Gibraltar's 'Spanish' market

GIBRALTAR (Extracted from EuropaSur) Renovation of the public market on Fish Market Lane in Gibraltar is still ongoing. The building, which dates back to the early XX Century, has been refurbished considerably, inside and out, although there are still things to be done, according to architect Karl Viagas. The aim is to preserve the building's architectural integrity and the stall holders, mainly Spanish, are very happy with its progress. Most of the owners and workers are, indeed, Spanish, so it's not surprising to see a large proportion of the produce coming from across the border. Many of the signs are in Spanish, too. The renovations so far have made this centrl market a much more pleasant place.>

The exterior has been painted in orange and brown, for instance, and the floors inside, one of the more troublesome areas from the start, have been completely changed. The place now looks clean and smart; a pleasure to shop there.

José Antonio Montero is in charge of a stall selling fresh and frozen fish that comes from Spain and other places such as Morocco. The shop has been in the market for three years, so this is the first renovation Montero has seen. "The clients are really nice and friendly," he says. "Everything is so much better now."

Tania Álvarez, of La Línea, is of the same opinion. She works at a fruit and vegetable stall, where she says it was "difficult to work" before the renovations because "it was in a very bad state."

Butcher Marcos González's family have had a stall here since 1995, also bringing in their meat from Spain, fresh and frozen. He qualifies his appreciation of the work carried out thus far, particularly about the electricity, by adding that "more could be done to attract people" to the market. "More parking spaces are needed, so that people can come in, shop and drive away," he says.