Colin visits the Rock

I have been to the Costa Del Sol in the south of Spain many times but never manager to get to Gibraltar. So I promised myself I would visit the iconic “Rock”. It’s a true blend of Britain adjacent to Spain, British Police, M&S and fantastic weather. I flew into Gibraltar airport which is an experience in itself as the runway is actually intersected by the boarder with Spain, consequently the border has to be shut every time a plane lands. I stayed at the elegant "Rock Hotel." The food and service were good and there's a pool too.

There are beaches to sunbathe on and a marina too but for me it was to see the rugged rock, look across to North Africa joined by the legendary apes. The apes (actually Barbary Macaques) were brought to the Rock and legend says if the apes leave Gibraltar so will the British, so as a consequence they are well looked after. The Spaniards believe the Rock belongs to Spain, but Britain fiercely regards the Rock as British. If you look at a map you can easily see the strategic importance of it, it’s a narrow entry point to the Mediterranean Sea. So, whoever controls Gibraltar controls everything entering the Mediterranean from the West!