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Peter Edgerton
Malaga
Friday, 7 February 2025, 16:06
Sometimes, when the sheer speed of growth and change that the city of Malaga is undergoing causes my eyeballs to swivel in their sockets and the soles of my feet to sweat uncontrollably, I'll take refuge in a lovely web page that I discovered recently. It's called Vente A Vivir A Un Pueblo (Come To Live In A Village).
There's a veritable treasure trove of delightful Spanish villages on the site, many of which offer employment, very affordable gorgeous houses and some quite spectacular scenery. Some even offer grants towards the costs of people wanting to move there. It's all very tempting.
As with all of these things, if you're in two minds, it's a good idea to draw up a list of pros and cons to help you come to a healthy decision. Here goes.
First, the advantages of living in a city. Well, it's big. This means that if you make a fool of yourself anywhere at any given point, you can subsequently skulk about in the shadows and avoid all witnesses for any length of time necessary. In a village, if you make one mistake you either have to flee immediately under cover of night or be put in the stocks for an afternoon while the locals hurl rotten vegetables at your sorry visage.
Cities also have lots of places to dine out, offering a vast array of international cuisine on your doorstep. In the village, you may, after a while, become overwhelmed with an irrepressible sense of ennui when faced with yet another plate of Ana's lentils, tasty as they may be.
Transport is another issue. Again, cities win hands down because there's normally everything you need available within a twenty minute stroll. If you live in a village, however, planning a trip to the supermarket in the nearest big town is something which needs to be approached with military precision because it usually consists of a long walk and a long wait and a long bus journey and another long walk, all to be repeated on your return. One false move and you're obliged to reenact the whole manoeuvre. It's all very well remembering to buy the baguette but if you forget the butter, the only use you'll have for the bread will be to beat yourself about the head with it for hours on end in a prolonged fit of profound self-loathing.
And yet. The thing is, villages have an infinite and indefinable charm. The sense of community is heart-warming, the nosy neighbours are, in fact, the greatest security system known to man and the clean, fresh air and irresistible views can be quite breathtaking.
For now, though, I think I'll stick with the city and gaze dreamily upon magical villages high on the Galician coast.
Oh, and count my lucky stars.
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