She was craving peace and quiet after working as a teacher for 20 years, and Amelia Butler from the US says that buying a bargain home in Italy has given her just that. The 57-year-old now spends half of the year in the rural village of Latronico, located in the deep southern region of Italy’s Basilicata, and the rest in Philadelphia, her home town.

It’s a dream come true for Butler, who loves the remoteness of the idyllic village, surrounded by mountains, and says she is finally able to “relax, enjoy life and people” there. “I like the beauty of the countryside. I love to walk a lot in the village and on the rural trails. It’s just very serene,” Butler, who currently works as an life and education consultant, tells CNN.