rock the waves

No need to be scared, as most times the Adriatic is flat and gentle.
But when the "lady" is angry, she's most unpleasant and violent.
So allways keep a close watch at the weather when you decide to go offshore.

There are several options to know the weatherforcast, and if you're out and afloat, once in a while look at the coastal mountains.

Cause if a white cloudy cap is building up and tumbling down towards the sea, you better look for a safe spot or enough space away from the shore.

That is one moments the lady starts kicking ass, and she does give you a rough ride for a couple of hours ar least.

But most of the time, the sea is flat as a mirror with some gentle breeze for sailing ships like the one waiting here with Omis mountains in the background.
(other side of town has a very large sandy beach).

going to the kitchen

Not my type of food folks, but it seems to be very tasty.

To me an octopussy is an amazing seacreature, and one of the rare ones I will get if I can, as I have some friends who like them very much.

Other species like large living shells and other stuff I like to watch without touching, but sorry for these eight-legged crawlers, they are salade stuff.

Don't ask me how to get them into the salade, thats a secret I don't want to know, but if you insist I can contact someone who knows.

Being a steakeater, a chickenkiller and a porklover, I only sometimes eat something fishy, and if so, it better be fresh and grilled, or at least crab or lobster if it has to be cooked.

So to be very clear, I like my fish swimming while I swim around and watch.

DANGERS and RISKS !!!

Readers of my weblogstories might think I am well payed by the Croatian Government to promote the country in every aspect.

Well, I am glad to say that is NOT THE CASE !!!!!
I like my freedom very much, including my freedom of speach.

So this page is about the RISKY things in Croatia.

1.
Traffic is danger nr. 1, as many roads have highly dangerous CROSSINGS, and at ANY moment there is a risk of collisions.
So wherever you go, do it with great care when driving these roads!!!!!

2.
Traffic is even MORE dangerous when rain falls in a dry hot summer !!!!
Oil, fat, rubber, its an ABSOLUTE reason to STOP your car immediately,
as you will encounter accidents if not be a part of it.
So don't say I did not warn you !!!

3.
Government is "very shy" about it, but yes there were a couple of wars here, and the recent liberationwar was one of them.
Our neighbour Mate in our valley is the living prove of the danger of "old warstuff".
One eye blind, one arm missing, lots of scars, and all that from one single small German bomb found after W.W.II.
And as the liberationwar was not as "organized" as W.W.II, there are still lots of mines in "suspected" area's.

So yes, there are zones that are a dangerous, and YES, you can come and go safely, as the risk zones are wellknown and well marked.
Continuous mine-sweeping action will take care of the final solution, and each risky location is mapped very clearly.
Villages in those parts that are "risky" have all details available at the tourist-office.

And if you really want to live life on the edge, please be prepared, cause there are scorpio's, snakes, bears, wolves, cliffs, caves and enough home made alcohol make you sleep forever.

Life still is a risky thing, but knowing the risks is dealing with them.
The only real safe place is at home in your bed, and even there you may die when a comet hits the spot.

So get going, as you're gonna die anyway someday.

the scale of a landscape

Its rather a weird idea, to lick the landscape, but ok, you can now if you like.
A poststamp of Crveno Jezero, one of the two immense lakes near Imotski makes it possible, but I rather have a look than a lick, having Imotski less than an hours drive from Svinisce.
Crveno Jezero, or Red Lake is far mor impressive than a little stamp can show.
For instance, the depth is 220 meters from rim to bottom, and that's only one of the two lakes here.

The other lake, called Modro Jezero or Blue Lake, is extensively described on a marvelous website called http://www.modorjezero.org/

This website is very interesting to any visitor, and even more in memory of a crew of twelve men with a B24 Liberator, shot down and finding a resting place in the depth of the lake.

make the impossible possible

Pick a walk, and go !

Its not impossible to just go into the fields and mountains, and just start to walk.
Its even the best way to discover new things.

However, it aint the easiest way, I highly like myselve to just "go for it", even when "it" is not clear at all.

