They wanted a change of lifestyle.  They were living in the SF Bay Area and were both tired of the high cost of living, the lack of vacation time and not being able to shake the feeling that they simply could not afford to retire there.  He is Italian by birth so at first they wanted to move to Italy but they decided not to in order to give them both a new experience.  They chose Spain because of its weather and infrastructure.  They did an exploratory trip to Barcelona and liked it but didn't fall in love with it.  They did fall in love with Sitges.   When quarantine came they took the opportunity to move to Sitges.  There were several deciding factors, being on the beach, in a smaller town, with a vibrant gay and food scene.  Sitges offered them the more tranquil life they were looking for.

Leo is an Italian citizen so they have the right to live and work in Spain.  For Leo, the immigration process was easy, it took less than 10 minutes but for Bill, his partner, it took over 6 months.  

Sitges

Quick facts

Sitges is a coastal town in Spain's Catalonia region, southwest of Barcelona, backed by the mountainous Parc Natural del Garraf. It's known for its Mediterranean beaches and seafront promenade lined with grand mansions. The compact old town and surrounding streets are filled with shops, restaurants, and many gay bars and nightclubs. The Maricel Museum and Cau Ferrat Museum showcase Catalan and other Spanish art. 

Area: 16.91 mi²

Population: 28,969 (2018) Instituto Nacional de Estadística

Province: Barcelona

Mayor:

Support the show

If you enjoy these podcasts, please make a donation by clicking the coffee cup on any page of our website www.wheredogaysretire.com. Each cup of coffee costs $5 and goes towards bringing you these podcasts in the future.

If you or you know someone who is interested in being a guest on the podcast, please contact me at [email protected].

Please join our Where Do Gays Retire Facebook group at Where Do Gays Retire? | Facebook

Thank you so much for listening!