Early on a mountain road, the loudest sound is often a kettle coming to the boil. Terraced slopes fall away toward the coast, and between villages there are long stretches of quiet where you can hear your own footsteps. Then a door opens and the silence gives way to plates of food passed from hand to hand.

The climate is Mediterranean, with warm dry summers, cool rainy winters and snow on the higher peaks. Spring and autumn feel gentler, ideal for walks and long lunches outdoors. A Local Friend tells you when to set out early and when to linger over a last coffee.