celebrate Christmas and look ahaid !

It's always nice to reflect for a moment, and for some reason most people do so towards Christmas.
Well, so do I for a moment, as the year is nearly finished, but............
as those Maya's where wrong (do your mathematics Machu Pichu !!)
a new year is waiting as usual.

I tried to make you understand why I love this part of Croatia that much, hope you get the idea !
Of course there are trillions of special places on our crowded planet,
and zillions of people who think their's is thé most beautiful.

I am not going to argue with you,
you're right when you live in such place.
Just be aware of your privilege.


...............But...............

Ja volim Hrvatska, ja volim Dalmacija.

And sharing love is still the best one can do.

So I will continue to fill this blog with little "nothings",
hoping one day you follow some of my steps.
(And if you don't, that's ok with me, enjoy my simple pages anyway)

Happy Newyear folks !

you ain't seen nothing yet !!!!

I challenge you to tell me where this is !

If you (think you) have an answer, see header of this blog to mail me and I'll take you there, organize you a pick-nick, drinks included, overlooking this place ánd the lake.
(So if the sun heats you up, you can cool down either drinking a cool wine or take a swim in a pristine lake).

Once more we went for a trip into the unknown, and discovered the surroundings of this place, got stuck in thick mud with the car.
 (Stupid us !!!!), but found most friendly people with a strong tractor,
and made friends with them afterwords.

For more than three hours we were struggling to get out, trying each and every trick in the book, and a couple new ones, covering ourselves and the car from tip to toe with "healthy" mud.
But all's well that ends well, the place, the lake, the nature, the people and our afternoon are fantastic.
Pay for the great help, forget it, have a drink and celebrate friendship !

No, I will not tell you the name of the place nor the name of the lake yet, but if you draw a circle of let's say 40 kilometers around Svinisce, looking towards Imotski, you may discover what we've discovered.
(And the more clever ones will discover the location as well, as it's on the map).

And once more, there is a lot to discover in Dalmatia, much more than "just" a beautiful coastline !
If no answers show up, next time I'll share this fantastic place with you.

In the meantime, have a wonderful time, and use the beginning of 2013 to plan your trip.
Dalmatia is waiting to make you fall in love !

DON'T do this at home

Just kidding, the picture shows it a bit more dangerous than it really was, but tricky it was anyway !
Nevertheless, when you go hiking in the Biokovo area (a must it is, especially during winter), the chance you discover a hole, a pit, a cave is pretty big.

But DON'T put yourself in danger, as all those karst phenomena s are both beautiful AND dangerous.
And on top of that, it's STRICTLY FORBIDDEN to cave without permission.
If interested, see these this website, highly interesting and beautiful:
http://www.speleologija.hr/znanost/sige/sige.html
When there, click on "English" and be amazed about the pictures shown and the details written.

Croatia is amazingly rich in natural sense, with so much natural beauty in every aspect, you'll have to plan a visit, a holiday, a lifetime to discover it all, and still there is more.
(Reason for me to live here nowadays !)

Should you be more interested in a lazy beach holiday, Roman history, flowers, wildlife, rafting, canyoning, hiking, biking or good food and basic values, lucky you, as Dalmatia has it all :-)

Should you need help, contact my good friend Robert, as he can help you make your stay a special experience from beginning to end.

In the mean time he and I will continue to discover a lot more, merely for our own pleasure, but also yours till you decide to do so yourself !

Those shoe people already said it very simple and clear:
JUST DO IT 

salamandara salamandara

Careful please, poisonous beauty !!

No, you don't have to run when you see one, as with all other poisonous animals like snakes,
just respect them and they won't hurt you.
Just do like me, look, take a picture and be amazed about Dalmatia's natural beauty.

Of course the quality of the picture could have been better but hey, I am not a professional.
If you want to see a better one and all details have a look at Wikipedia.

