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We left Nice in the rain to continue our march across Southern France. This was going to be a wet ride and we knew it, so we headed back on the highway to try to make short work of today's journey. We're headed to Marseille, second-largest city in France.

It's only three hours away, but the rain did not let up for the entire ride. At a few points on the Autoroute, I could feel the bike hydroplaning on top of all the standing water collecting on the highway. We eschew road etiquette and ride in the middle lane, staying on the crown of the road where there was less water.

No pictures, obviously, as both hands were white-knuckling the grips the whole way!


Marseille was the French Empire's most important port city

We're staying a couple of days at an AirBnB, great place, but still not as cheap as we'd like it.

To help ourselves negotiate around here, I dust off my Français skills. In Ontario schools, it was a mandatory course up till Grade 9, at which time I promptly dropped it. It's times like these when I wish I had stuck with it longer because the French words feel rusty like nails crumbling out of my mouth - painful to watch and listen to.

Normally Neda is very outgoing when it comes to talking to strangers. However, because she doesn't speak any French at all, I found myself having to carry all the conversations at hotels, grocery stores and gas stations. It was so interesting watching her shirk away from having to talk to anyone. Whenever somebody approached her, she would immediately tap on the communicator or tap me on the shoulder, "Uhhh.... Gene!"

What a complete role reversal from Latin America! I got a little taste of what it was like having to take point for all communications and I respect Neda more for it.


Notre-Dame de la Garde church, built on a hill
can be seen from anywhere in the city

The first day in Marseille we got rained in, so we spent the day cooped up watching the water fall from the skies. The weather co-operated with us the second day and we took a stroll around the port area of Marseille to get a feel for the city.


Monument aux morts de l'armée d'Orient et aux héros des terres lointaines - what a mouthful!


Looks like our Arc-Friend from Nice, Bernar Venet, has been busy in Marseille as well. I still don't get it...

Right on the Bay of Marseille is a nice spot called Pharo Garden where you can see the harbour and most of the port. On the lawns of the garden sits another modern sculpture called Désordre (Disorder). I'm renaming it "The Graveyard of Giant Three-Ring Binders".


View of the harbour from Pharo Garden. Fort Saint Jean on the right, Bulbe à Clochers Church on the left

Walking through all the war monuments and forts, reminded me of just how influential the French Empire was. It had such a huge role in the colonization wars in which it raced against Spain and Britain to claim territory in the Americas and all around the world. It struck me that in all of our travels across Latin America, we marveled at the imprint of Spanish invaders on the land, when back at home, we could've seen that same imprint that France left on Acadia and French Canada.

Our journey across the ocean to Europe has been like coming back to the source of history in the Americas.


Monument aux héros et victimes de la mer (Monument to the heroes and victims of the sea)

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Gene - http://www.RideDOT.com