Sandi Meets The Big 5-0

Tim thought he would help ease Sandi into her meeting with The Big 5-0 by cooking her a delicious dinner the night before.

So far, so good. She's looking relaxed and thinking it's not going to be that bad after all.

The 20th arrives, the sun is shining and it's toasty warm so we strap on our skis and head up the mountain for a few runs. The meeting is going better than expected.

We want to look good for The Big 5-0 so we gussy ourselves up for a night on the town.

If you can still walk in these at 50 you're either doing something right or a bit crazy.

Celebrating over dinner at the Barefoot Bistro Restaurant in Whistler Village.

Gifts in small packages (especially from France) always help when meeting The Big 5-0.

SANDI'S THOUGHTS ON THE MEETING

It’s finally here. The mother of all birthdays. The half-century mark. People were asking, “How was I celebrating? What did I want?” For me turning 50 is like turning 49 or 51. It didn’t and won’t feel much different. Not that 50th birthdays aren’t important. All birthdays are special. Did I want a big party my sweet husband asked? No. I think big parties are too... well, big. They cost too much. They aren’t long enough to give each guest quality time. Better to have lots of small parties spread out over the year and do special things with special friends. As for gifts, I already have much of what I want, most of what I need, and way more than I deserve (that's not to say a gift won't be warmly received and greatly appreciated). One of the things my years have taught me is that it’s more fun to give than to receive. We all have much more than we need materially, much less emotionally and spiritually. Better to give away some compassion, some encouragement, some hope. So many people my age are too busy trying to prove themselves and are thus too anxious, too driven. You can’t earn God’s love and acceptance. They’re gifts. The same is true with people. So, I’m just going to relax into my 50s and accept and be myself. And eat lots of chocolate cake.

A Speedy Tour de France

And they're off! With ski season winding down Tim swapped his skis for his bike and is back in France with three of his mates, William, Bill and Tom, for six days of touring Burgundy.

They begin in Paris with a trip to the Louvre to contemplate a few masterpieces before setting out for Fontainebleau, 87 km down the road.

Breaks like this are allowed when you're in Le Speedy Tour de France.

They stop for lunch at the home of Madame Lalanne in Ury. For more than four decades François and Claude Lalanne have charmed the art and style glitterati with their whimsical, sensual sculptures.

Roses in Madame Lalanne's beautiful garden.

Madame Lalanne's lunch is greatly appreciated by the hungry cyclists.

Despite appearances, they didn't take a wrong turn and end up in Quebec. Day Two starts off well enough with 80 km of cycling and a fine lunch but ends in, how shall we say... a French trailer park in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne.

The lesson: make sure to make reservations prior to arriving because if you don't there probably won't be enough ketchup and mustard to put on your shoe leather (God bless madame, she did her best).

It's not humanly possible to pass a boulangerie in France and not stop in for a mouth-watering pastry.

The Cathedral of Saint Étienne in Auxerre, known for it's expansive stained glass windows, dates to 1215.

The village of Chablis gives it's name to one of the most famous French white wines, made with Chardonnay grapes which grow well in the region.

The team pauses to reflect on how even the smallest villages in France lost so many of their inhabitants in the First and Second World Wars. 

The not-so-glamorous side of bike touring.

A charming pharmacy sign in Noyers, another small village in Bergundy with old, half-timbered houses and lots of lanes and small squares made of chalky, granite pavements is a good place to stop for lunch and watch daily life.

Re-energized, William heads out of town for the next destination.

Avallon is a town with wide streets and picturesque promenades.

They pass through the hill town of Vézelay, famous for its Abbey, an outstanding masterpiece of Bergundian Romanesque art and architecture, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

They think they can, they know they can...

The church at Quarré-les-Tombes. The name of the town comes from the large number of empty stone coffins (tombes) in the graveyard surrounding the church.

A special treat today - lunch at Michelin-rated Bernard Loiseau Restaurant in Saulieu. Monsieur Loiseau was knighted by the French government in 1994 for his contributions to French cuisine.

In the quiet, peaceful town of La Motte-Ternant the team overnights at La Chouette Qui Chante, a lovely, old merchant's house (far left) that has been lovingly restored by Annemarie and John Williams.

A toast to la vie en rose with the Williams (left).

Monsieur Charolais cow.

In every life a little rain must fall.

"Arg, I should have sprung for those proper shoe rain guards instead of these leaky plastic bags!"

The beautiful village of Pommard is famous for it's Côte de Beaune wine production so wine tasting is the order of day.

The Canal de Bourgogne can be enjoyed by boat...

or by bike.

The thriving town of Beaune's rainson d'être is wine - making it, tasting it, selling it, but most of all, drinking it. It was the last stop before taking the train back to Paris so they took advantage of the sights, smells and sounds of the weekly market.

They cycled 586.7 km in 32.5 hours at an average speed of 16.7 km/hour and burned 14,778 calories (ingested calories not logged). Lance would be impressed.