Saw one before, however that was flat as the surrounding asphalt, this one came to our terrace,
and before the cats could even try to have their hunting fun, I took this picture and moved it into nature, before those (damned) cats could even think of having fun.

Why share this picture ?
Well, over and over again I want you to get an idea of Dalmatia's beauty, being archaeology  history, nature, anything, and we've got a a lot of "anything" over here.
So in case you visit this country for a beach holiday, right you are, but wrong you are too !
As in the Zagora *) there is MUCH MORE to discover (the hinterland *).

Ever visited Biokovo Mountains ?
No ?
Or yes you did, hurry up to Sv. Jure's summit, cramped and bold,
and than hurry, hurry back down again, without hiking ?
Well, guess I must tell you a bit more about Biokovo in the next item.

So pozdravi, till next.

any hike in Dalmacia is a great experience

(click to enlarge)

Any hike over here in Dalmatinska Zagora is great, this one certainly is worth the time.
Together with my good friend Robert (www.malimlin.com) we went to do the hike he did a couple of weeks before with a couple of good Croatian friends (that's what friends are for).

Driving to Blato na Cetina from Omis takes about half an hour, at the bridge over the Cetina there you turn left, following the left upstream road.
Stop in Trnbusi (ask some local for the path up to Rodice) and get going.

The first part, up the mountain is pretty heavy, the road however is good and the view on every moment you take some rest, is as always.........great.
Once you reach the highest part (in about an hour), the road descends with the hidden village of Rodice in sight.

Enjoy every step, as enjoyable it is, with loads of herbs, flowers, if lucky a snake, sometimes a big green lizzard (zelenbac), and again, fantastic views alover, with the backside of Mosor in view.

The village has almost completely been abandonned, however some locals still go there to enjoy the pure and silent atmosphere and grow some potatoes.
Amazingly much water is in, under and around the village, with ponds full of fish and lots of frogs.

What makes it special is the variety of houses, very old, old and newer, almost all left to crumble.
Have a look at the details you'll see, as there are many, but please (PLEASE !!!) keep in mind that you're a guest visiting private property !!!!

In case you would like to do this hike in good company, send me a mail (address in header of this blog), and I'll connect you to folks that will guide you up, and back.

After your hike, you can cool down at a great swimming place at the Cetina river.
(When driving back, take the small asphalt road left that leads to this location, marked with a sign).

Enjoy Dalmatia, and dó enjoy the Zagora !

samphire, an edible beauty

Don't ask me where it grows, as I got the picture from a good friend.
I dó know however it is not only a magnificent picture, the purple plants in front grow in marshland at the seaside, and when picked still green, the top ends of samphire (zeekraal in Dutch) are delicious to combine with either fish or a good steak.

If you see some, first of all check if there is enough, and if there is, only pick the green top ends which easily snap under some nail pressure.
Collect only what you will eat the very same day, because than they are the best !

Wash them thoroughly, lightly dry them, than cook it for about two minutes in boiling water and cool down immediately after that.

When ready with your favorite dish, shake them quickly through some hot olive oil, nó salt added, as they taste salty already, as they are growing at the seaside.
If you can get hold of some lamb meat from the island Pag, you're more than lucky, as both have a natural salty flavor.

Prepare some simple salad, top it with some chips of that specific Pagski sheep cheese from the very same island Pag and you'll find out life is damned good in Croatia, certainly for retired folks like us.

and the painter is............

..............this is not a painting !
This is reality, a plain simple example of Croatia's natural beauty.

Most of the crowds have left, the sea still is at a pleasant 22 degrees Celsius  and the sun still warms the beaches when an occasional rain shower has gone.

Most of the restaurants have closed for the winter, but when hungry there are still many other options, and when asking around you'll always find a good place that cooks a bit more than pizza's, pizza's and pizza's (for the bulk of tourists still the cheap favorite).

If needed I can provide you with some tips to have a good meal (mail me at address in header of this blog), so you can still explore this beautiful country, even in autumn.
As autumn and spring are THÉ (!!!) most beautiful seasons to visit Croatia without getting a sun burn but still no cold feet.

