Worldwide Travel

[#1]

Traveling to popular tourist destinations during the off-season can be delightful, even if the weather isn’t perfect. With fewer tourists, not only are prices cheaper but the opportunity to see and do things without hordes of people is wonderful. And without crowds clamoring for attention, the locals often have more time to explain things in detail or to provide an engaging experience, which is exactly what happened to me in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar is charming. Even in the off-season, the mild weather, dramatic scenery, friendly, English-speaking people, and quaint narrow streets make it a pleasant place to visit. That first morning after taking the obligatory trip to the top of the Rock, having my picture taken with the Barbary Apes, and riding the funicular down to the town, I enjoyed an interesting English-Mediterranean lunch before setting off to explore the stores in the area.

Near the entrance to the shopping area, I noticed a glass shop with a pair of port wine glasses displayed in the window. Since we had just bought port wine in Portugal, I decided to go into the store and buy the port wine glasses—if they weren’t too expensive. But I found more than just a store full of gorgeous glass pieces; there was also a small museum that traced the history of glassblowing and a studio with glassblowers making the pieces sold in the shop.

I soon realized I was the only person there—not too surprising since it was off-season. The friendly woman behind the counter happily chatted with me to pass the time, and explained that the company was owned by two families who wanted to preserve the art of glassblowing by providing handmade and custom-made pieces. She then invited me to visit the studio to watch a glassblower at work and accompanied me there.

She introduced me to Stuart, one of the glassblowers, and explained what he was doing, step-by-step. As I watched, Stuart delicately balanced the temperature of the glass by moving it in and out of the very hot ovens as he blew and shaped the piece. After a while, the woman excused herself and went back to the shop while I stood and watched Stuart working the glass in awe.

As he finished the beautiful, brilliant green vase he was working on and placed it in the cooling oven, he graciously answered all my questions about glassblowing. I told him how much I loved the port wine glasses and how I would treasure them now that I had seen how and where they were made. He smiled and asked me if I liked green and I told him it was my favorite color. As I stood there watching, he made a paperweight with the same brilliant green glass swirling inside clear glass—and told me it was a gift from him to me! Since the paperweight had to slowly cool or it would crack, he told me to come back in a few hours to pick it up.

When I returned to the studio later, Stuart had the paperweight boxed and ready for me to take home. It now sits in the credenza in our dining room along with the port wine glasses. Every time I look at them, I’m reminded of my wonderful experience—in off-season Gibraltar.