March seems to have been a bit thin for reviews and, although we’ve not been anywhere new, there’s been a lot of revisiting old haunts. The much promised trip to Thackeray’s in Tunbridge Wells didn’t work, our hosts not securing a table – such are the trials of Michelin restaurants. Still, we’ll keep trying. So, time to catch up on previous outings.

Croatia has more than a thousand islands and many, many bays where you can anchor a boat. Most of the coast is rocky, plunging quickly to leave little in the way of shore or beach – these are in very short supply. The water is turquoise, the sea warm and clean, and in these little bays spring up restaurants. Stupica Vela on the south west of Zirje is big enough for over thirty laid moorings, still leaving enough space to anchor if they’re all full.

There’s a little restaurant here – a konoba with no name. It’s the only building on the shore, apart from the ruins of a castle on the hill overlooking the sea. In late August it was still busy, with nearly every mooring taken. The restaurant serves very simple food, the sort you used to get in Croatia fifteen years ago, and Greece thirty years ago. Very informal in a little walled garden at the water’s edge with tables and benches. Some people eating, others just drinking and chatting. No starters; fish, calamari or pork cutlet (or all three!) served with onion mash and a dressed green salad. We had fish – ” fish two times” – two beautifully cooked sea bass, the skin dark and crispy and the flesh soft and moist. Half a litre of house red ( warm and fruity ) and big bottle of fizzy water. 290 kuna – £29.00 for two. A bargain indeed these days in Croatia, where tales “rip-off restaurants in the Kornati Islands” seem to fill the Trip Advisor reviews. We’ve yet to see it.

Sail/swim, climb out and walk ashore to book.

The stunning bay…