Le Corbusier lived at the top of this building for more than thirty years and, in the end, swam away from it for the last time. The block at the Porte Molitor, on the edge of Paris where the sixteenth arrondissement meets Boulogne-Billancourt, was designed in the early 1930s as a set of apartments, and the architect kept the two top floors for his own flat and studio. It has a glass-and-steel facade, an open plan and a curved roof, and it was one of the first buildings to show that the white geometric language of modernism could work in a Parisian street. UNESCO listed it in 2016 as part of his body of work, and the apartment can be visited on guided tours, so check the opening hours before turning up.
He died in 1965 while swimming off the coast of the south of France, and the studio remains much as he left it, with the rough-cast walls, painted canvases and rooftop views. Next door stands the Piscine Molitor, an art deco swimming pool of the 1920s that fell into ruin and has since been restored as part of a hotel. Roland Garros and the Parc des Princes, the great tennis and football grounds, are only a short ride along the avenue.
Riding in this part of Paris means urban habits: patience, awareness of buses and cyclists, and a firm grip on the clutch. The périphérique runs close by, and the traffic on the boulevards of the sixteenth is dense in the morning and evening. The tarmac is generally good, apart from tram tracks and the occasional metal plate. Parking for motorbikes is available in designated bays, but it is not free everywhere, so check the signs. Paris and its suburbs have low-emission zones that can affect older bikes, so look into the rules before you arrive.
Fuel is available in Boulogne-Billancourt, which has more than a hundred thousand inhabitants and filling stations on the main roads. Cafes and bakeries are everywhere. If you want a break from the traffic, the Bois de Boulogne lies a few minutes west, and its quiet lanes are a pleasant place to unwind. Early morning on a Sunday is the best time to ride here, when the streets are empty and the light hits the glass.