Gerrit(75)

My wife passed away when I was 71. For two years I sat alone in our house in Leeuwarden, looked out the window at the rain and ate microwave meals. My daughter in Alkmaar was worried. My neighbor — a Frisian who had lived in Torrevieja for ten years — said: "Gerrit, come stay for a month." That month became the rest of my life.

Torrevieja has the largest Dutch community in Spain. There are thousands of Dutch people, two Dutch supermarkets, a Dutch GP practice, and even a Dutch-language newspaper. For someone of 73 who doesn't speak Spanish, that was the safety net I needed. I didn't have to figure everything out alone.

Healthcare was my biggest concern. Through the S1 form from the SVB I'm registered in the Spanish health system. My Centro de Salud in Torrevieja has a doctor who speaks basic English. For my heart medication — atorvastatin and bisoprolol — I pay €6 per month here with the tarjeta sanitaria. The Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja is modern and within ten minutes by bus. My hip replacement last year was arranged within three months.

My apartment in the urbanización La Siesta — two bedrooms, communal pool, five minutes walk from the salt flats — costs €650 per month. The neighborhood is safe and quiet, with mainly Northern European retirees. The weekly Friday market is a social event where I meet my Dutch and British neighbors.

Financially I manage fine with my AOW of €1,350 and a small ABP pension of €350 per month. In Leeuwarden almost everything went to fixed costs. Here I save €200 per month. Energy costs are lower — no heating needed from April to November — and groceries are cheaper. My daughter flies every two months for €80 return with Ryanair to Alicante.

What I want to say to other elderly people who are hesitating: age is not a barrier. Yes, it's exciting at 73. Yes, you miss your grandchildren (but they love visiting). And yes, the bureaucracy is tough without Spanish. But the warmth, the outdoor life and the community saved me from a lonely existence in Friesland. I'm now 75 and I feel ten years younger. The sun works wonders.