Just about every village or even hamlet has a playground, and our small community, part of the village of Valbonne but a few kilometers away from it, is no exception. These playgrounds are funded by the local communities, and they are costly to maintain because kids are incredibly rough on things. Sadly, every once in a while, there is also an incident of vandalism, and the town just fixes whatever damage there is. This particular playground is located on top of a small wooded hill behind our house, less than two minutes from our front door. There are paved tracks (in the sun as well as in the shade) where kids can learn to ride a bike, and there is a small ball field for those too old for the playground. There are no cars! In short: a great place to raise children...