Last ride of the year, Marseille to St Tropez via Toulon and Collobrières, the “Capital of the Maures”. It’s a holiday weekend here so unsurprising to find myself joined at the fuel pumps leaving Marseille by several other sports bikers, then mugged (ie expertly block-passed) by several more as we all rode up the bends on the road to the Circuit du Castellet, the Paul Ricard motor-racing track. I continued on the road to Toulon, still riding in the style of sheep dressed as wolf; other bikers weren’t so mindful of the numerous well-intentioned posters suggesting specifically to bikers that the road is not the place for competitive riding. Air at Goldilocks temperatures: for me, neither too hot nor too cold, although a bit of a pesky Mistral wind here and there.

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November afternoon sunshine highlighting the Mediterranean.waves rippling in at the picturesque Anse du Grand Rouveu between Carry-Le-Rouet and Sausset-les-Pins on the Côte Bleu. An afternoon ride-out that made worthwhile catching the first Piccadilly Line tube to Heathrow for the early morning flight to Marseille,  with a full-strength espresso and a real French artisan croissant enjoyed outdoors at Le Petit Montmarte brasserie on my way to the flat here. (The name Côte Bleu, Blue Coast, is because of the Sapphire Blue of the sea).

End of season playtime on the Col de la Gineste, the road up from Marseille and over the limestone of the Calanques to Cassis.

Fine ride out from London on one of the warmest days of this summer on the hired VFR800A9. Lots of fun in the Cotswolds, coming down the challenging curves of Fish Hill, there’s a convenient roundabout at the bottom at Broadway to turn around and run the curves uphill. One lap to check it out and then a couple more for fun.
The Malvern Hills aren’t huge but the roads are good for some careful sport. Pause for a family lunch and then back down interesting roads to ride along the west side of the Severn Estuary to Chepstow. No toll eastbound on the bridge to leave Wales, pause for tea with GSXR Tony in Bradley Stoke, then the M4 back to The Smoke, beautiful sunset in the mirrors. About 375 miles, I saw 28°C highest temperature, and even after sunset, nothing lower than 21°C: what a treat!

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