My village still has a taste of innocence and.....i've been tagged

My village is not exactly pretty. It doesn't have the charm of the small picturesque villages nearby in the valley, surrounded by lemon and orange groves, but I call it home now. "But you are too parisienne to live here!", say my friends. I thought that too when I first moved in the village and little by little I came to like it and even miss it a lot whenever I'm away.

I have a weakness, I'm a sentimental person. It's in this village that I met Monchéri. Of course, meeting in Paris would have been romantic. Here, I like wandering through the narrow streets, smiling when I recognize a special spot where we kissed or had a stupid lover's quarrel.

Monchéri thinks we should move. We were discussing it the other day and he asked me what is it I like exactly about the village.

The first image which came to my mind is my neighbour next door wearing an apron and carrying some food to her daughter who lives two streets away. At lunch hour, between 1.30 pm and 2 pm, there's not a soul in the streets and most often there's a wonderful smell of grilled pepper or puchero (Andalusian stew) floating in the air.

I like this tranquillity, the absence of rush which sometimes is comical or absurd. Last week, as I was queuing up at the bank, one of the clerks got up and left his desk, saying placidly to the people waiting: bueno, ahora voy a desayunar, vuelvo enseguida. (I'm going to have breakfast, be back in a little while). And nobody protested. The man got hungry, it was 11 in the morning and the sandwich hour is sacred.

The siesta hour also is sacred. I must say I love it.

At the beginning I found people quite inquisitive. It often happened that someone would stop me in the street only to ask where I come from. Especially elderly people...it is quite touching in fact. When I tell them I'm French, most often, they would say , ah Francia, estuve alli para trabajar...(ah France, I went there to work) and then we would start some conversation in French.

Like in most Andalusian villages, people say hello in the street, usually with a smile. It does make a huge difference.

I like this friendly atmosphere even if it remains superficial.

It is still very rural here although there is little money to earn for the local fruit producers. Now and then I see one of my neighbors, an old man, carrying wood or vegetables, on his mule, from the field. It moves me in a way as I realize he might be one of the last persons trotting on his mule through the village.

Mis queridos, I could go on a bit more on the subject but it's getting late and I need to eat !

a neighbor last summer in my street

another neighbor on his mule

Also Cynthia tagged me and I thought at least I should show some blogging good will before the end of the year…I actually feel bad, because I’ve been tagged before but never did my act. I promise to the people who tagged me to do so in the next year (I just have to find out what the tag was about)

Cynthia’s tag is easy and amusing : quote 6 random things about you

1) it’s nearly midnight here and until now, I keep "reliving" the dream I had last night. Do you know this sensation, when you're having a pleasant dream and don't want to wake up? Briefly, in this dream, I walk in an empty city street. I can see myself and I wear a very pretty white lace night gown and one white glove on my right hand. I pass by an imposing white building (palladian style) which is a very chic store displaying enormous sculptures all in pale green shade. Why only one glove ? It feels both pleasant and unpleasant to walk outdoors in a night gown. I feel like being in a Chirico painting. There is no brand on the store but in my dream, I tell myself it's a Hermès shop. Then I find myself in some very large stairs which are in fact like miniature houses. Each step has a flower garden and I slowly descend this amazing stairs in ravishment until the alarm clock starts to ring. Shit..

2) when I was a student I used to write down my dreams and send them to a dream analyst. I have very vivid memories of some dreams I made in my childhood. Here is one : enormous pink bubble gums bursting in the sky.

3) I thought I was a foodie. Well I am, but in reality I prefer to eat a simple burger prepared by Monchéri with an ordinary beer. We still contemplate making a reservation at El Bulli though. I know…it’s a snobby thing..

4) I love learning languages. I still have to improve my Spanish though, I'm trying to read La Casa Verde by Mario Vargas LLosa and find it difficult. At school, my 2^nd language was German, after English and Latin. I love the words das Schicksal (fate). I also like to scare people, saying : ich bin Teüflich (i'm devilish)….rolling my eyes and waving my hands high in the air. But that's about all alas for German, I wasn't too good at it. I also think Latin is a must.

5) I realize I never told you about my design activity. I will in a proper post. (sorry, now i'm hungry and sleepy!).

6) From the blog, you would have guessed that I’m very much in love with my boyfriend. He inspires me a lot. I even thought of creating a blog especially about him but naturally, it’s a total no-no…and who would be interested anyway? just me I guess....ain't I pathetic...

I actually enjoyed this tag !! thanks Cynthia !!