Down the Green Road on two wheels
Bikers and bloggers from Italy – Nadia Giammarco and Amedeo, on their beloved two-wheeled steeds, enjoyed the trip from Plitvice Lakes to Ogulin in one day. The whole day began with a tour of Plitvice Lakes, and the beauty which surrounded us made us forget we had motorcycle boots on. In three hours we toured the upper and lower lakes, walking surrounded by the grassy, limestone cascades and turquoise water. We learnt about the flora and fauna of the world of the lakes, enjoyed the crystal clear water and concluded that this is one of those places where man realises that nature cannot be copied.
After our sightseeing we had a traditional lunch in the ‘Lička Kuća’ restaurant, which is located at entrance 1. The traditional food of this region includes trout, potatoes, cinder-baked lamb and vegetables. Each of us found something we liked and it was all delicious.
We then continued our trip uphill to the canyon of the River Korana to Saborsko. Through the wooded parts and sharp curves which offer magnificent views we arrived at 800 metres above sea level and around us there were spacious meadows and fields surrounded by a coniferous forest. Here we visited the workshop of Etno Šindra – and saw how in the heart of the forest these master craftsmen – by hand in the traditional way – produce shingles from fir, spruce and larch trees.
We continued on down the Green Road to Janja Gora artist’s atelier of the Šupica family who run this gallery and who warmly welcomed us with a table full of treats. We got to know about their activities and their art. They are specialists in ceramic arts and traditional pottery – however, this is also a place of creativity, the place of the search for the lost treasure of the Iapodes, a place of learning about the earth and its character and a place of the gathering together of people dedicated to art and spiritual development. And so, it enriched us too, and enriched with the visit to the atelier we continued on the Green Road onwards towards Josipdol.
Descending on the road towards Ogulin the views change and the landscape is wider and more open. Now we were in a spacious valley surrounded by the hills of Velika Kapela.
In Josipdol, a town 12 km from Ogulin which was our ultimate destination of the day, we stopped at the agricultural family farm – Miščević. This is family-run business which deals with the production of cheese from cow’s milk – and so they have a selection of semi-hard cheeses made from pasteurised milk, as well as the traditional local cheese called ‘škripavac’ which is made from fresh milk. As this local small business lies in an ecologically clean region, with no industrial pollution, it means that the taste of these cheeses is a real culinary delight for all cheese lovers.
At the end of our day-long trip we arrived in Ogulin, and in the evening we strolled through the town and visited the attractions sprinkled with legends and fairy tales.
The Green Road from Plitvice to Ogulin or vice versa, is visited by more and more bikers every year. It is a primeval experience for nature lovers and a dynamically winding route, of sharp curves, of regions that alternate between forests, rivers and mountains with every shade of green.
You can read Nadia’s blog about her trip with me here moto-ontheroad.it.
17.6.2016
(translation by Martin Mayhew)