10 reasons why I like to live in my village

Recently a friend of mine asked me: “do you really like to live in this village? I mean, don’t you ever get bored?”
I think I told you earlier I live in a village which is 27 km south far from Granada and 30 km far from the Mediterranean coast. Its name is Durcal. Compared to the other villages of the valley here, called the Lecrin valley or also the valley of joy because of its many orchards (orange, lemon, almond and olive trees), it’s a not a pretty village. Most of its houses are modern. Its architecture is rather dull and boring and lacks the charm of the surrounding traditional little villages. Actually, it’s mainly a workers village but ....I like it because:

1) People say hello in the street with a smile. I don't care if they say things in my back. I experience that smiling many times a time is very good for one's morale. Parisians should definitely put it into practice.
2) When I go away and when I come back, people ask me right away: "But where were you? It’s a long time we haven't seen you...it’s nice to see you again". When I say people, I mean the girl working at the little supermarket, the guy who delivers the gas bottles, anyone…Of course, you might think : gee they're really inquisitive...but in the end, it's kind of nice to feel you have been missed.
3) There is a market every Wednesday where you can buy biological fruit and veggies.
4) People are relaxed and informal. If I don’t have enough cash with me to pay at the pharmacy, the bar, the newspaper shop, the hairdresser, it's absolutely ok to come back and pay the day after or following week. The trick is not to get used to it.
5) When it’s 1h30pm, nearly all the shops close except some at 2. Everybody goes home for lunch and I love, I just love the smell of grilled red peppers which very often floats in the air near my house.
6) My village is quite small but provides the services of a little town: shops, post office, cyber café, banks, pizza delivering, (sigh ,no Chinese takeaway yet or couscous or sushi) laundry cleaning, car cleaning, hair dresser, bars, bars and bars…and more bars.
7) There is an old cinema which always makes me think of Fellini's movie Amarcord. Tickets cost 3 €. Isn’t that cheap?
8) Sometimes on Sunday mornings or bank holidays, from my balcony, I can hear a horse trotting down the street. It's very pleasant. I’ve got the feeling to live in the past for a few seconds.
9) I’ve got a very special friend called Toby…He’s a gorgeous white Persian cat owned by the couple running the pet shop. Sometimes I just enter the shop to play with him.
10) I've got another very very special friend.....yes, I actually met Monchéri in my village but.. hem...this is another story!