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.

jobs, laws, religion and politics in Croatia

Glad you found my blog, but I'll have to disappoint you first.

I do not write about politics.
Nor religion, jobs, laws and such.

When I write my little "no goods for nothings",
I have only two objectives:
fun and focus.
The fun is in being inspired by something, anything, and writing about it.
If you somehow get inspired from it, well great,
as than I scored my first point.

Having my fun, I hope (and try) to make you focus on this part of Croatia, perhaps when thinking of where to enjoy your next summer holidays, or even, like we did, settle down to enjoy your retired life.

If you think I am blind or ignorant for things related to jobs (and the lack of it here), laws (every day a new one), religion (any religion is a good one) or politics (and everything connected to it),
I must disappoint you again .

I'm not !
However, those are things I can't change, so I don't bother.
If you do, still enjoy reading my blog,
as there is more than those things.

Was invited today to become "Expat blog of the month" and willingly (even honored) agreed to the invitation.
The more people discover our hidden treasure, the better.
As long as you don't all come together :-), spoiling the magic.

And if you can make the difference for the benefit of Croatia, being an investor or (just) an idealist with good intentions, I warmly welcome you to this fantastic country.

I'll continue (together with my wife and a number of cats),
to enjoy life here.
Most of the time great weather, just beautiful nature, sometimes frowning my eyebrows, but always happy.

JA VOLIM DALMACIJA,
and I/we have a trillion reasons for that !


PS.
Gonna take care of our tomatoes again now.
If you like, you can always mail me, 
the address is in the top right side of the front page.

from 1 to 250: IT'S PARTY TIME !!!

!!! 250 BLOG PAGES !!!

What started a couple of years ago with the simple intention to amuse myself with all the pictures I already had of Svinisce and surroundings, turned to be a fantastic way to show how great life is in Dalmacija to all you visitors.

Started in Dutch, I rapidly changed to English, however not my native language, the better way to communicate with the world.

Sorry for all them Dutch and Croatian visitors who do not understand English, but there still is Google Translate to get an idea of what it's all about.
(And if that does not work for you, you can still enjoy the pictures I made and make on many occasions and many splendid locations).

Will I stop at 250, be sure I won't, I've just started !

I just started to discover the so many splendid locations in Dalmatia, and gonna need them "another hundred years" (jos sto godine) people wish one here on birthdays and such.

So don't worry, I love our life here, and for SURE gonna stay here in Svinisce, together with my wife Nives.

And for once I am gonna give my mail address here, however it's always in the top right side of the main page of this blog about our hidden secret.

If you feel like write, comment, ask, congratulate, here it is:

pimdevosOgmail.com
Of course O=@, you dummy spambots !

One for the road:
Life is great, even greater in Croatia, and the very greatest in magnificent Dalmacija !
Go to Split, than Omis, than along the Cetina towards Kucice, first road on your right up the mountain, turn right at blue sign Modris, drive on and stop when seeing a gardenhouse down at the left.
There you walk down and turn your face south and you'll understand why we live here !

Sit down on one of our chairs, breath in the smell of herbs and fresh air, listen to the silence, the crickets and the birds, 
and ask for a drink.

Be sure I'll accompany you (as any visitor here is a friend), and I'll enjoy our view together with you, as it's the VERY BEST, 
every moment of the day and even the night.

Hope to see you some day in Dalmacija.

My wish to all of you: Enjoy Life, JOS STO GODINE !

the RED KING of Dalmatian summer !

Should you be in, or planning to go to Dalmatia, try to get some locally grown tomatoes (like mine).
Not from the shop, perhaps not even from the market,
but absolutely and 100 % home grown (domaci),
as they are the true RED KINGS of Dalmatian summer.

Many times I sit behind my pc and think, now what else to convince people to come to Dalmatia.
Well, our tomatoes could be the perfect reason.

Won't bother you with a load of recipes, I can cook and so can you, and if you're searching for inspiration, on the internet there are trillions of sites and blogs about cooking.

Inspiration to write this little "no good for nothing" is that I ran around in our garden today to pick the best (and second best)
Kings of Croatian summer.
Picked ten kilos today, of various sorts I planted, and they are slowly cooking to prepare the very best sauce for either pizza's, soups, or whatever recipe I think of during the less sunny days of winter.
(Reduced to thick sauce, into the freezer, waiting to be used).

Reason to pick now is that also tomatoes show a risk of sunburn.
Those that are hanging out in the open, not hidden by some leaves, get an overload of sun, making them look like British who get of the beach on their first day in sunshine.
Burned and blistered.

