Through small villages. The road surfaces are excellent. How they maintain the high mountain pass roads is a real tribute to thoroughness. No problem riding them, though. The good surface is very confidence inducing.
Every window has a flower box.
It's all just masses of bright, clear color. Cutting hay in the fields is women's work in Europe. Everywhere I saw women in skirts scything the grass. In the winter the citizens bring the livestock into a closed-in area underneath the house. It's fragrant, but it keeps the animals warm during the cold spells.