I don't even remember the name of the town. I was told one man owns it (how is that even possible?) and that it is one of his many restoration projects. It's nestled somewhere in the hills of Umbria and is the home of a cashmere and textile factory. Most residents work there and the jobs are competitive because the wages are considerably higher than elsewhere in the region. When the whole town is at work, however, it's eerily quiet. The only places that were open were the immaculately-restored church and the cashmere shop with its perfectly-dressed employees. With my spare cash, I treated myself to a €500 scarf but decided that the €1600 throw blanket was a little excessive.
The most disturbing thing to me was the lack of food. All hopes of a gelato or caffè were squashed with one walk around the town center. I didn't even have a chance to trip because the brick streets were so smooth and regular. I had no desire to sit down on the numerous tables and chairs that were placed so perfectly. Even the group of cats we came across were quiet. Was this town in Italy?! Where was the life?
We barely saw more than five souls while we were there, but it felt like we were being watched. Clearly, we were in a simulation or dystopian novel where it was our job to figure out how to save the townspeople from a curse. The curse of perfection.
What's it like to live in a perfect town in an imperfect world?
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