Chapter 11: The Last Point In Europe

The next morning I was in my car again. I was driving my Mum, Nick, and all my belongings out to my new home at Europa Point. Europa Point is known for being the last of most southernly point in Europe. Next stop is Morocco. It is also the site of the University of Gibraltar and my student accommodation.

Europa Point

It was just as well that Nick was in the car to give me directions, as some of the roads on the way to Europa Point looked like one way roads, but were actually 2 way roads. In fact that is a good way to describe driving in Gibraltar in general, 2 way driving on a one way road! When we arrived at the student accommodation, the first order of business was to get a permit for my car so I could park in the accommodation car park (round the back of the accommodation). This is another typical feature of Gibraltar. As there are so few parking facilities, in order to park in most places, you need a permit. However, luckily there is also a car park out in front of the accommodation, for short stay parking. Once I had moved my car, I went back to reception to check in, and I had my first experience with Gibraltarian bureaucracy. Even though I had already signed the rental agreement (via email months ago), I needed to sign it again! After this, the friendly female receptionist gave me my key and showed us to my room.

My accommodation, not a prison!

Europa Suites as my accommodation is known, was designed as the accommodation for an international sporting event (that took place a few years back). The rooms are self contained studio apartments, and are comfortable and well kept. It's certainly very different from my student accommodation when I studied in Glasgow, back in the early 2000s. It's more like a combination of flats and a hotel. Although calling the buildings 'Block A' and 'Block B', and displaying all the room numbers in large capital letters, does give off an unfortunate prison vibe, think Prisoner Cell Block H! My room was 003A (not just room 3 mind!), and my Mum pointed out it was handy being next to the laundry room. It was on the ground floor, and had it's own kitchen and bathroom, desk and TV, and for some reason two single beds. Nick revived his joke from the train, that my room mate would be arriving shortly. After this hilarity, we got all my belongings from the car, then headed out to find the university.

More like a hotel room than a student dorm room.

As it turned out it was just a couple of minutes walk, round the other side of the sports centre (which had also been built for the same international sporting event). I took the opportunity for a quick photo-op outside the university sign, then we headed inside to ask where my induction would take place. I enquired at reception, and was helpfully told that it would take place in the main concourse, next to reception. I had 4 hours until this started, so there was time to go back into town to get a hair cut and something to eat.

Me arriving at the University of Gibraltar

As we waited at the bus stop, outside my accommodation, Nick explained how the area used to be undeveloped land when he was growing up in Gibraltar. How times had changed. There was now a university, a sports centre, my accommodation, a Mosque, a playpark, and the lighthouse. However, what there was not was a cheap canteen, grocery shop, or any food outlet where you could get food after 4pm.

This nice restaurant stops serving food at 3pm!

The bus ride into town was an experience. I had thought some of the roads on the way to the university were too narrows for cars, let alone a bus. As we got into town, there were some streets a bus had no business going down, as they were so narrow, and the small scale of Gibraltar was really brought home to me. The city centre of Gibraltar is really like a mini version of parts of Edinburgh's old town, with the modern Ocean Village stuck on. Names of pubs on route such as the Trafalgar Bar, and The Angry Friar, and other things such as red telephone boxes and post boxes, all gave away Gibraltar's love of things British.

A love of all things British.

We stopped at the main bus terminus at Market Place, a row of bus stances, on a street with a pizza takeaway stall, a money exchange and a steak restaurant. Everything you need while you're waiting for a bus! We went through a medieval arch to the historic Casemates Square. I'll come back to Casemates Square shortly, as it's a good spot for lunch, but first I needed a haircut and a shave. Nick knew of a barber shop nearby, so we agreed to meet my Mum for lunch afterwards. The barber was quite an old fashioned shop, run by a family, which had just transitioned from fathers to sons. As Nick told me, when he went on a previous visit the year before, it had been run by real old guys. The son however gave me a good haircut and shave. It took almost 45 minutes, but he only charged £7. A good deal.

Good for a haircut.

After our shearings', Nick and I met my Mum, who had been shopping on Main Street. As the name suggests, Main Street is the epicentre of Gibraltar, and the main shopping street. Think Princes Street in Edinburgh. There are British Stores like Marks and Spencer and Next, to small tourist shops, and chemists. Unlike Princes Street it isn't wide, more narrow, like the Royal Mile, and is packed with tourists. We headed back to Casemates Square for lunch. I was in the mood for fish and chips, and had seen several restaurants there promoting this (the power of advertising!).

Main Street Gibraltar

Casemates Square is the social heart of Gibraltar, full of bars, restaurants, cafes, and the police station. One of the bars called Lord Nelson's again highlights the British theme. We chose a restaurant with outdoor seating, and ordered the fish and chips. It was nice sitting under the sun, chatting over our drinks, something only possible a few days a year in Edinburgh. We were then presented with our fish and chips, or whale and chips actually. The cost of food is high in Gibraltar, I guess because much is imported, but the fish and chips is good value. It was a nice meal, in pleasant surroundings. But I couldn't afford to hang around. I needed to get back to the university for enrolment.

Casemates Gibraltar