Return to Komiza
Had I lived here in a previous life?
May 2, 2024
Yesterday afternoon, I took two busses and two ferries for the five-hour journey to one of my favorite places on our planet: the tiny fishing village of Komiza on the island of Vis. This is my fifth time here. My first three visits were just lunch stops midway on bicycle tours around the island. But even the first visit gave me the uncanny impression that I’d been here before. Perhaps even that I belonged here.
It wasn’t just a feeling of familiarity. It was a feeling of peace, of being part of a place.
It might have been because I grew up on the New England coast. The sounds of waves and the salty scents here definitely hit memory points in my brain.
But it was and is more than that. It’s being encompassed by history at every step and turn. It’s the calm, tranquil and welcoming nature of everyone you meet. It’s knowing that almost everything you eat comes from nearby sea or land.
Nature boasts a beauty here that is almost overwhelming. Every sense is tapped, tempted and rewarded.
The last time I was here was for 10 days. I had to pry myself away. This time I’m here for three weeks. If it weren't for upcoming weeks on other islands and in Bulgaria, Romania and the Republic of Georgia, I’d be greatly tempted to stay longer. Or just stay.
The view from my current Airbnb makes the tempting almost irresistible. My third floor view starts on the beach below and extends across more than 180 degrees. Two steep, wooded promontories of land border the harbor and extend nearly a mile into the open sea. I can hear the waves from my bedroom. The building itself has been in my host’s family for more than a hundred years. The massive wooden furniture in my bedroom dates back 1903, when her family imported them from Vienna.
Komiza would likely feel familiar to you, too, if you saw Mamma Mia 2, which was filmed almost exclusively on Vis with most of it in Komiza. Thankfully, the film isn’t a major tourism focus here. There are no signs that promote “Mamma Mia Tours.”
In the coming days, I’ll be taking boat excursions around the island and to the nearby island of Bisevo, population 14. I’ll be taking a wine and culinary tour as well as a tour that showcases the island’s deep and sometimes dark military connections.
And I’ll be focusing on writing by book and blog and getting further into my planned podcast.
Oh yeah, and I’ll be befriending the extensive feline population,
Stay tuned!
