One Giant Challenge: Euro Tour Day 26

Another day to remember. I downloaded a track close to where we are staying and set off on this at 08:20. The track, in the hills behind Marseille, was 28 km long and it was 15 km to get there. So the round trip should be 58 km. There was a escape route on the track if I got tired or had enough.

Getting there was quite easy. Mostly via back streets with little traffic. It took me 59 minutes to get there. Initially I was taken on a tar road through a very fancy cemetery. This lasted for 2 km and then I hit the dirt! A nice climb of about 3 km with good surface and managable gradient. I was passed by an e-bike and once again decided thst that is not for me. To grid up a hill with my own power is much more enjoyable. I do accept that there us a place for e-bikes and they do have their advantages, but not for me!

Getting to the top, I passed a big quarry to my left. There are a number of quarries in these hills and I am sure the environmentalists can not be to happy about the "foot print" they leave behind. Before I lost too much height, I was guided through a very nice town with besitifull homes. At the bottom I was first taken up a steepish cement road and past dome more nice homes.

Then cam a beautiful, winding road diwn a country lane untill I had to turn sharp right up a very rocky hill. The rocks were not that big, but the were loose and maintaining monentum was an effort. I did manage to cycle most of it. At the top is was on a plato and cycling though a fairly a well established tree area. It was not a forest, but enough trees, which were some distance apart from one another. I then came upon a big tractor mowing the grass/shrubs! I have seen "bossie cutters" but never a tractor this size, basically cutting the gras in the middle of nowhere!

The track continued on the plato with one or two smallish climbs here and there. I had an opportunity to take !a photo of the view in a north easterly direction. On the horizon was, what looked like a meteorlogical domed weather station. The last one I have seen was high up on the mountain above Rhodes in the Eastern Cape. After this, I started loosing hight as the track zig-zaged down the mountain. Before I got to the end of this, there was a small hill that led me onto a grass track and the end of the trail.

Now it was tar again and the way home, or so I hoped. I cycled through some beautiful suburbs with tree lined streets and lots of expensive restaurants in the shade! I was then taken into more densely populated areas untill I was told I have reached my destination! I was of the opinion that the app wiil take me back home, but this , aparatly was where the trail started.

I went to the "route planner", typed in our home address and got redirected. I had to back track a little, but onto some good, queit back streets. That led me into the pcountry side. I now was on a very nice tar road, which I thought was going to bring me to a point where I was going to have a beautiful view of Marseille. The app indicated that my destination was 3 km away. Judging by the surroundings I knew that that was not possible. When it eventually indicated that I arrived at my destination, I was at the gate of an army artillery unit!

I went to the route planner again, typed in the address and was told that I still had 18 km to go. That was more than what I hoped for, but more realistic. I now was on top of a plato, but the road kept on going up. Nothing serious, but just enough to ensure I could only average about 12 kpu. The slight headwind did not help matters! Evertime I thought I was at the top, I was greeted by a false top. This carried on for about 5 km and I finally reached the "top"!

The effort was, once again worth the while. I could see right down to the centre of Marseiile. The road down the mountain was something else! Very smooth tar winding down the hill. I managed to clock 59.5 kph, without pedalling! At the bottom I was once again taken through back streets and then onto a cyclepath. I did see a "snack bar" and stopped for a pannini with beef and a coffee. The pannini was very good, but not so the coffee! Once I passed the supermarket we visited yesterday, I knew where I was and easily found my way home.

On my way home I see this interesting building with a sea gul perched onto of a little tower/platform!