Monday, January 15, 2024 – Tarifa, Spain
Jan 17th, 2024 by rallyadmin
The four of us pile into Clemo’s Freelander and head off to Gibraltar. Angela and Paul have set up an appointment with an employee of Paul’s who has a side hustle working on old Land Rovers.
He, Paul’s employee, says that he problem is the diesel fuel leaking past the piston rings and diluting the engine oil. That, in turn, leads to the engine oil overheating and the engine shutting down until the oil temperature sensor is happy again. The plan is to change the oil, and put in some magic sauce that supposedly has magnetic particles the will seal the rings and prevent further leakage. He’s adamant that this is the solution to the Freelander problem
We have to me him in a parking garage at the foot of the Rock of Gibraltar in a public, free parking garage. This is he work shop apparently and he’ll do he oil change while we do the tourist thing at the Rock. Off we go.
Gibraltar is UK soil and we are in Spain. That means that we have to emigrate out of Spain and immigrate into the UK at the border between Spain and Gibraltar. We drive from Tarifa, through Algeciras and La Linea to the border, go through exit customs, drive 50 feet (this must be the world’s smallest no mans land) to the Gibraltar border, clear UK immigration customs and head off in search of the parking garage.
At the border, the Rock is an enormous peak off in the distance on an island. The road to the town proper used to cross the airport runway with traffic being occasionally stopped for arriving or departing jets. Now there is a tunnel under the runway. Onthe other side we take a right and in a kilometer or so, find the garage and head up to the first level (2nd level for US readers) and look for the mechanic.
We can’t find him and just as Clemo is about to call him, he pulls up and leads us to a specific parking area where he does his work. The particular slot that he directs Clemo into is stained with old oil. We are not his first customer. He and Clemo discuss again what the symptoms are and what he’s going to do to fix the problem. He’s adamant that that the leaking diesel is the problem and his fix will solve the problem. “Meanwhile, go over to Casement Square and have lunch. I’ll call you.” Clemo gives him the keys to the Freelander and we leave in search of Casement Square.
It’s about a kilometer walk to the square which is in the old area that was once the fortified area of Gibraltar. It’s the entrance to the Main street of the old area and is populated primarily by shops and restaurants. We stop in a fish and chips restaurant for lunch, The food isn’t much to write about but the fish is a battered one half of some white fish complete with tail. Not the usual fare for a fish and chips joint but it’s nice to have a few hours of just sitting around with nowhere to drive.
It’s a nice warm afternoon. We walk up the Main street window shopping. Elaine is looking for some shampoo and we are looking for some liquor for the trip south. We stop in a spirit shop for some duty free liquor, Sapphire for me, Cuban rum for Pinky, a couple of bottles of coconut flavored rum for the Clemos This is a tradition for Pinky.
Pinky is leading us to a bar that serves Guinness stout on tap. Every time he’s been in Gibraltar he’s stopped here for a pint and this time is no exception. We find the bar, take a table on the street and relax in the sun light while Pinky orders the drinks. He and I are having stout, Elaine is having a glass of white wine and Clemo is having a soft drink. When the Guinness comes, the pint looks like it had bee poured yesterday. And sip doesn’t do anything to dissuade me. It’s terrible and Elaine’s wine isn’t much better.
Pinky finally fesses up: this bar is known for the worst Guinness anywhere in the world. It’s actually a tourist destination for its bad beer. It certainly lives up to its reputation. It was awful!
We start slowly walking back to the parking garage. I had wanted to ride the cable car to the top of the Rock but the cable car was closed. The only way to the top was to walk through the nature preserve that clings to the side of massive. I’m not up for a long uphill walk and the 18 pound entry fee completely turns me off. The summit and the monkeys up there will have to wait for another trip.
We get back to the parking garage and the mechanic is finished with Clemo’s Freelander and is already working on another Land Rover, a Discovery. He comes over and tells Clemo everything he’s done including cleaning all the spilled oil from the top of the engine. It looks like a new engine. Some final instructions, Clemo pays him and we’re on our way back to Tarifa.
Out through UK customs, in through Spanish customs and back to Meson de Sancho. Some time off until dinner at 8’ish. After dinner, a few drinks with Angela and Paul and the to be.
Tomorrow the ferry to Tangier
Obi-wan