I am a Greeter in San Lorenzo in Banale.

Every time I watch The Wizard of Oz, I smile at Dorothy, the curious little girl who understands that no place is as beautiful as home.

I feel the same way now that I am a retired grandmother with more time to travel and walk in the mountains. But I always return to my window, where my gaze wanders to my mountains: the Tre Cime del Bondone, Cima Sèra, Valandro, Piz and Gazza enchant me every time.

Today's San Lorenzo is no longer the town of my youth, but it lives on in my memories and black and white photos: four bars, three butchers, a petrol station, a cinema where I worked as a cashier, a laundrette with a tailor. I remember my mother, a tireless seamstress, and my father, a lorry driver and trader. Those were simple times, but full of life.

I think fondly of the carnivals, the floats built with enthusiasm and imagination: the one dedicated to Professor Barnard's first heart transplant is unforgettable. Those memories take me back to Ivo, my husband, who is no longer with us.

When I accompany visitors, I love to tell these stories: in their curious eyes, I see the village I love. 

I have travelled a lot, but my happiness remains here, in the mountains of my home. Like Dorothy, I know that no place is as beautiful as my home.