Whilst   spending   a   couple   of   months   in   Malaga   in   2016   I   visited   Gibraltar   for   the   day   with   my   guest Malgorzata   from   Poland.   For   me   it   was   a   nostalgic   visit   to   a   place   that   I   had   been   to   many   times whilst   in   the   navy,   but   for   Malgorzata   it   was   her   first   visit.   We   found   a   place   that   was,   in   my   opinion a   cultural   wilderness   compared   with   the   sophistication   of   Malaga,   with   high   prices   and   a   climate that   seemed   to   have   been   especially   imported   from   Britain!   We   did   though   visit   the   top   of   the   Rock, see   the   apes,   visit   St   Michael’s   Cave,   the   cathedrals   and   walk   Main   Street.   I   bought   a   litre   bottle   of Baileys,   which   I   considered   to   be   good   value,   although   despite   being   a   Duty   Free   jurisdiction,   that was   the   only   mechanise   we   considered   to   be   worth   buying.   Gibraltar   is   certainly   no   shoppers’ Paradise!

Gibraltar   is   a   British   Overseas Territory   located   on   the   southern   end   of   the   Iberian   Peninsula. At   the foot   of   the   conspicuous   rock   that   dominates   the   place   is   a   densely   populated   city   area,   home   to over 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities. An Anglo-Dutch   force   captured   Gibraltar   from   Spain   in   1704   and   was   subsequently   ceded   to   Britain "in   perpetuity"   under   the Treaty   of   Utrecht   in   1713.   During   World   War   II   it   was   an   important   base   for the   Royal   Navy   as   it   controlled   the   entrance   and   exit   to   the   Mediterranean   Sea,   which   is   only   eight miles   (13   km)   wide   at   this   point.   Today   Gibraltar's   economy   is   based   largely   on   tourism,   online gambling, financial services, and shipping. The   sovereignty   of   Gibraltar   is   a   major   point   of   contention   in   Anglo-Spanish   relations   as   Spain asserts    a    claim    to    the    territory.    Gibraltarians    overwhelmingly    rejected    proposals    for    Spanish sovereignty   in   a   1967   referendum   and   again   in   2002.   Under   the   Gibraltar   constitution   of   2006, Gibraltar   governs   its   own   affairs,   though   some   powers,   such   as   defence   and   foreign   relations, remain   the   responsibility   of   the   Government   of   the   United   Kingdom.   I   cannot   u8nderstad   why   the Spanish would want this place back!

The   links   below   take   you to    documents    describing my    personal    experiences in   the   places   listed.   They will   be   updated   each   time I    revisit.    (Note    that    my picture    galleries    for    the places      listed      can      be accessed   from   the   toolbar at the top of the page)

The   links   below   take   you to   documents   that   provide general   information   of   the places   listed.   They   will   be updated        when        new information           becomes available.   The   information has        generally        been derived   from   a   variety   of websites.

The   links   below   take   you to    documents    describing my    personal    experiences in   the   places   listed.   They will   be   updated   each   time I    revisit.    (Note    that    my picture    galleries    for    the places      listed      can      be accessed   from   the   toolbar at the top of the page)

The   links   below   take   you to   documents   that   provide general   information   of   the places   listed.   They   will   be updated        when        new information           becomes available.   The   information has        generally        been derived   from   a   variety   of websites.

The   links   below   take   you to    documents    describing my    personal    experiences in   the   places   listed.   They will   be   updated   each   time I    revisit.    (Note    that    my picture    galleries    for    the places      listed      can      be accessed   from   the   toolbar at the top of the page)

The   links   below   take   you to   documents   that   provide general   information   of   the places   listed.   They   will   be updated        when        new information           becomes available.   The   information has        generally        been derived   from   a   variety   of websites.