Walking down the line

 There is something about a land boundary which is just a little bit weird.  A line has been drawn because of History which demarks alleged binary differences so sharp as to be claimed to be in the very DNA of the inhabitants - or not, as the case may be. I am a fan of those borders which wander through houses and split roads.  I am much taken with Livia, which is an enclave of Spain, surrounded by France. We may go there.  All this, because we are going to La Linea de la Concepcion - which sort of exists because Spain runs out short of the end of the land.

Take yourself back to the 18th century, go on, you want to really.  The Spanish have decided they want Gibraltar back, thank you very much, and start besieging the place.  Behind the siege lines some buildings are built.  Over the years this grew until, in 1870, the place was declared its own municipality. Today 65,000 live here.

Today, to quote wiki ‘La Línea is a major supplier of fruit and vegetables to Gibraltar; other industries include the manufacture of cork, liquor, and fish paste. It also had an important military garrison with substantial fortifications and a port’

In we plod.  Are you feeling ok?  Then we will pop into the Okay Canteen. https://pasteleriaokay.com/  It gets 3.2 stars from over 400 reviews.  Carmen, a month ago, wrote ‘We saw online that they had a ball pit open to everyone. Since it was raining, we took two taxis to get there. At 1:00 PM, they were cleaning the park, so we ordered food and drinks for everyone. At no point were we informed that the park wouldn't be open. When they finished cleaning and the girls had finished eating, we went to ask, and they told us that because there were birthday parties until 6:00 PM, they couldn't access the ball pit. A 5-hour wait to get in?!?!?!? Nowhere did it say it wouldn't be open, and we weren't informed when we ordered. The waitress overheard us telling the children that they were cleaning and that they could go in when they finished. The result: the girls were angry, and we wasted money on taxis and food. I'm very disappointed with this whole situation.

Johannes felt that ‘If you want the croissant in town then this is the place for you! My favourite Cafee in La linea’

On to the last McDonald’s in Spain.  3.5 stars, 3155 reviews. Yesterday Nataliaa was impressed. ‘I was delighted with the service. They helped me order on the screen, prepared my food very quickly and it was piping hot, the tables were spotless, not to mention the restrooms. When I couldn't find the restroom, one of the staff members pointed me in the right direction and even went out of his way to open the door for me. With such attentive staff, I'm always happy to return.’

We will end at the Passport Control Station - number 11 Winston Churchill Avenue. Three days ago Nicole declared No waiting time (March), quick and hassle-free. As an EU citizen, your ID card is still sufficient for a day trip. You simply don't go through the barrier, but past the inspector, show your ID, and can proceed.’

We will end here, gazing at the land of warm beer and chips.