Icheon is a quiet, rice-growing city in Gyeonggi Province, to the south-east of Seoul, and a good place to learn how Korea has treated clay for a thousand years. The city is known for its ceramics, and its kilns have produced celadon and white porcelain since the Goryeo and Joseon eras. UNESCO named it a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2010, and the ceramic village of Sagimakgol, with its working kilns, shops and a museum, is a pleasure to walk through. Local potters will often let you try the wheel, and the pieces they make are used on tables across the country.
The other pride of Icheon is its rice. Grown on the broad fertile plain of the region, the grain was once reserved for the king, and it is still sold as a premium product, with the flavour of fresh nuts. The surrounding land is a patchwork of paddies, orchards and low hills, and the hot springs in the area make it a popular place for a weekend soak. In autumn, the rice fields turn golden and the fruit trees are heavy with pears and persimmons.
The ride this stop belongs to goes north, toward the lake and forests of Pocheon, a longer journey through the capital region. The roads from Icheon run through farmland and small towns, with plenty of traffic lights and a mix of rural and suburban scenery, before the expressway links bring you to the hills. It is not a technical ride, but it has a calm rhythm, and the countryside has a gentle beauty, particularly in the morning when mist lies on the paddies. Watch for tractors, farm trucks and elderly farmers on slow motorbikes.
Fuel is simple to find in Icheon, with stations on every main road and in town, and the restaurants serve local rice with a variety of side dishes, a meal that suits a rider. Korea drives on the right, and tolls on expressways are paid by card or at the gates. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons, and the roads are quieter on weekdays. Look out for the ceramic shops by the road, where a single bowl makes a lasting souvenir.