visit Omis

There's a new kid on the block in Omis.

His name is www.visit-omis.com.

People who follow my "no good for nothing" pages, 

know I always try to add some interesting details, so you decide to make Omis (and surroundings !!) your choice to spend your holidays.

Much to my surprise a new website showed up, using the gap the official tourist website still didn't fill.

I wont go into details about that old fashioned tz.website,
just want to say:
"WAKE UP TZ " as season 2014 has started !

Ok, back to "visit Omis" as I love fresh initiatives that present and promote the many opportunities Omis has to offer.

And that's a lot more than "just" the old centre or the large sandy, kids friendly beach.

I truly and strongly believe Omis has the bést possibilities to become thé place to go.

Ok, there are no discotheques, and still I am looking for a restaurant that does nót serve pizza's.

Ah, and being negative for once, a walk along the Cetina is close to a death wish, as your every step is shared with passing cars.

(Do contact me for a simple, inexpensive solution, creating a basic, 

yet pleasant footpath from Omis to let's say Kastil Slanica). 

But apart from these small flaws, Omis has it áll.

And with áll I do mean ALL.

Give me óne place where there is such a beach, such a canyon, such charming town centre, so much magnificent nature and so many active sports (even for lazy people like me).

Give me óne place close to Split, Trogir, Makarska, Salona, even Dubrovnik, with highway and airport near  enough,
but not disturbing your well deserved peace.

Give me, to continue, óne place with Mosor, Omiska Dinara, Biokovo, even Krka and so much more within reach.

And to finish this list, as a bonus you get the Dalmatinska Zagora, with móre hidden gems than many people will ever discover.
Dó make that trip, keeping the Cetina on your léft. following the entire river from end to beginning, stopping in Blato, Trilj, Grab, Sinj, with a swim in Perusko Lake, perhaps even a hike on Dinara, the border mountains (with the highest peak of all Croatia), to end at the very beginning of the river in the village called Cetina
(what's in a name).
As than you'll understand our love for this specific area of Dalmatia.

In short, we left Holland to live here in Svinisce,
and we love every minute here.

Driving down takes only five minutes to reach the Cetina (delicious swimming on a hot summer's day), five more to go to Brzet's beaches and coves and our favourite restaurant Zvizdan (serving pizza's, but also some other nicely prepared food). 

And for shopping there are plenty possibilities, and if you don't like the service of Studenac (with a ridiculous empty bottle system), it takes less than half an hour to shop in either Lidl, Kaufland, the mega Konzum or even City Center One.

As soon as Studenac (great store, great offer, nice workers) decides to upgrade it's service with a decent machine to put in empty bottles I'll be the first to tell !!

Enough ! Gotovo !

I just wanted to tell there is a new website,
called www.visit-omis.com

So better have a look yourself, and once there, look at the page called www.podaspilje.com as it is one of the perfect offers for people who like to have it all.
(Peace, nature, a stunning panorama,
and still less than ten minutes from all Omis has to offer).

PS. 
I am in nó way connected to any of the offers written on this page.
I am just the piano player, so to say :-)

W.T.F. makes Svinisce so d*mned UNIQUE :-)

(Click to enlarge).

Can anybody tell me what makes Svinisce só unique !

Nobody ?

Ok than, if nobody answers I will :-).

Because it's hére, high up from Omis, and deep down behind the coastal mountains of Omiska Dinara.

About 270 meters above sea level and Omis, hidden from the Adriatic behind 600 meters mountain rig.

A green oasis, sprinkles with grapes, olives, a variety of fruits (cherries, figs, melons, strawberries)
and loads of fresh vegetables.

One tiny village, with normal people, living a social life, gathering in bad ánd good times, 

of which there are so many in Inland Dalmatia.

All of them, by they way, worth to be discovered.
As it's there, ánd here, 

that the true Dalmatian heart is beating.

Nót because of tourists bringing money in exchange for some "genuine" entertainment, 

but because it's the way of life here.

But that ain't all :-) !!

We may be living high and deep,
and in our own paradise,
we're not foolish (in case you might think so :-).

If we want, it's 5 (FIVE !!!) minutes down the mountain by car, and we're in the middle of the Cetina Canyon, where boats are shipping tourist cargo to and fro Radmanova Mlinice.

There we have our "private" little meadow at the river for a quick refreshing hot summer swim.

Still that ain't all :-) !!!!

As another 5 (FIVE !!!) or so minutes, we drive through Omis, turn right into the very first road outside town, and go to our "private" beach at a terrace/restaurant called Zvizdan.

