monkeys and a little sag paneer………..

I have to admit that for many years I could not comprehend why so many people got all worked up about visiting Gibraltar.  Was it the stamp in the passport (that you don’t get anymore), the view of North Africa, or the monkeys stealing their potato chips???  I’m truly passionate about the places that I visit on tour, but it took me years to warm up to Gibraltar.  My first memories involve a temperature as hot as hell with humidity, being crammed into taxis and shuttled up to the top of the rock to have a Chevy Chase like view of Africa, a quick stumble through a cave and then hassled by some monkeys before heading down to Casemates Square for lunch.   I always spent the entire visit dreaming about the next stop on tour, the beach, where I could recharge my batteries a bit and have a swim in the water instead of just looking at it from a rock.  And the Costa del Sol is definitely not lacking in fish n chips if someone really had a hankering.

Many many years have passed since those first visits to the rock.  And at some point my perception changed and I began to appreciate this quirky and unusual bit of the peninsula.  The people from Gibraltar are known as Juanitos.  They are laid back, interesting and always open to a nice chat.  I’ve had some great taxi drivers who were like walking history books.  They have shared their family history with me along with some great anecdotes about Gibraltar.  I’ve enjoyed some amazing conversations with more than a few Juanitos in their mixture of Spanish and English, not that different from my own way of speaking.  The monkeys are adorable.  It is pretty difficult to dislike a monkey butt.

My friend Todd shared a gastronomical secret spot with me many years ago.  It is now one of my favorite places to eat on the entire peninsula.  Really.  I love Spanish food but I truly suffer at times without spice and hot peppers.  My body needs it, craves it and basically cannot live without it. Introducing Mumtaz!! Mumtaz is a tiny, hole in the wall take-away Indian restaurant tucked away off of Main Street.  It has two plastic tables, a few chairs and the best damn Indian food I’ve had in a long time.  I eat here every time I go to the Rock and enjoy every bite.  The sad part, is that I’m always alone which means I have to be limited to one dish with a bread.  I’ve slowly been eating my way through the menu.  Tour by tour.  On my last visit I indulged in a great Sag Paneer, a chapati and an ice cold Cobra as I read an article about Mumtaz in some Gibraltarian magazine. I can’t wait to go back!