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Ever fantasize about living on an Island in the middle of an ocean? At some point you probably talked yourself out of it, believing that it would be too isolated, too expensive and too hot. According to Bill Strickland and Sam Palmer, the Portuguese island of Madeira, off the African coast, is none of those. Bill and Sam retired to the city of Funchal on Madeira in 2021 without ever having stepped foot on the island. The couple described Funchal as having the feel of an old European city, even though it is on an island and surrounded by beautiful mountainous land. It is no surprise that this archipelago has been called the Hawaii of Europe. Find out more about how Bill and Sam found their paradise, on Episode 89 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.
Bill Strickland was born and raised in Helena, Arkansas, a small Mississippi river town.
He graduated from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama and immediately went to work for a family owned textile business based in Alabama. His career developed in sales and marketing and after 34 years with this same company he retired in July, 2021 at 57 years old. He considers the most rewarding part of his career to be the required international travel which exposed him to people, ideas and ways of living that were well beyond his Southern experience. Bill has two adult children. His daughter lives in Paris, France and his son lives in Dallas, TX.
Bill enjoys travel, exploring new foods and cultural differences, getting lost on cobblestone streets and hiking in the mountains of Madeira.
Sam Palmer was born and raised in Selma, Alabama. He attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sam spent more than thirty years of his work life as a nonprofit executive in the arts and creative industries, retiring in July of 2021. He looks forward to traveling more, cooking unhurriedly, filling a sketchbook with doodles and exercising without realizing it.
