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

 

omis as it was (and mostly is) part 1

beach, sea and people are still there

waiting for news ?

No, I don't have an office, not a cellphone, nor a blackberry, and as you may know I hardly ever open my mailbox, so why bother to inform you anyway.

Still, summer  in Dalmatia came early this year, with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius in the shadow and the Adriatic at a mild 25 degrees, so all I do is count the steps to the fridge to get me another cold beer, so think it's better to inform you.

If you think "where's the news from the hidden treasure", get up and come for it yourself as without a boss, obligations, targets or stock rates to worry about, you might say I am "out of the office".

Some worth-full/-less tips to you, in case you have to go on holidays and like the sun:
dó come to Croatia but keep going till you reach Omis in Dalmatia.

And remember:
Cold beers grow from all trees here, juicy melons use the land to relax in the sun dreaming of  sugar, and fresh fish and meat are shouting from the grill "help me out of this heat".
Only the grapes are f@cking lazy, hanging out, so order your wine from an earlier year than 2012.
 (Grasevina, Malvasia, Traminac, and many others, getting older they all taste like heaven).

And the Adriatic Sea, that blue miracle and the Cetina River, our clear canyon crusher, they are joining here like they did for hundred thousands of years, one at a mild 25 degrees, the other at a gentle 20 degrees.
So if looking for a change, don't come here, cause here nothing changed ever since.

Forget about being serious, enjoy summer !!!

a small inside bear story

Life's hard for a travelling bear,
but great when it at last retires, having a loving little mother like Beli in the new world.
(Hope it does not drink or smoke thát much anymore).

I, on the other hand, do still smoke and drink, and so is most of Croatia,
still a drinking, smoking country.
Cigarets are fairly cheap here (and even cheaper on the other side of the border in BiH),
and drinking a little "something" is as common as tea (with milk) to an Englishman.

The morning starts of with a small strong home made travarica (herbs) or orahovic(wallnut),
where we Dutch are used to drink our coffee.

On various moments during the day cold beer or wine are usual (not to me, hell no),
most normal at lunchtime, and after a warm heavy day working in the fields, some more will follow.
To me, thát is the moment to share in the pleasure, as during the day I just smoke a few (or more).
But in the evening, when cooking, eating or after it, I do drink a glass (or more).

For those who don't know how to keep their throat wet during sunny summers:
- many good beers are available in Croatia, even import beers like famous Dutch Heineken.
(tip from a Dutchman: use Heineken to clean your glass, thán poor in a true beer).
- wines, red or white there are more than "flies on a horses' droppings",
from a stunning variety of grapes, soils and micro climates.
- a variety of excellent waters, from Jamnica to Radenska, all very tasty !
and of course:
- CC, P, and many other international softdrink giants called .....cola.

this is not america

(Picture by http://www.malimlin.com/, the most friendly touristservice in Omis, Dalmatia).
Have been a couple of times to America (and many other countries), and had a great time overthere for sure.
Since we live in Croatia however, the need (or urge) to cross borders and travel for hours and hours has gone.

For example, this is nearly 1.5 hours drive by car from where we live, and somehow this view reminds me of a part of the USA.
The lake on the picture is called Perucko Jezero, a part or Cetina river, and still I think the whole Cetina area from beginning to end is a miracle and deserves a book to be written about her.

From "head to tail" it's about one hundred kilometers long (or a bit more), but it's character constantly changes and when digging into it's history you'll be amazed, like the old Romans allready were.

It's that stunning combination of history, sceneries, nature and it's total diversity in such a relatively short trip that keeps me from going elsewhere.
Why should I, living in a small country like Croatia, with such a large load of treasures ?!

wine or water, you choose

Not yet, but rapidly the temperature of the Adriatic will be nice enough to go for a swim, the very first swim of this year, to which a lot more will follow.

Since a couple of days air temperature during the day is on and over 25 C. ( about 50 degrees F.)

Everything is growing like hell now, so soon we'll be eating our own "this and that" again, however tomatoes, melons and such still need some time to grow.

The temperature of the sea too is quickly rising, so in a couple of weeks we'll be splashing around in this gorgeous blue ánd clean water.

So, if you still think "ah well, another wet story from that silly dutchman", have a look at this story !!!! :

By Cliff Rames © 2012

Anthony Bourdain: 

”I can’t believe it took me this long….Season 8. It took me to get here. This is f****** awesome.”

Unless you have been hidden away on one of Croatia’s many uninhabited islands (there are over 1,100 of them), by now you have probably heard that Anthony Bourdain of the widely popular Travel Channel TV show, No Reservations, kicked off Season 8 by visiting Croatia.