(Winter is for us locals, while summer is for the crowds).

"holy shit"

Some beautiful (not even holy) cows, pictured upstream of the Cetina river, driving from Omis to the village called Cetina, where she starts from deep under the mountains.

However it takes a pretty long ride to see the very beginning of the Cetina river, it's worth it !
All along the river every ten or so minutes the landscape changes, each place worth to enjoy the scenery, taking pictures or feel the true peace this part of Dalmatia breathes.

The Cetina all in all is about 105 kilometers long from spring till sea, but this amazing river changes from gently flowing to rapids and waterfalls quite a few times.
One moment it feeds large meadows, another moment it breaks through deep canyons.
Flowing, falling, changing color every kilometer from deep dark blue at it's spring, greenish where it flows through grassy meadows, light blue to white over rapids and waterfalls, silently flowing or noisy thundering.

The great thing of this "tiny" river is that its clean and clear everywhere, and so are grass, herbs, vegetables and fruits that grow on its borders.

Coming from Holland with it's many cows, I know the suffer a constant diarrhea while the cows over here still produce genuine shit, one might even say "holy shit", as this shit is free of fertilizers and rich of fibers, still tremendous to put in my garden to get the best tomatoes, salad or melons.

What a land, what a river, what a country it is, Croatia !!!!!

PS: should you visit this area and plan to drive all along the river upstream, than keep the river to your left and Dinara Mountains to your right.
(Sometimes a bit of searching, always worth it !!!).

one of those evenings

Not very much to share, sorry for those who think every day is full of news, but this picture shows one of those evenings in our hidden treasure.

The days are now filled with some help picking grapes at friends or sawing/cutting wood for the winter.
The wine is now "cooking" for the year to come, truly pleasant for us, as we buy our wine from our local suppliers/friends.
 (And what a red wine it is, rich, pure and a "killer" !!!).

So at the moment nothing special is happening but the simple things over here are still very special.
And that's all the news for now.

even the beginning has an end

Slowly summer is leaving, and with summer the bulk of tourism.
Still however, temperature is very nice (up to 26 C.) with clear skies and sunny weather.
Lucky people who choose to spend some time (or live here like we) at the Adriatic, where sea temperature is still inviting for a swim.

Slowly nature is preparing for winter, but that's just preparing, as september and october are fine months overhere.
Today we're gonna help here and there picking grapes, so our friends can turn it into wine and later on into rakija.

Life here is natural, with seasonal moments, like picking grapes, buying pigs and pampering those pigs for a couple of months with the very best food, till it's time to change pigs into sausages and the véry best local delicacy, the famous homemade (!!!) Croatian smoked/dried ham.

But that's another story, so you'll have to wait, as the grapes are ready to be picked, so I can fill my stock of wine for the winter season, accompanied by good food and good friends.

So hello autumn in Dalmacija.

greetings from Holland (pozdravi iz Nizozemska)

Ok, there are a lot more impressions of Holland than this picture shows.
Tulips, windmills, wooden shoes, Amsterdam, Van Goch or Rembrandt, whatever you prefer, but to me (us) two weeeks in Holland are more than enough to make us shout "let me out" .
We just had to leave our hidden treasure for two weeks, to organise a "few" things in Holland, but after ten days till now we count the rest of the days to get back to our Dalmatian paradise.

A friend asked me what I am going to do first when back in Croatia, and my answer was "sit down and enjoy the wide open panorama, looking at Mosor Mountains and feeling the intensity of our silent peacefull little village.

Never before felt so good as in Svinisce, and for sure this will be one of the very few visits we (have to) spend in Holland.

It's hard to explain what the values of our life overthere are, but believe me, you can have those tulips, windmills, wooden shoes and all the art in every Dutch museum, I/we prefer our life in Svinisce, the hidden treasure.

