Chapter 18: Crossing the Border, and Crossing the Runway

The first time I crossed the border from Gibraltar into Spain, was about a month and a half into my stay in Gibraltar. My friend Mel, a Gibraltarian who lived in Spain (but studied in Gib), had invited me for a night out in La Linea, the Spanish town on the other side of the border. I had heard mixed things about La Linea (including that it was a bit run down), so I was interested to see it for myself.

The Frontier

I drove to Gibraltar airport (which is just across the road from the border), and parked in the 2 hour stay car park. It was about 8.30pm and I was meeting Mel at a bar in La Linea at 9pm. Plenty of time I thought, allowing for holdups crossing the border. When I arrived in Gibraltar, I had had a long wait crossing the border and this was still in my mind. However, as it turned out, I spent longer getting a ticket to park in the airport carpark, than I did crossing the border. I entered my registration number into a pay and display machine at the airport, only to find the card reader didn't work. When I tried the other one it was cash only. I remembered chucking some change in my backpack which was in the car, so after a bit of foraging was able to pay for my ticket, and get on with my international travel.

Pay and Display

There is a handy sign at the border crossing which points to Spain. You then go into one small building, and show your passport to the Spanish border force, they stamp it, and you go on your merry way. Some people like getting their passport stamped, as a record of where they have travelled. That's all very well, but if I was to go over to Spain several times a week, every week, my passport would soon fill up. European Passports are not stamped. I exited the second building at the border check point (which is customs - I had nothing to declare not even carrying a bag), and I was in Spain.

Handy directions!

I followed the directions Mel had given me, and I shortly found myself in the town centre of La Linea. I was quite impressed. There were fountains, nice cafes and bars (some of which wouldn't have looked out of place on trendy George Street, in Edinburgh). The bar I was due to meet Mel at was really busy, and I couldn't find her. I tried to call her, but being so close to the border, my phone was confused as to whether it was still on the Gibraltar mobile network, or Spanish mobile network. So I had no data for WhatsApp, and only call credit on the Gib sim card. However I found her the old fashioned way, like people used to do for decades if not centuries, before technology turned us into dependents. We decided the bar was too busy, so we went to a café instead.

I liked La Linea town centre.

We sat at a table outside the café, still a novel experience for me considering it was an October evening. A difference I noticed immediately from Gibraltar was how many people were out and about. It was a Friday night sure. But when I've been out in Gibraltar on a Friday night (for dinner or to watch the rugby), it has often been as quiet as a Sunday night. Another difference was the cost of the bill was much cheaper than it would have been in Gibraltar, which may have been why Mel was happy to treat me, and pay the bill! I asked Mel if it was awkward living in Spain and studying in Gibraltar, but she felt it was a better option, as you got more for your money in Spain, and she said a lot of Gibraltarians do it.

Friday Night!

The evening passed quickly and I needed to get back to my car before my 2 hours were up. I said goodbye to Mel and followed a few young folk (who had obviously been out for some drinks) over the border. I showed my passport, and just like that I was back in my car at the airport car park.

Back in Gib.

The next day I would be crossing the border again, on my way to Fuengirola (which I'll discuss in a following chapter). Because I was going to Fuengirola for the weekend, I couldn't park at the airport, so I had to get the bus from Europa Point into town. There is a bus that goes from Market Place to the border (what they call 'The Frontier' bus), but this bus is infrequent, and isn't included in my bus pass, as it is run by a separate company. So I got one of the regular Gibraltar buses to just beyond Ocean Village, then got off and walked across the runway to 'The Frontier'. As I got to the runway, a barrier came down in front of me, and a minute or so later, a British Airways jet roared past and took off. As soon as it was airborne, the barrier came up and I was able to walk onto the runway. Walking across the runway was a bit of a novelty. I felt like I was somewhere I shouldn't be allowed to be, and found myself looking skyward to keep an eye out for any planes landing! Then having crossed the runway, it was time again for me to cross the border.

Walking across the runway.

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