Three years ago, Petra Wessels (59) took the big step. Together with her husband Bianco she moved from Zoetermeer to Spain. “It has been our dream for a long time.”
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A small hectare with olive trees, a private swimming pool and all the peace and quiet in the world: former Zoetermeer resident Petra and her husband Bianco have done well. “We viewed seven houses. When we saw this house, we fell in love immediately.”
Dream for later
The dream of moving abroad had been with the couple for a long time. Petra: “We had been talking about it for years, we were thinking about Greece or Spain. However, it was always a dream for later, for after our retirement. Then the corona pandemic broke out and we both got the chance to stop working early. We also lost a number of friends during this period, as well as my parents, to the virus. This made us realize that we should not wait to do what we wanted to do. After all, you never know how many good years you have left.”
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Peace and quiet
The couple sold their belongings and moved in 2021. Petra and Bianco have now lived for about three years in Caspe, a village in the Spanish province of Zaragoza, about an hour and a half drive from the coast. “It’s very quiet here. If two cars and a tractor pass by in one day, it’s already a lot. Yet we are never bored for a moment. We work leisurely in the vegetable garden and practice the Spanish language.” Family and friends from the Netherlands regularly visit. “They love it here too. When they see where we ended up, they understand our choice, even though they sometimes had a hard time with our departure at first.”
No one here asks about your work
New friends
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Petra and Bianco have now also built up a new circle of friends and acquaintances. “We met some Dutch people on a terrace and then the ball started rolling. We now have a nice group of friends, mainly Dutch. Somehow you still look for each other.” Petra and Bianco are also very positive about Spanish culture. Petra: “I sometimes find the traditional relationships between men and women around us difficult, but otherwise I really like it. I feel like there is less stress here. People work to live and not the other way around. Here no one will ask you what you do for work, which is very different from in the Netherlands.”
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Who is the next Zoetermeer of the week?
Do you also have a special story? Or do you know a Zoetermeer resident who we really should interview? Let us know via [email protected]. Many Zoetermeer residents preceded you.