Omiš – Day 9 / 10 – Pirates and Vagabonds

(Picture above is Omiš from the top of the Pirate Castle)

“Scenic route or just get there route?”

That is the obligatory debate that Molli and I usually have on driving vacations. With at least five hours of driving ahead to get to Omiš (pronounced “Oh-mish”), I wanted the practical one. Molli likes the route of the Vagabond. I understand why, so we chose to go scenic. However, we got stuck at a long toll booth line that must have been about five miles long (no kidding). Eventually getting past it, we found ourselves in another not-going-anywhere traffic jam not even 30 minutes later. That’s it. No more scenic route today. We hit the autostrade to see if I could keep up with the BMWs and Alfa Romeos heading South. We managed to turn a five hour trip into seven, arriving in Omiš near dinnertime. We were surprised at the development all along the coast with tons of Europeans vacationing here. We could see why in an instant. The water is a clear blue that allows a view to the sea floor. Granite mountains line the coast for a topographical contrast that adds majesty to the serenity of the water.

Katarina, an employee of the apartment owner in Omiš, checked us into “Villa Mama”. It definitely has the greatest charm of all our stops. We didn’t realize when we booked it that it is located in the Omiš Old Town – pedestrian only area. That made it even more quaint. Our place is on the second floor of an old rock house that has modern renovations. The best part of the apartment would be its exposed rock walls from the original construction (maybe in the 16th century?) if not for the tree top view of the Romanesque town bell tower and the lower section of an old pirate castle. The castle hovers on a craggy mountain slab above the aging buildings as a looming threat that pillaging can occur without warning. So, visitor, beware.

At 5:30 a.m. on Day 10, that beautiful, classic, ancient bell tower that we happily observed from our window before bed became our nemesis in an instant of bell ringing. Maybe the pirates were conspiring against us and decided to plunder our sleep. We won’t be found guilty of getting too much sleep on this vacation. Much of it out of our control.

After breakfast in our apartment, we began the day’s discoveries, focusing first on the pirate castle. The walkways up to it were a combination of stones and pebbles and fell in uneven lengths, shapes and gates. It truly seemed as if the path had been created by a bunch of carefree, drunken sailors with eye patches. We all made the climb though and had an awesome panoramic view of Omiš and the harbor.

By afternoon, the beach was calling us for our first swim on this trip. The local beach was rocky and crowded, but very convenient. Cold water was not a surprise and didn’t deter us from getting in – except Molli, who I have concluded has snake blood, as she always has to warm herself, even in the summertime. Tate was able to try out his new underwater camera he received for his birthday. We saw a few fish right around our feet, unfazed by us until the kids tried to grab them with their hands.

With our fill of the sun, dinner outside at dusk was an appropriate conclusion, followed by more gelato. We love this stuff.

The people of Croatia have been extremely kind, almost all speaking multiple languages as this is a popular destination for Italians, Germans, and Czechs on holiday. However, English is spoken by most without complaint. With Croatian being a Slavic language, we have been able to cheat some and use Czech words at times. It has been rare to run into other native English speakers, but we have not felt out of place – even though we may be the most foreign of all. One of the Croatian “gelatoristas” gave us a big “thumbs up” after learning we are from the U.S.

I’ll end this post with something that occurred at the end of our first night in Omiš. We had a very nice dinner in a small square at a place called Vagabundo (“Vagabond”). At the end of dinner a boy about Grant’s age came up and said in English, “My name is Marco, I’m Croatian and I want to know if he could play with me,” as he pointed at Grant. Although initially shy, Grant got up and spent some time making a new friend. Marco’s parents, Anna and “H”, chatted with us as we prepared to leave. They were very pleasant and gave us contact information in case we needed assistance while in Omiš. We learned that they spent three weeks in the U.S. last summer, traveling from Boston to Miami. They also like to host U.S. exchange students at their home in Zagreb so their kids can keep up with their English.

The unexpected introductions and encounters with others can often create some of the favorite memories after a trip has ended. It is unlikely that Grant and Marco will see each other again, but they are likely to remember that one evening in Omiš, Croatia when they first met.