They met in California back in the 1970s when they were both 18 and went on to marry at the age of 21. Over five decades later, Randy Allen and Cindy Harding Nannarelli from the US are both living in Italy with their husbands. In fact, the two couples’ homes in Noto, Sicily are located just a short distance from each other. “We share a lot of meals together and also a lot of friends too,” Randy, a former realtor, tells CNN Travel.

Randy and Cindy’s longstanding relationship began when they “dated for about a year” back when they were teenagers. “I met a boy and came out,” Randy adds. “And Cindy decided to still be my friend.” According to Randy, he and Cindy realized how much they meant to each other after spending a few months apart, and “both kind of proposed to each other, even though she knew I was gay.”