Slice of heaven

My friends Helen and Rob moved to Sitges (pronounced seetjis) in October last year, and it is so nice to see the lifestyle they are creating in their beautiful villa surrounded by bougainvillea, vines and blue blue sky. At their farewell drinks in Auckland in August they were both so excited to be heading off on their new adventure, but nervous about how it would unfold. And I was weeks away from leaving NZ on my travels. Now here we all are! What a slice of paradise they have found, 45 minutes south of Barcelona, in the village of Sant Pere de Ribes, 10 minutes drive (or an hours wander along dry riverbeds) from Sitges beach which is truly beautiful. In the middle of winter the temperatures are so mild, I have been in a t shirt or lightweight layers every day, and rain is a rare thing. Wow. I arrived with some really bad food poisoning after eating dodgy mussels in Barcelona, and I am so pleased I was not traveling far, and that my hosts are angels, as they bundled me into their car and drove (swiftly) to their home, aimed me at a very comfy bed, and looked after me over the next couple of days while I slept it off. Once I felt more normal we have had such a lovely time, wandering into their village, and around Sitges, watching the sunset from their roof terrace, chatting, laughing, sharing meals, walking Asha (their gorgeous dog), spending time by the water, and chilling out. Magic. I feel topped up with goodness, and so lucky to know such lovely people. And while I love New Zealand, this would be a close second choice as a wonderful place to live. My friends are going to love it here so much.