Open skies, clean air, simple social life, growing our own food, pure nature, the Adriatic Sea within ten minutes reach and the Cetina River even quicker.

Ja Volim Hrvatska (I love Croatia) and would'nt change it for a million !
And to all those people looking forward to spending holidays in Dalmatia, you won't be disapointed and might just end living here, once you discover how great it is.

Ps. If you prefer to have a look at the location showed in the picture, go to Holland, drive to Friesland, and head for the coast overlooking what's called "De Wadden".

another delicate Cetina secret

Away from the main stream (ánd the crowd) at , in or on the Cetina river, lies a private property, in pure and silent nature.
Here a secondary part of the river passes the land where Winnetou is still "alive and kicking", like when part of those famous films was shot here.
We made friends with the owners, and enjoyed their hospitality on a wonderfull afternoon.

The place is basic, but very well organised, and clean as nature is.
Under the large roof they built, and the shady canopy of the trees above us we sat down, walked around, swam in the refreshing river, had dinner, played ballotte and relaxed till our boat took us back to Omis.

We took our private cook with us, including all the food and drinks we needed (or thought we needed), as there was much more than we could eat or drink, and besides, just being there in fact is already more than you can wish to make it a wonderfull day and a fantastic experience.

Exploring the surroundings, taking long swims in pristine water, with trouts swimming under you, or relaxing is these hammocks at the border of the river, what a fantastic country this is.
This part of Dalmatia truly is the véry best, with sea, river, mountains, old towns and modern cities.
A mix of everything is within reach, and when I say everything,
I dó mean EVERYTHING !!!
Adventurous, curious, active or lazy, sweet or salty water, today or history, sea level or high up the mountain, it's all there, all of it within an hour's drive, a walk or a boat trip !

After a great meal, as usual here we played a little match of ballotte (jeux de boules in french), which is thé social sport in Croatia.
If you think it's a game, how wrong can you be, as overhere ballotte is a serious matter, mainly played by men.
Whatever your state of mind (to me it's still a game), it's serious fun, and winning of course the goal.

Should you be interested in an afternoon or day like this (even sleeping in nature is possible), you must contact the people of www.malimlin.com, as they organize the complete visit, taking you to this property and back by boat, taking care of everything a fantastic peaceful afternoon or day in Dalmatia needs.

And don't you dáre :-) drop your cigaret but on the ground, as this place is pure, clean and unspoiled, something the owners of this private property appreciate and take care of.

Thanks Nicola, Rocco and family, you're the best !

the móst beautiful place...............

Each and every time I am amazed by Dalmacija's beauty, this time however, I am sure: THIS IS IT.
Will I stop scrolling around, the answer is nó, of course not.

To tell you a little story how this beauty came on my path:
A few days ago, me and my friend Robert (the guy from www.malimlin.com) took a day of and loaded our canoes on the roof of the car and went to do another section of the Cetina.

Drove from Svinisce to Kucice, following the Cetina till the bridge to Kostanje, crossed to the other side of the river and at the very first steep corner we left the asphalt to enter a dirt road following the Cetina upstream.

There we took a tiny road to the right leading us to the Cetina's banks, where we dropped the canoes into the water.
Slowly slowly slowly (polako in Croatian) we peddled upstream through a beautiful shady tunnel of trees, crossing some minor rapids dragging our canoes, and on we went, to the next rapid ( they are just about thirty centimeters high, so no big deal, step out, drag the canoe through and on you go again).

Than, the canopy opened, and we where on this extreme spot, where this waterfall came down in a silent secluded lake where even the fish are not afraid.
On the left (in the shade) the main canyon of the Cetina ends, so we slowly entered till a natural wall showed up, behind which a roar of the big waterfalls of the Cetina sounded.

