Off to Sitges for Humanity

As most of you know, I have done a lot of volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity. Each year they have a big gala to raise money for building homes. For the past couple of years I have done the décor for the event. Because I was sailing, I was unable to help this year. So I offered to use my boat and a week on the coast of Spain as an auction item. It ended up being the highest paid auction item of the event. Last week, the couple that won the auction came to claim their prize. They came a few days early and spent some time in Barcelona exploring the wonders of the city. We met together late Saturday and planned out our week. The next day we set sail for Casteldefels, a small coastal town just south of Barcelona. It was a typical coastal Spanish village with whitewashed houses and colorful fishing boats. The town was just a short walk away from the port and the castle up on the hill was a long walk. The Wades were up for the challenge of exploring the castle in the early afternoon. It wasn’t until long after dark before they returned to the boat. The next day we sailed off to Sitges

Just a couple of hours further up the coast is the town of Sitges. It is the main weekend get-away resort town for Barcelona. And it is one of the most popular gay destinations in Europe. In the summer, the beaches sprout colorful umbrellas and the sand is carpeted with bronze tan bodies stretched out on festive towels. Restaurants are bustling with activity and the streets are a tide of people. This time of year however, it is a shadow of itself and there is not a speedo to be seen. It feels more like a lazy Sunday morning before anyone is out of bed. A few strollers, and shops that half-heartily open late in the afternoon. Some don’t even bother to do that. But the beauty that made this a popular beach town is still there. The cathedral right on the edge of the surging sea, three museums, cobblestone streets and stone-crafted architecture seduce you into its charm. There are a lot of gay bars, restaurants and hotels. Like most of Europe, nothing opens before 10pm and don’t even bother to show up before midnight. I am still trying to adjust to this lifestyle time change. The last night I am determined to go to one of the clubs. So I wait until about 10 and open the door. My resolve quickly dissolves with the freezing wind and light rain. I head back to the warmth of my boat for a good movie and a nights sleep. I am definitely going to have to revisit Sitges when it warms up a bit.

The next day the Wades decided to go to Tarragona. It is too far to go by boat in the short week that we have together, so they hop on a train and make an overnight adventure of it. It gives me a great opportunity to soak up Sitges and hang out at the port. The week passes by in lightning speed and soon we are heading back to Barcelona.

I am getting comfortable with Barcelona. Working on my Spanish in the morning, going to the gym, taking care of business and working on the computer. I met a guy who lives in Sitges that is from Denver. Alex has been here a couple of years. He works in a gay bar and is part owner in the one next door. We got together for lunch. Alex tells me he is headed to Berlin for a couple of days. There is an airline called Clickair that has insane pricing to the major cities in Europe. Most of the tickets are 20 euro including all the taxes and fees. It doesn’t take much to talk me into joining him. The plane leaves in a couple of hours so we go back to the boat, I throw a backpack together with a few clothes while he books the ticket on the internet and off we go.