Translation of singular in Spanish

It was really depressing, it seemed to be like being in the army where you are forced to get up in the middle of the night. Anyway, I do not like the winter in the city as much as I like it in the alps.
I interpret this as follows: It reflects the calm life without any hectic atmosphere. The life that these two are looking for (like they did before) is far away: Far away, beyond the river.
We paid for the taxi and waited thirty minutes for the driver to arrive. Again, Argentina reminded me of Italy. We drove into town and were looking for a place. The town made a great first impression.