I don't spray anything, add nothing, just give them sufficient water and a bit of t.l.c. and wham, there they hang, as simple as.......... one plus one is.........a lot.
And with a lot I mean a whole lot.

So picking ten kilos is nothing, and tomorrow I am afraid, I have to make the same trip along them plants.

I grow them from Dutch seeds, planting different types like little cherries (the sweetest), roma (the nicest for salads) and a thick fat heavy type for cooking purposes.
To get the nicest taste I mix them when I start cooking, and if some little bug built a little house in it, no problem, my nife brings them to another place (to the compost my little digging friends).

So if you think what inspires me to blog, well, here it is, tomatoes.
Tomatoes, the RED KINGS of summer in Dalmacija.

If coming to Dalmacija the first time, be aware, sun is HOT here !


P.S.
Scientists in America are researching the taste of tomatoes.
Stop it guys, research malaria, or better tasting Heineken beer. 
As I and my fellow Dalmatians solved the tomato problem already.

celebrating Sveti Ivan

 

 

Some years ago, a tiny fire on our land, introduced us to an old "Catholic" tradition.
Lots of Saint's days in Croatia, and Sveti Ivan, the day of Holy Ivan (Sveti = Holy) is one of them.
Some of those Saint's days just come and go, some other are celebrated in for instance Split, Solin or Trogir.
(Don't ask me when, how or why).

Overhere, in our neighborhood a couple are worth mentioning:
Sveti Marko, on which day a sermon is held at an old chapel on a mountaintop.
Funny detail of that day is that the crowd circles the chapel three times, to ask for a good harvest.
Sveti Jure, another sermon another chapel, another mountaintop, high on the ridge between us and the sea.
A straining climb, followed by a gathering around the chapel, and after the catholic sermon, a pick-nick and on returning home, picking herbs to make one of those many liqueurs (this one called Travarica).

And than there is Sveti Ivan, the day we adopted, to share our happiness with neighbors and friends.
Being a (pretty good) hobby cook, I prepare a "grand buffet" for all our friends and take care there is plenty of refreshments.

What started with some close neighbors, a small fire, a beer and "goodnight" again, grew to be a great gathering with about 40 people (and increasing !!), a huge  fire and a great evening together.

We feel at home here, and are invited many times here or there to hop in for a drink or a diner, so this is the perfect way to say THANKS/HVALA to all our friends !

Of course we're not only depending on all those Saints, we've got many occasions through the year where we meet and help each other (picking grapes or olives, planting potatoes or cleaning our roadsides).
The great thing of life here is that it's still a true community, sharing each and every moment.
And most of those moments are a good excuse to eat, drink and sing together.

Many more happy days to follow, with once in a while a sad day too, but all of those moments and days are shared together, and that makes life here more than special.

Lucky you, if you experience one of those moments during your holidays in Dalmacija.
You might one day decide to do like we did.
Living in paradise.

As that's what it feels like.

Virtual Tourist: see you some day in Real Paradise.

Left Giampiero, the general manager of VT, and a really good guy.

Dear readers of my blog and good people on VT
( www.virtualtourist.com ).
Until recent I not only wrote my blog but also my informative pages on Virtual Tourist.
Inspiring visitors, giving free tips, answering questions to my best knowledge, having great fun !

Until recent, as a while ago some member called Misseille started to nag about me entering commercial info.
Mind you, I do everything for fun, as I freed myself from commercial activity, and pay my own beers.
Slowly increasing her sarcasm, she brought me to the point of leaving VT's pages.
Very sad, but yes, even in the Virtual world there are people like her, spoiling whatever is unspoiled, turning good mood into a bad mood.
Want to send her a message, go to her VTpages at "Missile", wishing her just a bit of the luck I enjoy.
Tell her open minded communication between honest humans always prevents a war to start.
And in this case I also know who lost it !

The Eagles have a fantastic song on their latest album, singing
"Get over it".
Well, I did and I do, so I closed my VT-account to free myself from her non productive negativism.

As we live here in a little paradise, surrounded by fantastic nature and charming people (and a couple of cats), on the very best location to discover Dalmatia's hidden secrets.
That, and only that is my reason to write, in English, as I want you to know where to go if you are visiting Dalmatia.

Of course there are many ways to experience Croatia's beauties, being a lazy beach holiday at the Adriatic or a trip to Plitvice Lakes or cities like Dubrovnik, Split and Trogir (don't ignore Trogir, please !!!).

And if staying here, close to or in Omis, a lot more is waiting for you, like the Cetina River, Biokovo Nature Park and much, MUCH more.
Hell there is MORE, but you have to open your eyes, ears and heart !