Being "doctor Livingstone" that day, I ignored my slowly healing six broken ribs and climbed up the blockade about seven meters high, and looked into a deep pit where the water was falling down in a continuous gust of rumbling water, loaded with energy.
Somehow all that water flows deep under that barrier during the summer season, but for sure the level rises many meters when the rainy season fills the Cetina again to a less friendly level.
In summer however, specially this very dry summer, the place was like a mirror, with impressive walls rising high above us.

We stopped at a tiny sandy beach, took our swimming goggles and swam around in fresh clear water, totally silent, enjoying each and every second we spent there.

Question: is the Zagora (the hinterland) of Dalmacija worth a visit, an "expedition" if you want, the answer is:
!!!! HELL YES !!!!

And if you still think Dubrovnik, Split, Trogir (!!!) should grab you (by the balls) during your visit, with Plitvice, Biokovo, Kornati or Krka as cherries on your sunsoaked Adriatic holiday cake, right you are,
but wrong you are if you think you've seen it all !!!!

On top of it all, we finished the day with another discovery, a true Dalmatian diner at Konoba Kunjak in Kucice (www.kunjak.com).
A "simple" meal of roasted lamb (the very best !!!), some home made fries, a couple of beers and as a gesture from the owner, a dish of chilled watermelon and melon to top it all of.
The drive home was a bit "ehhhhhh", but not very long as the whole expedition took us from start to finish less than twentyfive kilometers (with a couple of kilometers in the canoe of course).
For sure we will go back there, as Hvala Bogu (thank God), they don't serve pizza's at this konoba, and no doubt this very special hidden lake is on my list now too.

And to those of you staying in Omis, Kucice is just 15 minutes into the Zagora, ánd worth the trip if you prefer to have a true taste of Dalmacija's basic but delicious kitchen.

Dalmacija, ja volim te (I love you).

PS:
-Those of you who like to go DWS (deep water soloing) come here, as you can even choose to do it naked as nobody sees you going nuts !!!!!!
-Should you want to experience the impressive canyon without a canoe, a couple of adventure organisations guide you through safely, canyoning like you never did before.
-And if you need coordinates or some details, mail me at the address in the header of this blog.
(For those of you familiar with google maps, I attached a location marker to this post).

elder flower, but wait for next year's springtime !!!

A bit on the late side but I enjoyed a glass of elder syrup with cold water, and oooof how nice that is.
So I decided to share this with you, as this is a nice example of the good life in our hidden valley.
To say it more clear, this truly is DOMACI, a home made delight.

Elder seems to be very common, it just grows and grows and can be a pest in an organised garden, but here, with enough space and nature all around, its a different story !!!

However this syrup is prepared in spring and I am writing this little nothing in summer, do remember it next year when winter has gone, and you'll be amazed when you taste it a couple of months later.
(Yes you can store it for months and months, if well prepared).

All you need is 150 grams of fresh elder blossom, two liters of water, one kilo sugar and a lemon.
And sorry for you, but there are hundreds of websites telling you how to do it, with a variety of recipes and a lot more than "just" syrup for a delicious lemonade, so I wont start a cooking blog here.
(Or to say it bluntly: get of your lazy xxx and search the internet :-).

For those of you who get enthusiast about this simple flower, there are a lot more possibilities to enjoy it.
Stir fried for instance, or, when the syrup is ready, add it to a glass of white wine or champagne.

Nature, and we have a lót of it over here in fantastic Dalmacija, is rich to those who are not blind.
(Figs, wild asparagus, wine yard snails, a lot of excellent local wines and dozens of herbs for example).

All you have to do is to come to Dalmacija, as from early spring till late autumn it is like paradise, with still the Adriatic Sea and a lot of sun if you are lazy and desperately need a sun tan.

And !!!!!!............remember, behind the coastal mountain rig, in the ZAGORA (the hinterland) you'll find the real Dalmatian feel, and that is a lót more than pizza, pizza, pizza..............and a pint of cold beer.

(Maybe next time I'll tell you about one of Dalmacija's super cheeses, the Paski Sir, a fantastic sheep cheese coming from the island Pag, that will knock you out of your lazy diner chair).

mind the gap(s) !

