Red Eric

Schengen Day.

Coming soon.

Fredbargate

Tens of thousands of Spaniards living on the WRONG SIDE of the BAY of GIBRALTAR have just been treated to a magnificent

VAT FREE firework display
.
.

Fredbargate

However come Monday these same Spaniards will be queuing up to enter Gibraltar a country that gives them the opportunity to feed their families,

Fredbargate

FICTION?
REAL-LIFE JAMES BOND IN ROCK SECRET HIDEOUT

The dastardly super-villain's secret underground lair is a key part of many James Bond stories.

REAL-LIFE JAMES BOND IN ROCK SECRET HIDEOUT | Gibraltar Panorama

REALITY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Tracer

Fredbargate

British comedian Sarah Millican brings her latest tour to Gibraltar next May

https://www.gbc.gi/news/british-comedian-sarah-millican-brings-her-latest-tour-gibraltar-next-may

Fredbargate

Today the Marella Explorer was the first cruise liner to visit Gibraltar with the passengers free to wander around on their own since the beginning of the pandemic
Only a little over 600 passengers onboard but with a capacity of nearly 2000
There have previously been a small number of cruise liner visits but with the shore visits conducted in bubbles.

Fredbargate

The Trafalgar Cemetery is a cemetery in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Formerly known as the Southport Ditch Cemetery, it occupies a small area of land just to the south of the city walls, in what had been a defensive ditch during the period of Spanish rule of Gibraltar. Although it is named for the Battle of Trafalgar of 21 October 1805, only two victims of the battle are buried there. The remainder of the interments are mostly of those killed in other sea battles or casualties of the yellow fever epidemics that swept Gibraltar between 1804 and 1814. In addition, tombstones were transferred to the Trafalgar Cemetery from St. Jago's Cemetery and Alameda Gardens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafalgar_Cemetery

Apart from its value as a historical and heritage site, the Trafalgar Cemetery has an extensive collection of trees. There are no fewer than 83 species of tree growing there, many of them planted in recent years.
The Trafalgar Cemetery also now holds Gibraltar’s only Sweet Chestnut, transferred to the site last year from its previous location at the old Westside School in Queensway.
https://www.gbc.gi/news/trafalgar-ce...rred-old-wests

Fredbargate

While the UK and Gibraltar appear to be trying to find a friendly posture with Spain, as the House of Commons session has shown, the Spanish Government of Pedro Sanchez remains stuck in Francoist policies over Gibraltar.

SPAIN TELLS THE UN WHAT GIBRALTAR DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR | Gibraltar Panorama

Lynn R

There were 3 cruise ships in port in Málaga at one time on 15 September, including the Marella Explorer, with 1,400 passengers in total. They didn't have to conduct the shore visits in bubbles either.

https://cadenaser.com/emisora/2021/0...64_312647.html

The Emir of Quatar's superyacht was also berthed in Málaga for a few days at the end of August/beginning of September, we saw it there one day and it is a beautiful vessel.

https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/yate...606640892.html

Fredbargate

Hi Lynn we have had a few visits before where bubbles were required but the Marella was the first where pasengers were allowed into town to shop plus obviously site seeing.

However throughout the pandemic we have had inumerable cruise liner visits but only for fuel, stores and crew changes

From a resident point of view we are back almost to normal, masks required on public transport and some shops which is confusing.

Lynn R

It's much the same here, masks are required on public transport and in shops and enclosed public spaces (and many Spanish people continue to wear them outside even in places where it's not particularly crowded, but that's their preference). Information published yesterday said tourist occupation of hotels and other accommodation was 90% in my area (La Axarquia) in July and August.

We went on holiday to Italy from 9-17 September and it was great, no tests required at either end as we had the EU digital vaccination certificate, just the Italian and Spanish PLFs to be completed. No long airport queues to contend with as it was a Schengen area flight. Italy's requirements are a bit stricter than Spain or Gibraltar's in that we had to present our vaccine certificates to be scanned if we wanted to enter museums and galleries, eat inside restaurants or travel on inter-regional trains. We didn't find that any less onerous than last year in Amsterdam where we were asked to write down our contact details in every bar and restaurant we visited (in fact it was quicker to show the pass). Life feels very nearly back to normal and we're going to Madrid for another break in a few weeks' time.

Fredbargate

The battle to buy supermarket Morrisons has ended with private equity giant Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) outbidding Fortress in a dramatic auction process.

The stock market’s Takeover Panel said Fortress offered 286p per Morrisons ordinary share, while CD&R offered 287p – meaning its bid amounts to an offer of almost £7 billion.

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-10-02/...e-equity-giant

So what will happen to their Gibraltar shop the only one outside the UK? At times reputed to be their highest earner

Will they continue to supply it?

If not who will take it over?

Maybe due to distance it will end up being run by one of the chains active in spain.

If so that will end a major supply of British staples to the expat market in southern spain. A market that sees coach trips organised from spain plus thousands of car trips to Gib to satisfy British tastes

Lynn R

I used to make the trip maybe twice a year but haven't bothered since the start of this year as we're not allowed to bring meat or dairy products into Spain. I now buy my sausages from a very good British butcher in Nerja who makes them himself, and order a range of other items two or three times a year from a British run shop in Torrox Costa who started doing home deliveries during the pandemic and offer a very good service. The slightly higher costs are offset by the fact that I'm no longer paying for the coach trips to Gibraltar, bus fare or taxi to get to and from the coach pick-up/drop-off point, and a meal and refreshments during the day, all of which could easily add up to €50 per trip. Plus the quality of the sausages is way better than the ones sold in supermarkets, even the premium ranges. There is very little that I would have bought from Morrisons that I can't get now, and it wasn't unusual for some items on my shopping list to not be in stock at Morrisons when I got there anyway.

If I want anything from M&S I just order it online, as there's a much wider range available than in the small Gibraltar shop, and there are no problems with deliveries post January, no extra charges to pay either. If anything doesn't fit or I don't like it, I can just return it to the M&S lingerie shop in the centre of Málaga.

Fredbargate

I was in Morrisons this morning and spoke to the car clamper on duty there.
He estimates there are generally more spanish registered cars in their car park than local ones
Also it is predominantly spanish cars that get clamped for overstaying the time limit

DLC

If you're a Spanish resident you can't get away with having British numberplates on your car any more, least of all when crossing a border as you're just tempting fate.