There's something so reassuring about Gibraltar. After all, you'd unhesitatingly rely on anything as "solid as the Rock of Gibraltar", wouldn't you?
However, when the ship I was on, Crystal Serenity, docked at Gibraltar, The Rock turned out to be a bit smaller than anticipated.
History and symbolism have clearly exaggerated an outcrop that appeared solid enough but - to my cynical eyes, at least - not the "monstrous limestone monolith" one reads about. During World War 2, with Gibraltar surrounded by the enemy, Churchill and Allied forces built a subterranean fortress where hundreds secretly worked on a hospital, power station, military headquarters and accommodation for nearly 10 000 troops and civilians in the bowels of the Rock. Tunnels had already been built by the British in the 18th century. Churchill and Co just dug further.
On a sunny morning as we sailed into the Bay of Gibraltar, the Rock made an imposing backdrop to a town that now seems more obsessed with above-ground development. Cranes hovered on myriad construction sites - all multi-storeyed luxury apartments overlooking the harbour and bay.
Gibraltar holds the world record for the proximity of an airport to a city. Here it's a mere 300m or so from Main Street - in fact, one of the civic roads crosses the runway. The road is simply closed when an aircraft comes in for landing.
Crystal Serenity had docked half a kilometre from Gibraltar's Main Street, entered through the gates of Casement Square, surrounded by cafes, diners, tapas bars and shops.
The square was once a parade ground for garrison soldiers - and also a place of execution in Gibraltar's conflict-laden past. Now the firing squads have been replaced by hordes of British tourists.
The history of some of the restaurants and bars on the square is fascinating. The Lord Nelson Bar and Brasserie commemorates the famous English admiral.
Nelson's body was brought ashore in Gibraltar after the Battle of Trafalgar and is said to have been preserved in a barrel of brandy.
The name of the All's Well pub comes from the "all's well" announcement the guard, who had locked the gate to the Casemates barracks at dusk, would make when delivering the keys to the governor's watch.
As we only had an afternoon to spare before the cruise ship sailed for Barcelona, I decided to miss out on the touristy cableways and tunnel tours and instead opted for a leisurely walk along Main Street.
Making my way down the pedestrianised Main Street, the red mailboxes and telephone booths, and the familiar Marks & Spencer's and a few other British retail brand names - felt like shopping in a British high street. But in Gibraltar's long shopping thoroughfare there are also fascinating smaller shops selling the likes of Chinese silks, jewellery, perfume, leather, and electronics, all interspersed with al fresco eating-and-drinking establishments, some tucked around corners in alleyways, others perched on steps. The stylish "living sculpture" street artists have also moved in.
Gibraltar's architecture is fascinating. In Main Street, for example, there are beautiful balconied Georgian structures with masses of South Africa's own pelagorniums in full bloom in hanging baskets; the impressive Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned built on the site of what used to be a mosque; King's Chapel, the 1480 Anglican church that served as the armed forces' place of worship during World War 2; and quaint houses in narrow alleyways built by the Portuguese and Genoese.
Although the tourists - most of whom clearly come from the UK - dominated the Main Street, the locals are drawn from an eclectic mix of nations and cultures. Every now and again I'd hear the approach of high heels and see a beautiful, tanned Spanish senorita passing in flamenco strides, or the swish of the dress of an elegant lady in Muslim clothing.
A British colony since 1704, Gibraltar was home to many ancient civilisations long before then. The Arabs and Spanish, whose influences can be seen in the architecture, were among early conquerors but at the start of the 18th century, Gibraltar fell to a combined Anglo-Dutch force. The Treaty of Utrecht ceded it to Britain in 1704 but now, more than three centuries later, the Spanish are still not all that happy about it. It's said they take their revenge daily by purposely slowing down entry at the border post.
Top of the souvenir list in Main Street are toy apes, cuddly effigies of the Barbary apes which live in a semi-wild state on the Upper Rock There are conflicting reports on how these tail-less apes (actually, macaque monkeys) came to Gibraltar from Africa. Some say they were brought by British soldiers, others say the Moors.
Now firmly ensconced in Gibraltar, the apes were in danger of extinction during World War 2 days. It appears that they had, well, sort of lost the urge to breed, probably as a result of noisy canons and guns. Britain regarded this unwelcome and unpatriotic celibacy as a matter of national concern. Tradition, after all, decreed that British rule over The Rock would end if the apes disappeared - a catastrophe that Churchill was not going to tolerate.
"The establishment of the apes should number at least 24", he wrote to the Colonial Secretary at The Rock in that bulldog manner. "Action should be taken to bring them up to this number at once - and maintain it thereafter!"
Churchill neglected to tell the poor Secretary how his order was to be carried out but, fortunately for all concerned, the apes got the message and resumed their patriotic duties just in the nick of time. But Britain still keeps a close eye on the situation and, as a result, there are now at least 160 apes on The Rock to (as the local tourist office so quaintly states) "tolerate and tease the camera-clicking tourists "
- For more information on Gibraltar, visit www.visitgibraltar.gi or email [email protected].
- For more information on the Mediterranean cruise schedules of Crystal Serenity and Crystal Cruises, contact Cruises International 011-327-0327 or visit www.crystalcruises.com