Gibraltar: Bane of Andorra and confusion on Liechtenstein

 Of we go to the end of it all.  We will pass the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, which was inaugurated in 1997, and so on to Europa Point.  It has been reviewed 161 people who reckon, as bits of geography go, it deserves 4.4 stars. 

Michael came here a month a go and gives us a very full account [and four stars]. ‘Europa Point Scenic Spot is the southernmost point of Gibraltar, renowned for its spectacular panoramic views across the Strait of Gibraltar to North Africa. Highlights include the historic red-and-white striped lighthouse dating from 1841, the Ibrahim al-Ibrahim Mosque, the Sikorski Monument, and Harding's Battery. This windswept vantage point offers a unique blend of maritime history and breathtaking natural beauty.’

We are turning back. I wanted to go up the east side but you can’t walk round it and we aren’t going to break the law by nipping along road. Thus we will wander back the settled, western side, and get a really good idea of just how crowded this place is. It will mean, however, we will miss out on the football.

Gibraltar has one of the ten oldest football associations in the world.  The current league has 11 clubs. They all share a single stadium.  The most successful team is the Lincoln Red Imps - who have won the league 24 times, followed by Glacis United, 17 and Europa and Manchester 62 with 7 apiece.

The National Team has been accepted since 2013. As in football, as in life.  Recently UEFA have not been keen on non-sovereign nations getting to play.  This means Greenland’s attempts to join UEFA have been squashed. Of course, this is now and historically it has meant places like the Faroes Isles, Gibraltar and England have got to play football.  From 2013-2018 they had to play in Portugal as Gibraltar did not have the facilities to host international matches. It has to be said they have not swept all aside. The first match, against Slovakia, was a 0-0 draw.  Within a year they had beaten Malta 1-0. As of 2025 Gibraltar had played 104 matches, won ten, drawn 14 and lost 80. They had scored 39 goals and let in 330. Their most success was against Andorra, winning two of three; they are least successful against Georgia and Ireland, losing all six matches. They have played Liechtenstein most, eight times, and won three, drawn four and lost one.

Let us stop at the Edinburgh Arms Gastro Bar. It is a 4.6 star sort of place.  It appears to be LGBTQ+ friendly.  Two weeks ago Julian wrote ‘The service is super friendly, the home-style cooking is super good, the wine is spectacular and affordable, I recommend it 100%.’

We are at sea level and by the Gibraltar Defence Police Social Club.  Julian said ‘One of the best clubs in Gibraltar no matter what anyone says.’  That made me find out what they say. David, four years ago, said this ‘Need to speak Spanish as, all staff spanish who dont even try to speak English. Food ok’

The Gibraltar National Museum is nearby. It has a range of things from info on the Neanderthals and a 13th century Moorish bath. It is situated in Bomb House Lane. https://www.gibmuseum.gi/  It is £15 for adults.   As a dyslexic and a victim of spell checkers Danielle’s ‘Well-worn the visit. From Neanderthal to the Great British siege. An untold ruins of hamans.’ pleases me. How many of us have had well worn visits?  Does that mean we are revisiting places we love or just coming out to castles 

I think that Kevin gives a fulsome summary. ‘Are you interested in Gibraltar’s history and natural history? The Gibraltar National Museum is the place to learn about it.

'This fascinating museum has artifacts and treasures from thousands of years of ancient history. When you first walk into the museum, you will see a reconstruction of a Neanderthal woman and her child, based on skeletons found in this tiny country. (Or commonwealth, if you prefer). As you wander inside, you'll find ancient skulls and even an Egyptian sarcophagus, both found in a cave off of Europa Point. In the outside garden, there is a water system used by the Romans and Spaniards for drinking and Roman baths. Inside the museum are the remains of Moorish baths, which were built over.

The second floor has rooms dedicated to Gibraltar’s social history and the prehistory of Neanderthals living on The Rock over tens of thousands of years. An entire room is devoted to the history of The Great Siege, the battle for Gibraltar between the British defending it against Spain and France from 1779 to 1783. One room has a 26-foot-long scale model of The Rock so detailed that it shows every house and road in Gibraltar. Plan on spending a couple of hours enjoying learning the story of this amazing country

Back to the border and passed the Gibraltar War memorial.  Shih notes ‘It's not easy to stop and admire it while driving by, but it's very meaningful.’ Reviews are a bit mixed, from the patriotic to the somewhat unhistoric.  So we leave Gibraltar and come back to sunny Spain.