Non-French TidbitsCeuta Spain

By Jim and Emmy Humberd

The ferryboat from Algeciras, Spain, across the Strait of Gibraltar to Ceuta, Spain, on the African Coast, was crowded and hot. Many Spanish citizens, and tourists, go to Ceuta to shop for radios, calculators and other items, in what is called a "Free Port," supposedly at less cost.

We were met at the dock by a very nice automobile, but found we were the only people in our tour. Our driver was OK, but not much of a tour guide. Since this was the off-season, he didn't do much except drop us off at a street corner in Ceuta and tell us to meet him there at such and such a time.

We walked along the harbor and looked at the town, the buildings, and the goods in the stores. We had recently purchased a small pocket calculator at Neiman Marcus, and found the same one here for more money. That's a bargain?

The tour guide picked us up as advertised and took us on a little sightseeing drive around the town. We then were driven to a Ceuta bus station where we joined people from other tours that also had few people, so there would be one bus for all.

When we got to the border with Morocco (Ceuta is still Spain, though we are on the Continent of Africa) it took a while for them to check our passports, but really no difficulties.

International politics is sometimes a funny thing. For some reason it didn't bother the Spaniards that they own Ceuta, located on the coast of Africa, and the town of Llivia, a twelve-square-mile piece of Spain completely surrounded by France.

Spain formally ceded Gibraltar to the British in 1713, and in 1967 the residents of Gibraltar voted by referendum to remain a British crown colony. The Government and people of Spain didn't like that so they closed off the Frontier from 1969 to 1985. Gibraltar has been besieged 15 times, but has held fast, and remains British to this day.

At the entrance to Gibraltar we could see the Spanish flag and soldiers on one side of the barricade, and the British flag and their guards beyond. Reminded us of Checkpoint Charlie at the Berlin Wall.

If we had wanted to visit the Rock of Gibraltar, we would have had to leave for there, from someplace other than Spain.

Books by Jim and Emmy Humberd:
Invitation to France
Invitation to Germany
Invitation to Italy

French Video Immersion