a theatre and most of the rest of the excavations are for the entertainment of tourists.
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Why Britain wants to retain this rocky chunk attached to Spain is a puzzle to me. In the days when the navy reigned supreme, Gibraltar was a strategic naval base at the narrow neck where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. It is within sight of where Lord Nelson wrecked the combined navies of France and Spain in the Battle of Trafalgar. Today the military establishment on the rock is small and token.
However the residents sturdily resist the idea of being ceded back to Spain. In fact the last vote held on the subject was overwhelmingly in support of staying British. That Gibraltar is a tax haven is one factor.
The Barbary apes living on the rock are moving rapidly from being a nuisance to becoming a plague. Animal rights people won’t countenance having the population reduced so apes are merrily reproducing and expanding their hold on this over-crowded territory.
The human population also has a space problem and masses of tourists are coming and going every day.
Historically, it is fascinating. For a holiday I’d rather go to Hardisty.
