If we Maltese are proud of our strategic central Mediterranean positioning, just consider Cyprus at the far end of the Sea, so neatly placed where South Europe, the Middle East and North Africa converge. All these influences are tangibly felt in this country, yet it takes just one trip to Cyprus to discover just how many similarities there are to our way of living in Malta.

Getting there on an Emirates flight any day of the week in under three hours (two hours and 36 minutes) is a convenience, especially considering the reasonable ticket prices and pretty lenient baggage allowances. The first and most obvious things I check before my trip to Cyprus, help me tick several boxes on my 'to pack' list in a very happy way. Cyprus is an EU country and the currency is the Euro. No need to  get currency changed. Since I do like to travel light, the next fact I discover pleases me further - I don't need to take electrical gadgets to fiddle around my electricity powered electronics, since Cyprus has the same kind of electrical plugs as Malta. So the usual electrical adaptors stay out of my luggage. The international phone prefix to call Cypriot numbers is practically Maltese. Change the 00356 to 00357 and you are set to go. You do have to be careful however, in that Cypriot phone numbers, whether belonging to landlines or mobile phones, are ridiculously similar to Maltese numbers. It is easy to end up calling a Cypriot number by mistake.

Travelling out on a Sunday afternoon, I find myself in a country which resembles Malta in more ways than one. And apparently this home from home feeling has already enticed many Maltese nationals to fly there on a very regular basis. The Cypriots drive like us, on the left side of the road,  which makes the possibility of driving along Cypriot roads pretty enticing. To my pleasure I also discover that the roads of Cyprus, whether highways or country lanes, are all very well laid, smooth and easy to manoeuvre. Another plus for my list - every Maltese driver would love to have the chance to just drive without constantly changing gear and without stressing on the wheel.

In Cyprus I immediately experience a very typical Mediterranean scenario, albeit the fact that several hills and distant mountains dot the horizon. The climate is also pleasantly mild, although Cyprus tends to be much less humid than Malta. The land is slightly more arid yet offers the very same kind of flora as Malta including cacti, palm trees and succulent plants in abundance. Considerable numbers of beautiful long haired stray cats stop to observe you from atop ledges or behind hedges. All are well fed, visibly non-neutered and happy to run around in the rain rather than run for shelter  as Maltese cats do. Indeed, I had never seen a willingly drenched cat before visiting Cyprus.

Houses and street-scapes are varied.... flat roofs, sloped roofs, tiny higgledy-piggledy houses stacked up and down country lanes or luxuriously ample spaced modern villas with their own front and back gardens plus pool. The houses are decorated invariably with lots of potted plants. A definite difference is the use of enormous globular terracotta pots, reproductions or actual antique wine pots called 'pithari', which were traditionally used in the wine making industry.

Incidentally, Cypriot wine is something to die for. Foodies will adore Cyprus. The local fare is similar to what we have on our tables and similar to Sicilian fare but then again dished out, displayed and eaten somewhat differently. Take the Meze which is a favourite manner of eating Cypriot food and a great opportunity to sample so much in such a short time. Prepare to be fed well, amply and abundantly at a very reasonable if not relatively low cost. This especially at anyone of the typical Cypriot taverns which welcome tourists with set  menus and the possibility of live music and song.

You will be greeted at the table by the host who, in certain parts of Cyprus will present you with a silver spouted receptacle from which he or she pours a dash of rose water into your hands - these have to be clean to start off the meal but you are not expected to eat with your hands. The Cypriot Meze starts with a salad of the freshest lettuce, baby lettuce, celery, cucumber, tomatoes. This is served with pitta bread or sliced traditional loaves  inordinately similar to what we find here in Malta. Enter the dips.... Hummus, Tahini and others. And there are the delicious and mouth watering fried slices of Halloumi cheese.  I am warned to take partake sparingly of the food in this initial phase of the meal and I soon understand why. Waiters quickly arrive with more and more goodies - the dishes literally roll in until the table groans with food and the choice is mind-boggling....... chicken, lamb, sausages of varied sorts, vegetables and potatoes cooked, baked, grilled in varied ways, pasta, rice .....

After some 15 (or perhaps more) different dishes pass over the table, dessert can be as simple as sliced fruit or slightly more varied.  I particularly adore the Mahalepi. a kind of blancmange  flavoured with rose water or with Mahlep. an aromatic wine made from a cherry-like fruit.  Cypriot coffee is a given, strong, creamy and served sweet or not. If you are particularly lucky, you could be offered an especial delicacy - a selection of sweet preserved fruits that may include any of the following - apple, pear, orange or walnut. Alternatively you may go for something slightly stronger if you're not driving back to your hotel -  a shot of Zivania, the traditional Cypriot brandy, pretty strong and meant to be thrown back in one fell swoop.

And that will end your day in Cyprus, leaving a lingering feeling of warmth, homeliness and familiarity that lasts long after you return back to base. I for one, seem to be still basking in the memory of it.