Trail bike
Clean-up and maintenance time for my classic Palisades Trail Lite on my balcony in Marseille.
Steep but short pedal up the rock to Marseille’s landmark church, Notre-Dame de la Garde, for a panoramic view of the city and port. Down to the beaches via the Corniche Kennedy.
Ride to Marseille beach for some Oxygen and Ozone, plus traffic fumes. Stormy weather inland and a warm gusty wind from the south-east for the terns and gulls to play on, but not making much for the surfers. Marin Palisades Trail bike.
Ride through the cycle lanes and the traffic to the Plage de l’Anse des Phocéens, which is known locally as “Chez Paulette” because of the beach bar which used to serve the bathers. So a Marseillais could say “I’m going to Paulette’s”, which really meant “I’m going to the beach”.
The Phoenicians are credited by the Roman historian Justin with having founded Massalia or Μασσαλία (ancient Marseille) in the Vth century BC.
Ride out on my classic Marin Palisades trail bike to Les Goudes. Way round the bay from Marseille and out on a peninsular to the Calanque de la Maronaise, Cap Croisette and a view of L'île Maïre.The limestone bleached by the sun - calcaire - is sharp and quickly takes the tread off the tyres.
It used to be that riding a motorbike gave a huge sense of freedom; in many ways that freedom from regulation has now transferred to push-bikes.
