One Day In Sitges...

...is NOT Enough!

Plan more time in this wonderful seaside city! We had allowed for a day trip to Sitges during our trip to Barcelona, but once we arrived, we realized that we should have booked at least a three day visit. Even in the Fall, the sky was clear and blue, and the water was warm. Less busy than in the summer months, the beaches were alive but not crowded. And you can’t say enough about the scenery! Located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Coastal Mountain Range, Sitges, with its more than 4km of white sand beaches, is one of the most naturally beautiful cities I have visited.

A favorite with Europeans, Sitges is an international city with a significant portion of its population coming from the Netherlands, England, France and Scandinavia. Sitges for me was a combination of all that is wonderful about Miami Beach (South Beach) and Palm Springs, California. Like Palm Springs, it has over 300 days of sunshine a year; and like Miami, it has wonderful beaches! The real bonus here is that (like Palm Springs) it is also a favorite gay destination and the significant gay presence is always evident (and most evident during the summer months when the nightlife here truly becomes electric).

Say It Isn’t So!

It is inevitable. Vacations end. Usually, I am ready to return home after a week or so away. But I have to tell you. This trip was an exception to that rule! We’d planned to spend two days in London as we made our way back to the US, and, while we both love London, we were just not ready to leave Spain. Alas, there was nothing we could do to change our plans. The flight and hotel were booked and we had plans to meet a friend in London. So we packed our suitcases and resigned ourselves to the fact that we must leave. We arrived in London late in the afternoon. A bit weary, we decided to have some “down time,” resting and watching television.

Flipping the channels, we found a British show that matched couples with their “dream” home, and as fate would have it, the wife wanted a home in Spain! As we watched, the show explored villas and haciendas in charming little towns and villages along the Spanish coast (which were surprisingly affordable). We looked at each other and smiled, thinking we actually could afford to retire to Spain one day. It was then and there that we made a vow to one day return to find our place in the Spanish sun. And to this very day, it remains our dream. One day, when you visit Barcelona and find yourself in love as we are with the impossible beauty and warmth of this lovely city; remember, we warned you.

Vaya con Dios mi Amigo!