July 19: Grinning in Gracac
After traveling in searing heat for several hours my preference once I’ve parked my bike for the night is to take off all my gear, have a refreshing shower, and then not get back on the motorcycle again until morning. So, when a friendly biker from Gracac, Croatia offered to give me a ride to dinner in his four-wheel drive vehicle, I thought, “why not?” What a fun evening we had!
I first connected with Rod Young when he responded to a question of mine on the Horizon’s Unlimited Motorcycle Adventure Facebook Group page. His suggestions about travel in the Balkans were so helpful I offered to treat him to a meal when I visited his town.
After visiting the Eye of Croatia yesterday, I made my way to nearby Gracac and checked in to my wonderful accommodations there, a small unit on the ground floor of a local family’s home with paved parking right out front called “Ana’s Apartment.”
When Rod arrived in his jeep to take us to eat, I suggested we make a detour for a photo opportunity first. As neither of us was in a rush, we did an off-road loop around Lake Stikada before making our way to his favorite eating establishment, where I enjoyed some rich beef goulash and great conversation.
Leaving Gracac this morning, I reflected on how much fun it’s been to meet people from so many different countries, hear stories about their lives, and get their perspectives on my own travels.
Winding my way down the pass towards Zadar, I took in the beauty of the arid mountain landscape – dusty grey dirt and stones sporting tufts of light green and brown grass with scrubby green trees beyond framing the massive limestone cliffs in the distance.
As I got closer to Zadar, I was treated to a spectacular view of the Karin Sea, an almost closed bay that is connected to the Novigrad Sea by a narrow channel. Apparently small streams feed into the body of saltwater, creating what is believed to be healing mud. Along the shoreline I could see tidy homes on the banks and boats of all sizes and shapes moored nearby in the shimmering blue water.
From Zadar, I worked my way south along the Adriatic coastline, enjoying views of little harbors, beaches with sunbathers, sparkling sea vistas, and lots of blue sky and sun.
Just for fun, I decided to share a photo of what I looked like when I got off the bike in Split. I’m pretty sure if you look close enough you can see sweat rolling down my face. What an adventure!
