Turn one corner and the street goes still, with shuttered windows and a cat asleep in the shade. Turn the next and a crowded square is full of neighbours calling across balconies. Two moods share this small island country, a quiet, sun-baked calm by the sea and a chatty energy in town.

The climate is Mediterranean, with mild, wet winters and long, dry, hot summers, so swims and late outdoor dinners suit the warm months, and coastal walks the cooler ones. A Local Friend walks beside you instead of ahead, sensing which mood the hour calls for.