One of my plans was to find this bridge, called Kresevski Most.
It connects one side to the other (like all bridges), crossing the Cetina on a wonderful location.
Deep below you the river flows through a steep canyon, hardly reachable if reachable at all.

And however my croatian conversation is limited (svaki dan malo vise), after three previous trials (and errors) I managed to find it at last.

Today it's in a devastated state, with hardly any wood left, but the steel of it looks pretty strong still, even however nobody seems to care about some conservation with a bit of paint.

This is, sorry to say, one of those examples of how Croatia treats it's properties.
It's there, it lacks wood, it lacks paint, and in the (near) future it even doesn't need the sign next to the road, telling you (ánd me) where it is.

Cause nature always wins, and untreated steel does not last forever, so a mix of rain and oxygen will take care (by oxidation) to ruin what people have built earlier, with a lot of sweat and for sure a large bag of money.

Is this little story about a forgotten bridge identical to Croatian politics, going from nowhere to nowhere ?
Still I love Croatia very much, and for sure I love places like this even more, but with all due respect, it's a bloody shame nobody cares and initiatives die in a bureaucratic paper jungle even before they get a chance to prove they work !!!

So shame on you Croatia, but thanks for this old forgotten bridge.

For those interested, drive from Omis direction Makarska, turn left up the mountain road, towards Zadvarje, Sestanovac, than turn left direction Nova Sela at the traffic lights, continue for about five kilometers and look for the sign Kresevksi Most on the right side of the road.
On the left a small road leads you to a gravel path, and trust me, you won't regret you took your camera with you.

Request to anybody having details, a story or any other information about this bridge's history (why was it built there anyway, do please write me at the mail address in the header of this blog.
Thanks !!!

lost & found

Sundays here in Dalmacija are traditionaly for relaxing, a visit to the church (not me however) and joining with friends or family for some drinks, some tasty grilled food and a lot of talking.
(And of course during this season, eating large juicy slices of water melon, truly the very best).

And as it's not a working day, I drive around a bit to find interesting spots, where I put my car aside and go for a walk.
Most of the common locations where tourists go I ignore during the summer season, but there are a lot of less known spots and locations that are worth a visit.

Yesterday I decided to have a look at Zeleno Jezero and the Badnjevice Canyon, about five kilometers from Imotski, where the summer crowd visits those two lakes each and every excursion is going to.
Not me however, I'll wait till both the crowd has gone and some heavy rain has fallen, in let's say march/april.

Anybody interested in those two highly interesting impressive holes in the ground, have a look at www.modrojezero.org, where both in croatian and english an immense load of well documented information is available.

And those who like details, also look at http://www.panoramio.com/photo/54303957 or http://www.panoramio.com/photo/54303957 .
You can also look at http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5693931

...............BUT.................
THE very best you can do is get up, get out, get going and find yourself crazy details like this tiny car covered in the muddy banks of that green lake (Zeleno Jezero means Green Lake).
Also you might do the Badnjevice Canyon, a four hours walk through Dalmatia's stunning karst phenomena.
Let me know how it was, as I didn't have enough time to hike those four hours, while I "wasted" many hours looking around.

I had a wonderful afternoon discovering yet another hidden treasure of marvelous Dalmatia, which offers so much more than only that fantastic coast, a splendid climate and fine people.

And in case you were the owner of that car, you shouldn't have parked it there anyway :-)
Cause that's nature and in the end nature always wins !!!

Cetina, the true queen of Dalmatia

(click to enlarge)
Pure delight, no less, no more.
Crystal clear water, loaded with energy.
Still in doubt "should I keep this to myself or share it".

