When I was living in Rome, I made it my mission to visit as many museums across the Italian peninsula as I could. One exhibit that always fascinated me and that I kept encountering was the Renaissance maps. They say that maps are made to guide people, but Renaissance maps offer something more. Their symbols, drawings, and geographic details work almost like riddles, helping you uncover the civilizations of that era. And that’s exactly what I wanted to do while living in Rome to discover a culture beyond the one that tourists accidentally led me toward. I named myself an explorer, and I took trains to the small villages surrounding the city. Exploring with friends is always more fun, and before long, we had made one little village outside Rome our favorite meeting place. That’s where I found what I had been searching for: traditional wine, authentic local food, and warm- hearted Italians who welcomed us to their home. That welcome means everything. When you truly love your homeland, you want to open your door to others in the very best way. I don’t need to say much about my own hometown. What I do know is that no matter how far my maps took me, they always guided me back home. Moorea Country Houses is my home but also the home of anyone who loves to explore charming little villages with an authentic spirit. I’m not talking about the old antiques you might find in a grandparent’s attic. I’m talking about the kind of welcome that comes hand in hand with a whole set of cultural values. That’s what tradition really is. And that’s the real joy of exploration.

Gabriella Margeli