The episode he filmed in Croatia, called “Coastal Croatia”, was shot over a week’s time back in October 2011 and made its world premier this week on the Travel Channel (Monday, April 23, 2012, 9pm EST).

Reaction to the episode, based on the early buzz and online chatter, has been ecstatic and overwhelmingly positive. Love him or hate him - Bourdain can be a divisive, acerbic personality with a raw, uncensored sense of humor - the “Coastal Croatia” episode is an extremely entertaining, informative, and well-produced piece of travel journalism. It is also quite infectious viewing; I still find myself watching it over and over again. You can too, thanks to the Daily Motion blog, which posted the full episode online (below).

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/relive-croatia-with-tony

If you still think "ah well, it's that silly dutchman again", what élse do I need to tell you ?

And DO have a look at the blog of Cliff Rames called winesofcroatia, as Cliff is a fantastic expert on Croatian (and other wines) who showed me the way through all bottled grape delight that is available in Croatia (and who is a fántástic blogger as well !).

This ís an amazing wine country too, in case you hate swimming.
So, when looking for hidden treasures: come and get it, for wine, sea (and a lot more !!).

mosor mountains in the snow

Not much time to write a lot, busy with a couple of other things, and in case you think "húh snow", it's gone !
The picture however is nice enough to share, and soon I'll have a bit more time to actualise some views.
Still, whenever you look, it's always a magnificant mountainrig to see.

And for those who like to hike, do it, as however it is not the highest nor a climbers mountain, for those who love nature in it's roughest form, it's worth a day or two/three (four or more).
There are excellent maps available in a couple of shops (mail me and I'll tell you where to go), and for those with a gps, there is topographic software too !

And in case you go hiking, there is a mountainhut, but in summer sleeping outside is even nicer.
You won't see snow :-), you'll hardly have rain, just be aware that there is not much water, so take at least two liters per person if you go for a longer hike.
Should you want to experience a higher mountain, Biokovo is waiting for you.

Enjoy nature, Dalmatia has a lot of it, and most of it in pristine condition.

forget about those "windows" screensavers.

Some pictures need no small talk from me.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the view nature gives for free.
(Something "windows" can learn of).

forgotten car

Some dirt grows nicer over time.
Most of the dirt dropped down slopes and along small roads in this pristine nature is a pain in the ass to me, however, this old forgotten car turned into a beauty.

Still there is a (nasty) habit overhere to get rid of garbage a bit further away from the house, sometimes painfully stupid (!!!) as on some spots the view is fantastic, but the same spot an easy place to dump building material, old furniture an died freezers.

Out of town I understand how they manage unseen, as it takes only a couple of minutes to drive up a mountainroad and find a place to dump whatever needs to be dumped.
In towns like Omis however, I simply do not understand how (the hell) it is possible.

So my advise to Omis is to create a job for someone looking for dirtspots and eliminate them as soon as possible, as it's the worst "promotion" a tourist town like Omis can have.
And after the town has been cleaned, I'll gladly drive this inspector around to show him some more places where the view is stunning, but the dumped dirt a bloody shame.

Still, sometimes I must admit, dirt can become beauty !

best buy ever (in Dutch)

As we live in a agricultural environment, with many sun hours and fantastic soil, it's logical that I started to grow my own.
Own what ?
Well, almost everything I think of and we like to eat.
Still not growing my grapes to make my own wine, but time given that will come too.

Beans, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, melons, strawberries, herbs, and a lot more, as everything grows like hell and tastes like heaven !

Not experienced in growing my own (at all), of course I started to check the internet first, and one moment had the luck to find this encyclopedia called Groente & Fruit encyclopedie(Vegetables and Fruit).
It's written by two fantastic Belgian experts, who love to share their experience too !!!
Thanks to those two friendly writers (Luc Dedeene and Guy de Kinder) I recently harvested my very first so called witlof (chicory), a vegetable rather unknown in Dalmatia, but very popular in at least Holland and Belgium (and elsewhere ??).
Either cooked, in a salad, from the oven with cheese and ham, or fresh leaves stuffed with smoked salmon or blue cheese, with a large variety of recipes it's possible to create a delicious vegetable companion to your dinner. 


I started to seed them last year, next took out the carrots after winter, cut the leaves of and put the carrots in some soil in a (it must be) dark box.
As it was the first time, I checked regularly, but today, after two weeks, I have my very first own witlof !!!!

The encyclopedia helps with with a lot of information, so today I made a plan to grow some more fruits, specially figs, as those are as common here as cars in the city or fish in the sea.
And as with cars and fish, the variety of types is amazing.

Two tips I would like to give you:
numero uno: get yourself some growing information.
numero duo: start, whatever small, to grow something yourself, but dó start !!!

