What do they take away?

Yes, it’s a question I often ask myself, especially now in the height of this summer season with even more holiday makers and newcomers arriving here, having a look to see what this tiny place is all about. 

Our city or town sitting below a majestic limestone rock – the Rock of Gibraltar, and I dare to say not just about tourists and visitors, but I include many, or at least quite a few of us locals here, on the Rock also about how they would describe Gibraltar. 

Do people get a good impression of Gibraltar, and really know or learn about who we are as a distinct population – albeit in very small numbers and own an identity different to an English town or even our next-door neighbour, La Linea on the tip of Spain’s Andalucia? 

Do they arrive with – what I would call – the right frame of mind about the place? 

We’ve been around for quite a few years now and not just 70 or 80. We have developed in many ways not least in strengthening an identity, a Gibraltarian one. 

Yes ok, let’s repeat it one more time. We are not - despite the Rock being a British territory for more than 320 years – ‘Brighton in the Mediterranean’ as many newcomers may seem to think, mistaken by what they read, see or hear on television or radio programmes about Gibraltar. 

We are defined as a British Overseas Territory: that’s correct, but in many ways, we are not necessarily overflowing with British-ness as some may think. 

Just digressing for a moment and as an example, I remember interviewing a Tourism minister in the then AACR government in the ‘70s telling me an elderly English lady tourist came to see him, telling him she was shocked sitting in the back of a taxi listening to the driver on his car radio speaking in Spanish! Oh my goodness! That serves as an example of what some people may think even today before they arrive, judging by what they read, watch or hear on television or radio. 

To my mind, the facts are there laid before us: no trimmings, bells and whistles or any such pretence, façade, make-believe or yes, again I dare say it, deception.  

Gibraltar is what it is and we, the people, are who we are. 

We are individuals that make up a melting pot of nationals arriving from the UK nations and Mediterranean peoples -  from Genoa or Italy, Malta, from the Iberian peninsula, namely Portugal and of course Spain. 

Also from India, Morocco and, these days, from all over Eastern Europe, Asia, North and South America and the list goes on, to my mind enriching an even wider and stronger identity. 

Despite our youngsters nowadays not speaking much Spanish and only English, Spanish still is our street language in the main, like it or not, despite some of our local anglophiles insisting it’s not. 

Yes, English is now more widely spoken amongst our older members of our community too – those in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and older, but Spanish is still very evident in our day-to-day interactions with each other. 

Gibraltar physically: a beautiful place? Good for shopping and varied enough? Good customer service and acceptable hospitality? I think many visitors may wonder when some workers in shops, bars and restaurants have very limited English or even less... in British Gibraltar? 

Also, is there enough to do? Yes, we have the tourist sites and the macaques (now even in town), activities in our bay looking out for dolphins and underwater exploration etc, but what about night life – especially for younger people. 

There are many bars, cafeterias and restaurants, but not even one night club. The town area dies after 7 pm every evening, worse at the weekend – sad! 

About us, are we nice people, helpful? Whenever you see documentaries about places, visitors generally say the people are very friendly. Isn’t that the case, wherever you go? 

There are nice or ‘simpatico’ people everywhere: good, bad or not so, but yes, I think we are nice, willing to engage. And so much else, but it’s true much of this applies to any place you visit. 

What else about the Rock?  

Many of us say Gibraltar is beautiful. I never describe it generally as a beautiful place – views from the top of the Rock, enhanced if at the right time watching a sunset or a sunrise on the east side, yes, and Catalan Bay, quaint, charming and appealing to visit: they are beautiful but I always say Gibraltar is a quirky place. 

It does have its charm, with our different architecture in our buildings etc, and the mix of English traditions and our Llanito code switching, with other Spanish and Mediterranean influences clearly evident. 

Visitors will no doubt find it curious and maybe bizarre or even weird. I would say that’s a plus: we have features that definitely make us different from the UK and Spain, and now, many will say we have to pull our socks up, show what we’re made of and make the place work if we are to succeed and enjoy the extra influx of visitors – an extra-large tourist footfall I would hope - there are already signs of more visitors coming in, this is what all of the business community will hope for, so we will see. 

So what of the bottom line? What impressions do visitors take away with them about their few hours or longer stays on the Rock? Is it a positive one? For the majority, I would say, it’s a big yes! 

In the meantime, let me continue to observe. 

The most popular attraction to have your picture taken in front of is, as you exit Casemates moving onto Main Street, the red telephone booth there. Also becoming very popular, are the macaque sculptures, and the large I Love Gib logo/emblems. These are great photo-taking locations to have a pic to take home with you. They are proving very well liked. 

Not a moment too soon and at long last. The up-going escalator at St Bernard’s Hospital being fixed – hooray. 

And I see more and more walking tours around the place and forming in larger groups, it seems they’re on the increase. 

It’s all to be expected with our new treaty. 

May it continue to get better and better as it all becomes well-oiled. 

See you in two weeks!