Still, even I do a couple of things in advance (I may look stupid but I aint).
One is have some idea of where to go, looking at maps, talking to people, and check my digital maps I use with my gps.

At home, I scroll the internet, checking for pictures, stories, Google Earth and many more.
Combined with my digital map of Croatia I select my goals, being natural, historic or cultural.

Another thing is the option of selecting a climate for the day.
A WHAT ???
Yes folks, its possible to select a climate for the day, as within some limits this is TRUE.

While the coast is gently warmed by the sun, ten minutes behind the coast it is lightly freezing, and an hour away inland snow is packed and frost biting.

Hurray !!!
I like it this way, starting in the wintercold, finishing on a seaside terrace in the sun with a cold beer in reach.

in the beginning there was.....

.........THIS.

We started with 1200 meters of jungle, real thick jungle.
Cutting, burning, sawing, lots of cold beers, slowly opening up this scenery.

Mosor Mountains, not Himalaya with its 4500 feet to the top, but having it to overlook at any moment of the day, THAT is great, believe me !

Even more true now that we grew from our tiny caravan to a strong little house with plenty of windows overlooking this landscape, and enough comfort in lesser days.

To hot, we start the airco, to cold we lite a fire, and to wet, we stay inside or sit down at our terrace pleased by the sound of raindrops on the roof, reading a book or just looking around.

Statistically however weather is 60 to 70% good or fine or even perfect, and however its not Everest, its still a great thing to have in our backyard, with no need to rent sherpas or yaks, as a small road is leading all the way up (and down).

two Cetina moments

A view on (our) Cetina river in its slower section.
Some rougher parts are about fifteen minutes up to the right, where the rafters start.
And sure, rafting this river is a nice adventure, not the most dangerous one, but it gives you a nice couple of hours to get wet and stay close to nature as possible.
This however is the landscape we encounter after five minutes of downhill driving, and even there I can drop my canoo into the water for a few minor rapids and excellent peaces of wetland between the canyonwalls.

The end of the Cetina river is here, where it cuts through some 1000 feet rocks.

To get this and other amazing views, its an easy thing to drive out of the other side of Omis, and go for the village of Gata.

And also this little trip wont last longer than fifteen minutes, so there's still plenty of time to look and walk around and enjoy this breathtaking view.

Cause many hundreds of feet below rocks arise from deep down at the river, and even on a windless day a breath of rising air is giving lift to little black alpine crows.

To me, and I truly hope to you as well, these tiny birds with their subtle communicating sounds floating without fear in this giant open space are a garantee for some deep respect.

A giant crack through the rocks bringing sweet Cetina water to the Adriatic Sea, overlooked by you and those birds.

when the material is gone

Still lots of material in front and inside, but another step taken.
As while we are still in Holland, the men are working hard.

isolation floors and walls-DONE

windows-DONE

tiles bathroom and livingroom- DONE

floor sleepingroom-DONE

water and electricity-DONE

painting inside-DONE

And however much has been done, still a lot waiting to be DONE .

It all started with the plan to stabilise a steep roadwall from falling down, after which we decided to combine it with a parkingplace, and in the end we had an appartement, with parking on top.

That was the first plan, extension of the terrace to a nice format was the second, and a "black hole", being a septictank in several partitions, was nr. three.
(So we do not have to get any "shit" out after a while, as the whole principle is based on biological degrading of the brown stinking stuff, after which the "clean" water thats left is gently given back to the plants).

And if all goes as hoped and wished for (no praying from my side), we will have a far better place than the little caravan we started with.

Come rain, snow, storm or heat, we've got a strong little house with a sleepingroom, a bathroom, a livingroom with cookingcorner, an
outdoor kitchen with grill and a storingplace for the beer.
And it all connects to what its all about, a fantastic scenery overlooking Mosor Mountains and total silence to enjoy birdlife and the seasons.

Modris in Svinisce is just the place to be !
Time to get there !!!