11 October 2026

Greetings from Sitges Spain.

I’ve been quiet the last few weeks, fighting off a tenacious cold. I’m slowly getting better.

I came to Sitges for the long weekend. In Spanish, we call this a “puente,” literally, “a bridge.” As it turns out, Friday was Valencia’s Annual Holiday, celebrating the conquest of the city in 1238 by King James I, when he drove out the Moors and claimed the city for the Christians. And Monday is Spain’s National Holiday, celebrating what we in the US used to call, “Columbus Day.” The four-day weekend was the perfect excuse to get away and see a city I hadn’t seen.

More on my weekend after a few fun pics.

So, Sitges is a coastal town near Barcelona, known for being a fun, gay friendly city. I’ve had a lot of US friends who have visited here. But I never had. After a busy summer hosting Couchsurfers and friends, I decided that the “puente” was a good excuse to see a place I hadn’t seen.

I arrived in Thursday evening, after taking the train to Barcelona, changing trains and coming to Sitges. I’m staying with Alain and Nicolas, a delightful gay couple that was I found on line. They gave a lovely apartment outside the city with a comfortable guest room and private bath.

They’re about a ten-fifteen minute walk to the beach.

On Friday morning, at Nicholas’s suggestion, I walked between the beach and the railway tracks, all the way to the city (about 90 minutes). It’s s lovely walk.

After arriving at the Passeig de Maritime, I met a couple famous local painters from the 19th Century.

I toured the Cau Ferrat and Maricel

Museums, with their collections of works including Rusinol, Casas and many others through the ages.

I walked past the church to the port.

Then, came back to town and enjoyed a delicious lunch.

After walking almost 16 kilometers (nearly 10 miles), I was done for the day. I took an Uber home, took a nap and stayed home the rest of the night. Nicolas and Alain invited me to join them for dinner, with salad and a homemade quiche. It was a lively conversation, very typically French with animated voices. I felt honored to be a part of their world.

Saturday was a beach day.

That evening was the annual zombie crawl. I joined the guys for that.

Afterwards, I had tickets to Queenz Cabaret, a high class drag show. It really was one of the best that I’ve seen. The food, the choreography and the music were top-rate. The music went from Marilyn Monroe to Cher to Tina Turner to today.

Today, Sunday, I was back at the beach. Afterwards, I returned to the apartment, cleaned up and went into town for a delicious dinner at an a Italian restaurant. I window shopped, had a fun conversation with one shop attendant from Brazil, stopped for a cocktail and then returned home.

Tomorrow, back up Valencia.