A ferry horn carries across the harbour while thick coffee cools on the table. By midday the shutters close and the shade belongs to cats and card players. In the evening whole families walk out to eat late and talk until the street lamps hum.

The weather is mostly Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers, mild and rainy winters, and snowier air in the inland mountains. Spring and autumn are gentle for walking and sailing, while midsummer asks for early starts. A Local Friend tells you when to go early and when to linger, so the same beach or village square feels different at breakfast than at sunset.