Like Chris @cruiser, I love to see homes around the world as we all live in different sorts of spaces, don't we? Here I see no front yards, but tidy walkways, and the houses of brick would be quiet inside I suspect! Here in California, we have ceramic tile roofs also, but because of the worry about the fires we sometimes have when the hot desert winds start to blow. They certainly last a long time, so they make good sense on such sturdy homes!