A night owl that has seen the big cities and has lived in a few, but was raised in the countryside and is trying to make do with the lack of facilities that was found in the town would say:
"Tour the big cities but settle somewhere cozy, where there'no constant hustle and it's so much less noisy" ;)
Unless of course you consider annoying roosters as sound pollution :P
Although I grew up in a big city (Toronto) and have also visited a few, I have since spent most of my adult life in sometimes unbelievably remote places. I would now like to compromise somehow by living in a country home, but not too far from a reasonably large village or town. Or do I ask too much of life?
That's exactly what I've been doing the past 5 years and even though at first it was hard, I've come to believe the quality of life is incomparably better.
The key is to keep the right distances, that way you gain your valuable peace and quiet without having to sacrifice the luxuries of life in the town. I live in a small village, 4km from the nearest town and 70km away from two of the biggest cities in Greece. The mountains are about 15-20km away and so is the sea. If that's not almost perfect, then what is? :)