Modern Ceuta has a population of around 84,000 inhabitants. It has a geographical area of 18.5 square kilometres, roughly 7.1 square miles. Not exactly large, but the territory sits at a strategic 'choke-point', to use military terminology. Ceuta is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the north and east, the Atlantic Ocean and Morocco on the northwest and south. Looking at a map, the distance from Ceuta to Gibraltar is only 28 kilometres — about 17 miles across the sea. Hence, the beady eyes of the Phoenicians, those pesky Romans, the ancient Arab Caliphates and the Berbers of old fell upon this tiny piece of territory.
Across the centuries, what we now call Ceuta changed hands many times, was destroyed and rebuilt. In 1415, it was annexed by Portugal. After 1580, Cetua became part of the Hispanic Monarchy, in other the Spanish monarchy. In the 17th Century, it became a province of Cadiz and finally, in 1995, it became an autonomous settlement. I'll let my journal take you through the city...
SPANISH SCRIBBLINGS
'There's a quietness about this place that is very welcoming after the noise and bustle of the last port. The traffic even stops and remains stationary when you come to a zebra crossing. The walk from the port area into town is very pleasant, with the marina skirted by a wide road lined with palm trees. The sea breeze is quite chilly today.
'As I meander through the streets, the mix of architectural styles is eclectic. Old Spanish and Portuguese colonial buildings stand next to modern apartment blocks. The squares are pedestrianised with carefully tended planters in full flower despite the weather I'm used to at this time of year in England. I turn another corner and I'm met with the strong angularity of the Marinid Walls built by Abu Sa'id Uthman 2 in 1328. Another ancient building houses a typical Roman arch, and as I make my way out towards the road that runs along the seaboard, I encounter the navigable moats that surround Royal Walls and their battlements. A careful look shows that some parts of the walls are as old as the first century, while other parts are much later, 17th- and 18th-century additions and replacements. As I continue my uninterrupted stroll, I come across a monument to the artillery that protected the territory in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. A fabulous piece of modern sculpture that captures the look and feel of battle from that time...'
'Before I leave, there are two things that I know I must capture. The entrance to the port of Ceute has a statue of Hercules on a promontory of the dock. Here, Hercules is flanked by two pillars, which he is pulling inwards. On a raised area in the town on the other side of the dock, a second statue shows Hercules in a pose where he is pushing the pillars apart. This statue is surrounded by plants, trees, and fellow passengers. All four of them, chatting away right in front of the statue. I'm not the only visitor with a camera poised, ready to get that shot. But the chatterers just keep on talking, oblivious to the growing number of camera addicts like me! Another lady joins me, and we start a conversation of our own as we patiently wait for the chatterers to move. Ten minutes later, my new friend decides to give up. Stoic that I am, I move a little further forward and make a great play of lining up my shot. Then I move left and line up another shot, and then right for a third. I dig around in my bag for my notebook and pen.
As I'm about to approach the chatterers, to ask them for their names so that I can state who they are when I sell the pic to a newspaper, they start to depart, waving as they tear themselves away from their conversation...'
I did get my shot - see left. As I returned to the spot I'd decided would give me the best aspect, I was joined by another photographer with a seriously good Pentax and a tripod.
'Well done,' he said. 'I'd already been waiting twenty minutes before you arrived.' I just smiled.
The second place I wanted to see was the avenue lined with statues and monuments dedicated to the great and good from across the centuries. Yes, I did get some shots, but my time was limited, and the sun was not in the right aspect. I guess that's an excuse to go back and spend more time there.
If you want to read more of my exploits outside of France, then check out the following links : Cadiz Casablanca and Cairo