Zooming in, on an organised trip or better, on your own, with an open mind into the open, brings you to discover many hidden pearls, little secrets that are not frequented by regular tourists.
That's what I want you to understand and discover.
If my blog helps you to do so, that's my GOLDEN reward.
(And if you need some help, mail me, the address is in the header).

So, from now on, no more VT pages, only my good old blog, with daily little things combined with pictures and stories about fantastic spots and experiences in this stunning area.
Many of them hidden to most of you.

I might even use the VT-flag once in a while on a picture, as I still have it, and to ensure you all I have no bad feelings about VT as a whole.
Real People behind Real Places they say, and I couldn't agree more.
To bad in the real world there are also real people who are a
"pain in the ass".
So best to do is to kick ass if something really bothers you.

Bye bye VT, back to be a HL*) again, my blog pages are waiting.
In one of the next pages I will put some links to professionals who do a great job here, in case you want to use their splendid service.
But only if you need them, as I do it all for free, because I love this country, and they do it for money AND because AND because they love it too.

Or as they say it in Croatian:
JA VOLIM DALMATIA.

*) a Happy Local again).

PS.
Anybody wanting to comment or write me, my address is in the header of this blog.

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 !

wonderful world

Discovering the globe; it all starts with some local explorations.
That goes for kittens as well as humans.

After some mild rain yesterday, today is as usual, great weather, clear blue skies and a mild 20 C. in the morning.
(And coming week temperature even goes into the 25 degrees, not bad :-).

Everything on our land is growing rapidly, potatoes have been planted, so now it's all a matter of keeping things going with a bit of water and some tlc.

Later this spring we'll enjoy cherries from the trees, first strawberries, young salads, into summer it's melon time, as also a lot of melons have been planted.

Producing (and reproducing) a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers is one of my to many hobbies, and the land we've got is the most fantastic lot (all friends around say).

Still have many other hobbies, pure practical and theoretical (researching Roman history in this area for instance), all of it for the fun of it, as only being in it for the money is history to me (happily retired).

And of course I explore our world like those young cats, as amazed as they are, step af step after step into this gorgeous area.

one, two, three

Recently one of our "house" cats gave bearth to six kittens.
One red, two white, three grey, but that's how it goes here, with many fathers involved in love affairs.

House cats means they live around the house, some on a distance, some less shy, all of them always looking for some food to add to the daily menu hunted around the house.

Many people here have some farm cats, keeping mice or a passing snake at a pleasant distance.
Most of them just use people to get an extra meal, some of them, like ours :-), become friends.

We enjoy their company, like we enjoy all life around us, and as long as they don't enter our house it's ok.
Following bearth and the growing up of these little "raskals" is pure fun, making us smile every day.

Still not real cat persons (dogs still are our favorites) we share our happy life here with these animals, as much amazed about the beauty of life in the Dalmatinska Zagora as this little white "monster".

if you don't like this view, check some other blog !

One of the many views from our valley.

Previous blogpost, with the "erotic" figs showed a close up, this one shows an immense panorama.
Whatever you like or choose, it's all here !
And "here" is in and around our valley, in the Dalmatinska Zagora.
And NO, before you ask, a trip of let's say 1 hour already opens your eyes and heart.
(Within a circle of 2 hours there is more than for just one holiday).

All people love our coast, thousands come for a splendid holiday.
Most of them enjoy themselves in and at the Adriatic, which is fine of course.
Lot's of them go to see antique cities like Split or Trogir (my favorite by the way).
And many go for some excursion, a couple of hours rafting on the Cetina, a visit of Biokovo.
All of it great, all of it perfect.
(When going for a rafting sensation, choose the better ones, as penny wise is still pound foolish".

.....................However....................
You need either have the right "expedition spirit" or a well informed local guide (like me:-).
Ho, before you think I look for a job, I don't !!!!

Should you however insist, I am sometimes in a good mood, and if I like you, I might consider to take you to some fantastic, hardly known, superb spots.

As living here, I regularly get into my car and drive a bit around, chasing beauties.
For instance, in case you want to go on your own, check this one:

Drive from Svinisce to Kucice, than on (and on) along the Cetina deep left of you, till you see a sign Slime.
Turn right, away from the Cetina, up the mountain road, till you are actually in Slime.
There you'll see a sign, right again, at a next road up, heading for Konoba Tadic.
Up you drive, narrow but all of them good roads, till you reach that konoba (restaurant in Croatian).

The view from their terrace is truly amazing, far, really far over the land deep below, deep into Bosnia.
Sit down, ask for a drink, perhaps even a lunch, and enjoy the panorama.

