More on Gibraltar and La Linea.

I always enjoyed finding out about different people, places and cultures. Staying here and getting to know the ins and outs has been more interesting than most places.

Some of the more interesting things we have found are an elaboration of what happened in the last blog.

The protesters wanting their salaries happen to be the street sweepers. Apparently they have not been paid for 7 months. Surprisingly, they now no longer sweep the streets!

The garbage on the side of the road near the marina.

Walking round La Linea I wondered how come it had an “African” look with “plastic” trees bushes and fences, Sadly, the town is fast becoming a large garbage dump.

Apparently two mayors ago the chap decided to renovate the picturesque Town Hall then took off with all the money, soon after, the financial crash happened

Unfinished renovations.

The Town Hall is unfinished and they town is so broke they cannot pay everyone, so the street sweepers lost out. I would have thought the Mayor would have been more disposable……

Apparently it is quite common for the mayor’s of the towns in Spain to get confused as to whose money is whose. Of course, the greater amount ends up in their pockets.

They have peacocks and peahens in the park round the Library and Town Hall, it is so pleasant to hear and see them on the walk to town that I go that way as often as possible.

We have a bit of entertainment as well, the first being the cigarette smugglers running down the beach, over the rocks and throwing bags over the fence, which are then picked up by men on scooters, on the" run" as it were, closely pursued by cops, real cops and smugglers stuff.

Cops and smuggles beach.

The second being the queues of cars going into Gibraltar, with the ensuing road rage as cars try to take a short cut and bypass the long dog leg down the road by the marina, the sole purpose of which is to stop the long trail of cars blocking the road, not that is works all that well as the long trail of cars sometimes runs out of sight down the long seafront road.

Red car trying to cut in, it should be following the cars in the front of the picture.

From the amount of hooting we hear at the boat, blood pressure must run high. One must ask oneself if it is really worth the hassle.

part of the "dogs leg" they go round a circle at the end and back on the far side.

I, for one am glad that I walk across the boarder, and if need be catch a bus on the other side, this is much better for the health, exercise and no blood pressure.

The Marina is now putting up WiFi aerials on the gates of each pontoon; the internet now should be good. It is a pity they have only done it now that we have made other arrangements, but the summer visitors will at least have good, albeit expensive internet.

Where to next? Still not sure of what is happening in our lives. Exciting as usual as just when you think you know, it all changes….but that is life.