Omiš

I forgot to mention Omiš   (with a 'sh' on the 's')- this is a picturesque town that the bus to Split passes through - the deep green Cetina River running through it, and the most imposing rock outcrops surrounding the village.

I've often meant to stop there to wander through the streets (ulice) but somehow there was always a reason not to do so - until yesterday when in the full heat of the Split transport area (buses, ferries, yelling) I asked for a ticket to Omiš  before I could change my mind.

We've rafted the Cetina River (remember last year?) and the road from Omiš  to the hinterlands is steep and winding - dramatic 's' bends.

In the medieval period, during the 12th and the 13th century, the town of Omiš and its infamous pirates were ruled by the powerful dukes of the family Kačić. At that time the pirates of Omiš launched attacks against papal galleons and merchant ships of the powerful Venice, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Split....

In the 15th century the dukes of Omiš finally acknowledged the rule of Venice, (would this mean a lion with a book closed?) but preserved its own autonomy. They paid a tribute to the Venetians and fought frequent battles against the Turks.

After the fall of Venice, Omiš came under the rule of Austria, and in 1805 with the Treaty of Pressburg (today’s Bratislava) between the French and the Austrians it was  put under the rule of the French. In 1813 it was again taken over by the Austrians, under whose rule it remained till the beginning of World War I.

Two ancient churches, a Kula (a tower for watching out for enemies) and little winding streets  - and you know how I am with those! I wandered, meandered, checked out the churches, didn't climb the steps to the Kula, died in the heat, and then sat in the heat waiting for the next bus. I'm local enough to know that if the timetable says one thing, it is still ok just to flag down any passing bus, because all roads lead to Rome (or Makarska in this case). Which I did very nicely, and sat nibbling on beautiful grapes from the market. So that's Omiš. I liked it, worth a wander - and here's a few photos to make my point.