Away from the massive crowds on Omis's beach, we take a dive in the Adriatic, preferably in the later afternoon, followed by some good cooked fish or meat, served less than ten meters from the sea.

And around ten in the evening we return home,
five back, five up, and thán:

as it's still not all:

We enjoy the móst precious we've got here.

! SILENCE !

Pure, natural, pristine, forgotten silence, with only the sound of crickets and/or an owl.

Plus, and that's not bad after a hot summer's day, in our valley evening temperature is about five degrees lower than at the coast.

So, if you plan to visit Dalmatia, do not try to find what you're looking for at the coast, but turn your head towards all of them tiny villages just a couple of minutes beyond the coastal mountain rig.

As thát's what makes staying in Svinisce 
(and nearby villages) unique.

And if lucky, join one of our many festivities, nót organised because of tourism,
but because they happen to happen.

(-: And there are a lót :-)

And if this ain't enough:
Split - 30 minutes
Omis - 10 minutes
Trogir - 50 minutes
Biokovo - 45 minutes
Dubrovnik - 150 minutes

PS.

check: 

www.total-inland-dalmatia.com
or

www.secretdalmatia.com
or
www.total-split.com

or

www.malimlin.com

And (I keep telling) anybody with a question
or remark,
do feel free to send me an email.
The address is in the header of this blog.

FOSAL.HR, a new local informative website

Recently a new website was launched in Omis.

Only available in Croatian language, but that's pretty normal, 
as it's specially for the citizens of Omis :-)
For others, like me as a Dutchman living here, 
there is the help of Google Translate.

For all people from Omis, especially for those who live anywhere else on the globe nowadays,
it's very interesting and informative, 
specially because new visions occur in Omis.

As a happily living foreigner living near Omis, 
politics are not my thing.
I just observe, and what I read and hear looks like at last Omis is stepping up to the position it deserves.

THE CHICKEN WITH 
THE GOLDEN EGGS 

And it looks like the new mayor, dr. Kovacic, is finally taking care of Omis the way it deserves.
As Omis has a unique combination of possibilities, 
with sandy beaches, Cetina river, an old centre and a tremendous lot of breath taking nature around.
(And a couple of problems to be solved).


So, besides well known Slobodna Dalmacija, now there is:

www.fosal.hr

So dó follow the local news and dó see that website.

how and why ?

About 1800 kilometers from the country we were born, grew up and worked all our life, that's where we live now.

Leaving Holland, with it's Rembrandt's, it's tulips, it's green meadows and cows, what makes people make such move ?
What drives two "strangers" to change such an easy and friendly country to a completely new life, with a not so easy to speak or understand new language ?

Was it the sunny climate, the clear blue Adriatic, good food and even better wines ?
All of it !!!

The climate is nice, at least most of the year, however summers are a bit on the hot side, and winters can be pretty cold in our valley, with even some days of thick snow.
And yes, the Adriatic is stunningly blue, clear are of a very pleasant temperature during a long summer.
Not to mention the food, quality meat, fresh fish, organic vegetables and a variety of fruits.

But all of that is nothing compared to our peace, our silence, our nature, stars, birds, herbs, flowers, our surrounding mountains, and our breath taking panorama.
And, as it showed, our very friendly neighbors and friends, making us part of an active social life.

!!! All of it, ALL OF IT !!!

Once you open your heart to truly experience Dalmatia, not only the "excursion type of experience", but the "dive in and swim" type.
As that's what makes you fall in love with this part of the country.

Nothing negative than ?
Hell yes, you have to fight yourself through a lot of paperwork, have to get used to other habits, even have to accept Croatia has a different kind of bureaucracy (and it's very complicated and giving one many headaches).

But...........it's all worth it !!!!

This life, waking up in this life is almost better than life as a whole, or to say it in other words, this IS life.

Birds are singing, stars still visible, silence is complete, and all we grow on our land tastes ten times better than any well assorted supermarket can offer you.

Nothing comes easy, to burn a wood-fire in winter means cutting wood after summer, eating our own vegetables, fruits and potatoes means taking care of them first, and you only have eggs if you have chickens (at least this quality).

My dentist in Split (and a splendid one too in case you need one) once surprised me by asking: "are you (doomsday) preppers" ?
The question made me smile, as that's certainly not what we are.

Connected to electricity, water, internet, having airco's and freezers, we are common people, connected to common modern life as most of us are in the western world.
But we're privileged and blessed to have moved from over-organized Holland to the hidden beauties of Dalmatia.