You can't imagine how rewarding it is to grow something yourself, and no doubt it will taste better than anything from some store or shop.

All you need is a bit of sunlight, some soil in a pot (or bigger), some seeds or plants, and you'll eat your own parsley, strawberries or garlic.

Or if your lucky like us, your own chicory, figs, melons, cherries, tomatoes, onions, salad and a lot more.
But than you'll have to move to Dalmatia, not a bad idea at all, even for sun loving lazy seaside tourists :-).
So, go for it, or come and get it overhere.

ps. 
Even after you harvested your "witloof", don't (DON'T) put those carrots in the garbage or compost, but try a second time in some fresh soil under a dark cover.
No, you won'' t grow quality witloof crops again, but after some time you'll see small leaves grow out of it, still a delight to add to a salad or dish.


ps 2.
Since I see a lot of visitors to this page (great !!!), anybody who wants to mail me, look at the header of my blog (daar staat m'n mailadres, met uiteraard X=@).
Aan iedereen die dit leest: kóóp dat boek, en begin met eigen teelt, desnoods op uw balkon in een potje of een, twee, drie !!!!
En onthoud: begin simpel, hóu het simpel, maar vooral: BEGIN, want het is écht leuk en écht lekker !

"crvenkrpica", lucky you, if you see this in the wild

You sometimes have to have a little luck, which I did'nt have this time by the way.
It was our friend Robert who had the luck to see this beautifull specimen, called crvenkrpica.
Robert runs Malimlin, a friendly tourist service, where every customer gets the very best service.
(Just enter the word "malimlin" to see their various offer).

Recently he organised a so called geocache, a fast growing activity that takes people out into the wild,
to follow a trace he has created, leading along a lot of splendid spots, ending at..........
No, I would be a bad sport if I gave away where it guides you to, but trust me, he knows what he is doing.
Be sure that this walk will show you why our Zagora is so damned special !

It's the unexpected that amazes me all the time when stepping into our surrounding nature.

So this time Robert had the luck, ánd his camera, to picture a rare snake called crvenkrpica.
If you have a problem pronouncing this almost impossible name, try "tservenkurpitsa".
It helps, like many words in Croatian, to slowly "eat" a word bit by bit.

On the picture a section of the snake, not because I don't want to show it all, but as this part is so beautifull.
It perfectly blends with it's surroundings, still the colours are splendid.
And don't be afraid, it's not a dangerous snake.

To inform you, this is a rare snake, more common is the poskok (nose horned viper) which is dangerous to young and old, not lethal however to grown up healthy people (but look for medical help anyway).
In fact there are three venomous snakes here, all to be treated with respect, which of course goes for everything you happen to see.

But don't let that keep you from discovering our nature, as every encounter is worth it, and that goes for plants, fruits, herbs, birds, animals, reptiles, and of course all of the nature they live in overhere.
Thanks Robert, and have lots of visitors to Malimlin, great for them, good for you.

all together now..........

So in the USA (and everywhere else National Geographic is on the system) they have a guy called "the dog whisperer".
Whoooaaaaa, he only handles one dog at a time, while I manage five cats without even blinking an eye.
And remember, cats are the most stubborn animals next to donkeys.
So dog whisperer, eat you heart out, as one dog is nothing compared to five hairballs.

I never was a catperson, but times change (a bit).
We used to have the best ever dog in the whole world, so why bother about those hairballs called cats.
The dog died of age, years ago now, so since there are cats here, we have them too.

Sometimes even a bit to many, but that may be because we feed them (and well).
Not all, heaven no, but as you can see on the picture we take care of five, and that's more than enough to keep the snakes away.
If I wouldn't be the gatekeeper of cats heaven, I might think of moving to another place in the universe.

And yes, once in a while we see a snake, but relax, either the cats or the smell of my dirty body keeps them far away, so I am pleasantly surprised when I see one once a year at most.
Five cats, one snake, that's a lost match for the snake, mouse or rat (only the rattus fruticus, but also rare).

The cats do not all have names, only the oldest and her daughter have names (Sporky and Mali), the others must live without, and still are on my "to do list", meaning they have to be moved to somewhere else.

Ahhhhhhh, you mean you kick them out ?
Yes, it's either kill them after they are born or feed and educate them till they are self supporting enough.
Overhere it's not uncommon a hunter shoots a couple away when there are too many around, but I don't have a gun, and I guess I am slightly more humane or at least a bit less brutal.

All of them cats have their own way of living around the house, most of them strolling around in nature (hunting snakes ?), only the albino white one stays very close, and accompanies us day and night when we're sitting outside.

Pleasant company I might say, but hey.....I am not a cat person !
(Pussycat, pussy, hey pussy, come on pussy, sit next to me and tell me some pussy story).