And ask the owner if you can see his old stone houses, as they are truly beautiful  with loads of prsut (the famous Dalmatian dried smoked aged ham.

There, dear reader, you will discover what this blog is all about.
And that is only one of the many secrets, most tourists never get to see, which is a pity and a shame.
Why ?

Because the Dalmatinska Zagora hides thousands of beauties, and promotion of the Dalmatinska Zagora should be done by people who love to share it's beauty, not necessarily grabbing for your money in the first place.

Sorry to say, many "excursions" are only meant to sell you some surrogate, like a thin soup made of much water and a tiny peace of meat.
I know, I know, people have to earn a living, but do you come to Dalmatia to sponsor it's economy or do you come for a unique experience, making you fall in love, making you come back !!!
And again and again and again.

Perhaps ending in living here, like we did.
Guess you understand now why we left Holland :-).

Feel free to mail me, the address is in the header of this blog.
Also you can check my pages on Virtual Tourist ( VT ), also with a contact address.
I am always open to relevant questions, and because I protect my freedom, I can always connect you to some truly good people, who give you value for money !

I (did) HATE cats

Did I say, I did hate cats, especially when we still had our dog, but that was a dislike I shared with our dog.
The dog passed away after a more than happy life, and as no other dog could even compare to our dog, no animal came to fill the gap.

Until, until we moved to Dalmacija, to our hidden valley, where having cats is as normal as not having snakes, as cats take care of snakes that come a bit to close for comfort.
We didn't even buy or get cats, they just showed up one day.

The black/grey cat for instance, showed up one day, in a terrible state, crying for some food.
From the looks came her name "Sporki".
(She looked like a dirty carpet, translated in Croatian: "Sporki tapet").

Most other cats don't have a name, just "white", "red" or "black" (not on this picture) is ok, as long as they get their daily portion of food.
None of them comes into the house, that's óur territory, they all are free cats, hunting and sleeping when and wherever they like.
We just get their love when they want their meal, and hurry up please !

And much to my surprise I turned from a notorious cat hater into an amused cat lover.
(As long as they stay outside, as inside is and will be my territory, where only dogs are allowed).
Each of them has a specific character and habits, and it's fun to observe them.

Dalmacija does change people !

simple life, good food: DOMACI !!!!

Perhaps the word "DOMACI"does not mean a thing to you, so I guess I must explain that first.
Domaci simply means (traditionally) home made.

Here in our little village (and many villages of Croatia) much of the food still is grown, harvested, prepared ánd eaten in a traditional way.
In other words, people still take pride in making their own.

Wine, olive oil, rakia (pure booze, as a basis for orachovic, travarica and more), all year around home grown vegetables, fruits, potatoes, chickens, eggs ánd.........pigs for a lot of excellent home made meat products in different styles.

Well, let me tell you a bit about those pigs.
After summer has gone people buy one, two or more pigs, depending on the price and the space to keep them.
Long before those pigs arrive figs are harvested and sun dried, and pig food is growing in the gardens.
Those pigs get the very best they can get, all of it organic, in order to put them on a healthy and tasty diet.
The main goal is not to get bigger or fatter pigs, but to get bétter pigs with bétter meat.

All life ends some day, also for happy pigs, as on a cold December day they are butchered, after which the real deal starts, preparing a wide variety of delicacies.
The famous prsut, that delicious salted, smoked, dried, ripened ham for instance, and believe me, you will never ever taste any better than those hams made by local people.
If you have the luck to have good friends in Croatia, ask thém for a slice of their domaci prsut, and you'll never think again the prsut sold in stores is the real stuff.

It would take a while to explain what comes from a good pig, simply everything is used, processed into many delicious sausages, bacon, pancetta, and even the bones are smoked/dried, to provide a basis for delicious food.
AND.....it's all free of chemicals, tenderizers, preservatives and antibiotics.
Which is a good thing to think about when you buy your daily portion of polythene wrapped food.

On the picture my very own ingredients for a great stew, all of it organic, all of it as tasty as hell, nutritious and nót malicious !!!

Food is, and should be, more than filling your tummy.
Domaci is the answer !

Still, I am not a "green fanatic", I drink my coke, I smoke, and on hot summer days the airco does its job, but a lot of things are truly an improvement of our life and a pleasure to learn.
And learn we do, évery day, from all good people around us, and from giving it a try.

So when visiting Dalmatia, try to experience the Zagora (the hinterland), as in those small villages it's still happening, passed on by proud people.

If thinking about a better diet, think about better food first.
And that's not coming from large factories with clever marketeers.

Don't eat LESS, eat BETTER.

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 !

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.

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.