Observing Spanish life on a beautiful Saturday in León makes us wish we could bring some of it back home with us.

The streets are full of people strolling – couples, groups of friends, and families. Friend groups might be young people, or adults, all men, all women, or mixed. Dogs (always well-behaved), kids in strollers, toddlers, parents and children (including adult children) walking arm-in-arm.

They may be shopping, or just looking in the windows, but mostly chatting. As the day wears on, the bars and cafes fill with people. They start with coffee and bread or pastry. That gives way to a beer or glass of wine and a snack. By 8 or later, more restaurants are open, and dinner starts.

León actually has a cold winter, more so than, say, Barcelona or Seville, so we don’t know what this looks like in the cold. But, on a glorious fall day like this, it looks like a very good way to live.