As a part of my research dissertation, I found that communities living in terrain difficult to navigate tended to be much more independently-minded, that a period of habitual isolation led those communities to develop unique cultures that they were incredibly reluctant to shake off, and thereby made integration within a large state difficult. In my case, that terrain was geographic islands, but examples show this to be the case within mountain ranges, as well; look to the Himalayas or the Caucasus, and you'll find small yet spirited communities eager to defend their autonomy, by force if deemed necessary.

What does all this have to do with this picture, you may ask? Well, what you see here is a section of the Dalmatian Mountains, part of a wider mountain range known as the Dinaric (pronounced Dinaritz) Alps, which runs down the western side of the Balkans from the Italian border to Albania. In places like this, the mountains create only the thinnest stretch of flat lands between the inclines and the sea, effectively shielding any settlements there from major attacks and political events from the outside. It is most likely why Dalmatians, while proud Croats, think of themselves as different to their fellow citizens in Istria and Zagreb, particularly in Omiš. There's a whole different dialect of Croatian here that even some from the Croatian capital would struggle to understand, with differing pronunciations and some words derived from Italian.

Regarding the photo itself, this was taken from a boat trip up a small river to a national park. While I prefer flight to nautical adventures, this was a very nice trip, not least for the view offered.

Hope you enjoy!