Resting up in the shade at the turnaround point of my ride to the south Lubéron.
La Tour d’Aigues
A big ride on the best day’s sunshine so far this year.
La Tour d’Aigues
Pertuis
Pont Flavien, St. Chamas
Étang de Berre
A big ride on the best day’s sunshine so far this year.
Leaving Marseille, following round the Étang de Berre to pass by the Roman bridge at St. Chamas, the Pont Flavien over the river La Touloubre, which actually had some water flowing in it.
Through the Alpilles hills at Eyguières, well worth riding through the centre of the little Provençal walled town despite the fiendish one-way system.
Over the Durance river and the Canal-de-Provence then up the wide valley of the Durance to Pertuis, capital of the south-Lubéron.
A double espresso with a pistache and apricot tarte at a drive-up boulangerie at the side of the road. A scrumptious selection of products, baked by a pair of heavily-tattooed artisans. An efficient operation: a very modern establishment but not at all the quaint artisan boulangerie of the legend. Popular with builders, two in singlets with the local boxing club logos, genuine French army combat trousers and - of course - showing suntans to dream of, even now only in early March. They were happy to chat: business is good and the pleasant weather is welcome.
That lifestyle is apparent everywhere here: outdoor gyms, municipal dojos as well a plenty of opportunities for parking your horses in a field with a a great view. The vineyards and olive groves abound as well the traditional (archaic) field farming practices sustained by the EU. The Lubéron’s arterial roads are much “improved” since my first rides here in the 1990s but it’s still easy enough to find the charm.
Riding on, up the side of the valley to Forcalquier, enjoying a panoramic view at the col (627 m.) of the Provence Alps looking snow white; then a rest in the shade before turning back for the direct route via Manosque and the road down the Durance valley to Aix and Marseille. But a reminder of the virus and economic situation with the view of an unusually large number of huge cruise ships docked or at anchor in the bay.
That’s been mild weather, calm traffic and a brilliant bike, my CBR600RR. Pretty much the dream ride out, from another colourful Marseille dawn and ending up with dinner in Marseille at a favourite small restaurant, with my friend. Despite the economic situation, he had today ordered a new BMW F750GS.
We each had a warm salad, followed by magret de canard with a wild mushroom sauce; we shared a bottle of Coteaux d’Aix red wine.