Incidentally, Ghasri means squeeze, or press, and the next village along the ridge is Zebbug meaning olive, so no guesses what the locals eat and cook with.

For such a small island, there is a remarkable amount to see once you've soaked up the sun on the north coast's sandy beaches of San Blas and Ramla Bay.

Overlooking the latter is Calypso's Cave, where the naughty nymph kept Ulysses entertained for seven years before he remembered his long-suffering wife Penelope.

Also from far back in history (or myth?) is Ggantija Temple at Xaghra, the oldest free-standing structure in the world, which dates from before 3000BC.

At the other end of the island (if you can find it, as signposts are scarce) is a cliff full of cavemen homes – and some cart ruts that are little short of miraculous.

A large area of scrub, alpine plants and limestone pavement has tracks or symbols etched into it that are so old that they continue on the sea bed which, ten thousand years ago before sea levels rose, was terra firma. No one is sure what the ruts indicate, though grooves between them suggest the need for grip by hoof or foot. If they are really prehistoric, as believed, were they left by stonemasons moving heavy blocks? Come to think of it, if they are wheel ruts, had the wheel been invented then? All very puzzling.

More recent history is dominated by wonderfully ornate and vast Victorian churches. A visit to Ta Pinu is a must to see the walls covered in tributes to the Virgin, who has cured a multitude of ailments, judging by the discarded leg splints.

There are also several museums, including a group around the ancient Citadel in Victoria, that cover natural history, folklore, archaeology and armoury. There is even an interesting toy museum at Xaghra and a working windmill containing period costumes and old crafts.

Everyone you meet is genuinely friendly and anxious to tell you where their relatives live in Britain, Australia or America. There is a national obsession with football and everyone we met seemed to support Man United or Liverpool – it was quite hard to escape from this reminder of home as every bar was relaying big screen football!

This constitutes just about the only night life on Gozo, apart from a few clubs in the capital and at the rather touristy principal seaside villages of Marsalforn and Xlendi. As a result, most holidaymakers are self-sufficient and independent.

A week was far too short, but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will always remember the genuine friendliness of the Gozitans – we'll be back, but will remember next time not to aim for a Sunday evening ferry. That is when hundreds of Maltese in queues of cars return to the mainland after soaking up a weekend of gently-paced hospitality.