A few potholes distract me from my lethargy as I drive along strada statale 9, the ancient Via Emilia, on my way to Rimini, a city in Emilia Romagna on the Adriatic Sea. Orchards line the side of the road while Lana Del Rey sings in the background.

I look up from Google Maps and focus on the large writing in the traffic circle: Romagna mia (my Romagna). The proud quote of welcome coincides with Raul Casadei's 1954 hit song that here, land of balere (dance halls) and disco clubs, is still a legend. Mass tourism has dissolved to leave room for unexpected treasures and even a touch of melancholy.