That's how, and that's why !

they did it (in Hotel Villa Dvor)

Congratulations to Hotel Villa Dvor in Omis,
as they finished an almost impossible job !

They managed to build an elevator through solid rock, and finished it as planned.
(Some other efforts to create tunnels in and around Omis seem to be taking a "bit" longer).

The hotel is on a magnificent location, high above the summer crowds, on a, no...... the most beautiful spot.
High above the Cetina river, overlooking both town and canyon, with no doubt a very friendly owner's family to make your stay a true Dalmatian experience.

Gentle hospitality, organic quality food, excellent rooms, and all of it on this location, what more can a visitor want.

I highly recommend this hotel, run by the Curlin family, in my true opinion the best place to spend a couple of days and nights (if not a long stay).

Have a look at their website (www.hotel-villadvor.hr) and you'll see what I mean.

And in case you wonder: no, I still sleep in Svinisce, and yes I still pay for my espresso, even there !
But I just had to both congratulate the people of the hotel and at the same time let you know there is a magnificent place to stay when visiting Omis.

And forget about those stairs, as they are as much history as the palace of Diocletian in Split.
This is 2013, this is elevator time !

just in case

Because I am busy, not just a bit, but VERY busy, while I drink my evening coffee, I may as well write the shortest text ever in this blog.

Just in case you plan to visit Dalmatia, and look for some professional help, see www.malimlin.com, as there my good friend and travel companion does a splendid job.

He and I often go around to explore unknown places, being nature, culture or history.
To me it's all just for the fun of it, he however shares his expertise with his clients.

So if you come to Dalmatia, check his office in Omis, as he can and will offer you the very best service, so you have a fantastic holiday.

Rooms, excursions, a car, a good tip, ask Robert, it's his profession, his pride and joy, and....your holiday !!

Coffee empty, back to work.
(Just kidding, all I do is hobby, slavery is history, but I still have many hobbies).

what a night (in Omis).

Omis by night.
Just one of the many fantastic places to enjoy in Dalmatia.

You readers know I like to share dalmatian highlights with you, places I like, things we enjoy living here.
But I wanted to extend my audience to a larger scale than the limits of my blog.

Having written a couple of items on Virtual Tourist's website, I decided to share this link with you, as on VT there is a lot more info, as I am not the only "idiot" loving Dalmatia and sharing info with the world.

So here it is: click on the link: at VT there's a lot more and you'll find a lot more.
The good thing is that many others publish there.
Don't be afraid, I will of course continue to add special details to my blog, but if interested, Virtual Tourist is a great place to look around, ask questions and find answers.

I just hope you keep following this blog, and even more, I hope you don't decide to fly to China, Argentina or Holland now I told you where to look or to enjoy superior nature or historic towns in those countries.
VT is sharing the whole world with the whole world, with thousands of local specialists.

I prefer to stay your local "specialist" for our surroundings, and believe me, I've seen many countries,
but nothing beats Dalmatia !!!

So yes, I'll add some interesting spots to my VT-pages too, but no, I will not fly to any other country anymore, as having seen a lot, this country still is so damned nice, with such a load of interesting, beautiful  special places, I truly would be an idiot if I hopped over oceans, while having it all here !!!!

Switserland ?, Austria ?, no ,this also is Dalmatia !!!!!

So up we went, up the road into Biokovo, heading for the summit at Sv. Jure, but happy with every meter less as long as we found snow.

And snow we found, already at 3000 ft. (1000 meters), driving carefully on a clean road, surrounded by sometimes a meter or more of snow walls left and right.

We are the lucky ones, we live here all year round, but to those who think Dalmatia is only worth a summer visit, wrong you are indeed.

Sad enough there are no prepared pistes (why not, on the N/E side ?), but for people who like the unbelievable combination of winter sun at the Adriatic combined with a winter wonderland like this, a stay in or around Makarska is certainly a good advice.

As it's still winter, not all days are as good, but who cares, as you can always plan a trip to Split, visiting one of the many museums, a concert or one of the enormous modern shopping malls (City Center One for instance), or just sit back at one of the many terraces, covered from wind or rain, with a good book and a good glass.

But íf it's one of those (also) many sunny days, any trip into the Dalmatinska Zagora (the hinterland) or Biokovo Mountain shows you how beautiful Dalmatia is before the beaches are covered with sun seeking lazy relaxing tourists.

And do see my previous page about Makarska's best pastries, a great way to finish an afternoon's walk in the "Alps".

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.

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.