Mächtig Zoff um 6.5 square kilometers

#25 Gibraltar

We have implemented our plan and set off for Gibraltar early on Monday. That was about 350 kilometers from Aguadulce. We knew the route to Malaga from our trip to Ronda, but this time we did not turn inland, but continued along the coast. The route was partly breathtaking: long viaducts at dizzying heights, which nestled against steep cliffs or stretched over deep gorges, countless tunnels of all lengths, and steep ascents and descents that put the engine and brakes of our motorhome to a hard test.

Despite that, it was a relaxed drive, which I mainly attribute to the speed limit of 120 km/h, which almost everyone here adheres to. Of course, there is always the odd exception who rushes past at 140, 150 speeds, but you can count them on one hand during a four-hour highway drive.

We were amazed when the vegetation changed behind Malaga. Suddenly, more and more green areas and deciduous trees could be seen. The A-7 passed through many cities such as Torremolinos and Marbella, or villages and club resorts that seemed to seamlessly blend together. The speed was now limited to 80 km/h, but no one adhered to that. With 90, 100, an endless line of cars, trucks, and delivery vans stretched along the coast. Apparently, no one was in a hurry, no one was pushing, it took as long as it took.

It was also strange that there was no sign indicating Gibraltar on any signboard. We found the first signpost 9.8 kilometers before our destination. Granada, Seville, Cadiz, or Huelva - all much further away - were omnipresent. This may be because the English snatched the peninsula from the Spaniards at the beginning of the 19th century and it has been a British Crown Colony since 1830. For almost 200 years, the Iberians have been fighting, negotiating, and debating in vain for the return of the 6.5-square-kilometer strip of land - so it's best to completely ignore it!

We had chosen a guarded parking lot directly at the border crossing in advance because we could not take our dogs onto English soil. The reason: Berry was not able to receive the necessary rabies vaccination before departure due to his illness. But we found a quite useful solution, which we will tell you about tomorrow.