A town embedded by green hills with snowy peaks cascading into a crystal clear lake dotted with villages clinging close to the steep slopes. The stone buildings tightly aligned - dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries - embellished with frescoes and stucco decorations.
An area where - when the sun sets - the bird twitter is still more present than the traffic and the air quality is measured in terms of pollen not pollution.
A community that still greets you with a "Bun Dì" even though they don't know you. Cars stop for pedestrians with a smile and a hand gesture, the odd old boy cheers you on when you jog past and the postman leaves packages on your doorstep not worrying about them being stolen.
A town where you can still spot cows when you look out of the window and hear the church bells chime every hour.
It is a peaceful world where the stress of Paris dissolves in an instant. Where aggressiveness is replaced by courtesy and arrogance by discipline.
It is easy to slither into this comfortable lifestyle but ... then again ... I would miss the vibes of a bustling metropole.
