Gibraltar

Gibraltar was a disappointment. During our break in Malaga we had an excursion there and I did not find it inspiring. My expectations were high. I anticipated something quite slick and modern, yet maintaining the charm of its fascinating history. Instead I found a rather clichéd sample of British nostalgia, in a town that looked like a flashback to high streets of the past. Sure you can get cheap cigarettes if you smoke (I don't). The petrol is cheaper than Spain, too. The border is usually congested, so it would take rather a lot of time to go across to fill the tank if that was the only reason to go there. 

I guess British expats in Southern Spain would be attracted to the Morrison's supermarket. If you are starved or Marmite or Wensleydale cheese, then a shopping trip to Gibraltar might be the answer. There is no doubt that if wanted a cup of coffee, I would rather find myself on the Spanish side of the border. You can get fish and chips, a breakfast fry up or several other tired staples which you might not pick as your first choice in the UK when dining out.

The place is so crowded. Every square inch is developed - part of the fascinating history is the engineering which went into hollowing out the Rock to expand the territory and in recent years land reclamation has been the only way of increasing the acreage. It is as densely populated as an urban area, but without any countryside within its borders to offset. For open spaces, Gibraltarians have to go out of their country to Spain.

My visit was brief. The good point was buying a UK newspaper for a reasonable price and hearing the commentary from the guide. I get the impression I missed something. Gibraltar is a tax haven for financial services and online gaming businesses. This I think is what brings the wealth to the territory. As it's in the EU, and can access the Single Market, this must be attractive. The shopping advantages are limited because it seems to be treated as a duty free zone by the Spanish who limit purchases of goods and cigarettes brought across from Gibraltar. Apparently there is no VAT, duty and income tax is very low. There is no longer any road tax on the cars there, either. In short, good for business, but I wouldn't want to live there.