OK you twisted my arm, so I'll tell you a bit more about this location.
First of all, it's the Cetina river, at less than twenty (driving) minutes from Omis.
(Of course you'll see the Cetina in it's final stage at Omis, but she offers much more)

Drive from Omis into the canyon, follow the signs to Kucice, drive on till you see a bridge on your left, crossing the Cetina.
Wait, wait wait, park your vehicle and take some time to look down from the bridge, and don't forget to look at the excellent job they recently did restoring this bridge.

Alright, on you go, towards Podgrade, than Kostanje, and shortly after Kostanje drive down to what's called Studenci.
(If difficult to find the road to the river, ask anybody, they all know).
Driving down to the river, you'll pass a spring on your right that flows all year around.
In case you have some bottles in the car, do fill them, as this water is as pure as can be, with no pollution or chemicals in it, coming straight from the deep inside of the mountains.
(A friend of mine tested the quality, simply by putting a bottle of it in direct sunlight for almost a year and the water stayed as clear as the day it was put into the bottle).

Drive down a bit more, part of this narrow road is paved, part is gravel, and don't be surprised on many places water rumbles under the road, flowing into the Cetina river.
During the rainy season it also floats óver the road, but only some locals or I will see that.

Keep watching to your left, as one moment you'll see nicely built wooden stairs going down to the very spot I am telling you about now.

Once down at the river, at the rapids on the picture, do some climbing over the boulders to your left, and you'll find a cave, hidden behind an overhang of plants, moss and ferns, from which a curtain of water flushes down.
Look, JUST LOOK, as those structures of stone hanging down (stalactites) are fragile.

Don't be afraid to enter the cave, just mind your every step, as it's slippery !
Once inside, you can get in deeper, but you'll have to accept the water there is COLD !!!!!
Those of you who are not afraid, can walk/wade through the water, as what goes in, must come, and so will you, as cold as the water flowing there.
And please always be careful, as this is nature.

I was swimming/playing in the water under the rapids, and had a most wonderful time, feeling the power of the water, swimming into the energy of the water, turning left or right into more quiet spots behind rocks, and if wearing swimming goggles, look down to see big fat trouts resting for a moment.

Ok, this is it for the moment, and should you prefer to rest your fat ass on the crowded beaches of Omis, dreaming of another cold beer and a peace of pizza, right you are, as the Adriatic overhere is worth the stay.

But me and those who follow my steps into this fantastic region are the lucky ones !!!!
(And should you prefer some guidance, just ask the people of www.malimlin.com, as they are the friendly professionals knowing many local guides, cheap apartments or magnificent houses, and a lot more to make your stay a special one).

I am just a lucky guy, gladly sharing this information with you, and yes, I do it for free.

(just ?) an old bridge

(click to enlarge)
Don't go looking for this bridge in Omis, as it's not there anymore.
Much from those days is'nt there anymore, still however a lot of old buildings exist.
Center of the old town still is a historic place, worth a short walk (if you can get through the summercrowd).

The history of Omis (called Almissa in old times) goes back many centuries, and however its not Split or Trogir (still my favourite), it still shows nice places, churches, and a couple of interesting ruins.

What makes Omis truly interesting is its UNIQUE LOCATION, with a wide sandy beach, an impressive canyon and the ever lasting beautiful Cetina river flooding through that canyon into the Adriatic Sea.

Many towns along the Adriatic coast would pay a fortune to have this combination,
Omis for some reason still does not seem to see it has GOLD in its hands.
However the town does have its attractive aspects, still a lot (and I do mean a LOT) is missing !!!!

The park for instance is a boaring place, with hardly any flowers, no charming lanterns, no proper footpaths, no atmosphere, it just is what it is, a "park".
The mouth of the Cetina river lacks a pleasant promenade, the border of the river into the canyon is a killing zone for anybody who passes the tunnel trying to have a walk into the canyon, and the traffic through its main street (called Fosal) is a horror (with a couple of white dressed pseudo police assistants who only make things worse).
(Anyone responsable for the traffic "flow" can mail on my address (see header of this blog), 
as there are simple solutions possible until the new bypass tunnel is ready).

