Hellos rarely stay short here. A hello on the street becomes a chat, the chat moves to a café terrace, and soon someone has found you a chair and something warm to drink. Mountains rise close behind the sea, so a morning swim and an afternoon among cool highland forests can share the same day.

The coast has a Mediterranean climate, with dry, warm summers and mild, wetter winters, while the northern mountains turn cold and snowy. A Local Friend can introduce you to their own neighbourhood, and the corner where everyone knows each other starts to feel like yours.