If I where to advise the city of Omis, I would organize a congress, inviting each and every investor from Europe to look at the map of Omis, showing all options for developing (ánd making money) in this unique town with no vision at all.

Am I angry, the answer is YES !!!
This town could be one of the hotspots of Dalmatia's coastline, the chicken with the GOLDEN eggs,
but it is'nt, and that realy pisses me of !!!

Come on Omis, history wás, the fútúre is what you should prepare for !!!!
That bridge on the picture has long gone, melted into steel for all cars trying to pass Omis, crossing the replacing bridge in the longest traffic jam Dalmatia has to offer.

How about claiming Omis to have the "longest traffic jam in Dalmatia" ??
Come to experience it for yourself, entrance is free, and you can stay as long as you like !!!!

One of the next blog pages I'll show some other "great" spots Omis has a lot of.

dalmatia for "rock-eaters"

 

There are many reasons to love Dalmatia (Dalmacija).
It's coast, sea, beaches, food, people, weather, nature, archaeology, wines, and many many more.

Of course you can come over for a lazy sun baked beach holiday during a long summer, but why lay down dreaming about another cold beer and a pizza after sunset ?
And why enjoy Dalmatia/Dalmacija during those crowded six summer weeks ?

Why not think for a moment (now !) about all those other days of the year and all (and more !) possibilities to experience the REAL feel of this fantastic Croatian region.

If you're loving to climb in pure nature on perfect limestone, this IS one of the very best options to run from nasty, cold, rainy weather and "eat" some rock almost any time of the year.
Any, truly any rock adventure is possible over here, as long you're not looking for ice or high peaks, and most of the year you can go out in stead of doing some training on an artificial climbing wall.
(Not bad for training, but still not the real stuff).

As an old climbing fanatic (yes folks, I'm getting old), I know what it feels like to go deep water soloing over that stunning blue water of the Adriatic with just shoes and swimming pants to keep you from feeling like Adam (or Eve) in paradise.
I dó know what the difference is between bád rock and góód rock (this limestone feels fantastic), and also I know what it's like when your hands get that "arctic feel" while grabbing for that key grip in some less sun blessed country.
Over here in Dalmatia most of year you can climb pristine routes in excellent rock, and during our lóóóng summer season you can go for some dws (picture #1) or canyoning though the Cetina Canyon (picture #2).

All is possible, some hours, a day or even a whole week, just look at the offer of the experienced guys at www.Avantura.biz.
click here and see for your self

Oh, and by the way, this is NÓT a commercial, and NÓ, I'm not in it for the money !!!!!!!!
But looking at those rock eaters when I do my daily shopping tour driving to Omis through the Cetina Canyon, I thought "there múst be some guys who you can turn to in case you need some initial guiding".
Well, the folks of Avantura offer it all, fully licensed, and if you go to their website you'll see what I mean.

I don't mind getting old, my climbing shoes don't fit me anymore, and most of the time I am lazy (so whát).
But you, yóu and YÓU over there all around the world reading this blog, you can just grab your shoes, your swimming pants, toothbrush and some money (not even much) and go for it.

If you need more prove or some help, just mail me (see header of this blog), and I'll gladly explain to you why I don't live in Holland anymore but in gorgeous Dalmacija !

omis as it once was (part 4)

(click to enlarge)
Not the sharpest picture, but the view into the Cetina Canyon is the same as it once was.
The old road still exists, a modern one was drilled through the rocks.

a lazy moment (out of many lazy moments in hot Dalmatia)

Some like it hot, and if you like it too, come to Dalmatia as hot it is (35 degrees Celsius).
Don't look for me however, I just come out after sunset.
And should you, like me, prefer a more refreshing swim than the Adriatic at this moment, go to the Cetina River, as the water is as clear as the sea, but a lot better to keep you from getting "cooked".

omis as it once was (part 3)

(click and enlarge to have a better look)

old beauty, omis as it was part 2