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.

Les Ski Bums

Our friends invite us to ski with them in Courchevel, France so after Tim's sister, Tessa, and brother-in-law, Charlie pick us up in Geneva, Switzerland we set off, but not before lunch beside the Palais de I'isle jail in the canaled city of Annecy. The jail, originally a castle built in 1132, has a triangular shape reminiscent of a prow of a galley anchored in the harbour.

Courchevel is part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world located in the Savoie region of the French Alps. Tim's been here many times and doesn't need the tourist office but the beautiful building begs for a photo.

There's so much to love about France starting with fromage and saucisson in this shop in La Croissette.

The slopes beckon.

After all that fresh air we're more than ready for the gourmet dinner our chef and chalet girl are about to serve.

We cheer on our friend Nicola competing in a ski race with a vin chaud (hot wine) from Le Chabichou Hotel. The French are so civilized.

There he goes!

After another day on the slopes we drive to a neighbouring village for a traditional dinner at one of the local haunts.

Escargot, gambas, crozets et beaucoup de vin.

The sweeping views of the surrounding mountains outside Chalet Eboulis where we are staying in Courchevel 1850.

Another day in paradise has to include another large, French lunch. 

We say, "Au revoir mes amis" and head for Tessa and Charlie's chalet in Chatel, France. Along the way we stop at Megève, a famous ski resort near the Mont-Blanc which many consider it to be one of the most beautiful resorts in the world.

A chic French couple relax in the sun.

A sculpture of Adam and Eve graces one of the squares.

Arriving in Chatel, a ski resort in the Portes du Soleil region, Tim takes in the panoramic view from the balcony of the chalet. To the right...

 and to the left. Breathtaking.

Charlie and Tessa treat us to a day of sightseeing starting in Aigle, where we pick up Tim and Tessa's nephew, George. The 12th century Chateau Aigle is renowned as one of the most important castle sites in Switzerland.

Snapshots from the road.

Onto Chateau D'Oex for a coffee break and a climb up the hill to see the old church.

Next stop Gruyères, a medieval town on a small hill with a castle, which gives it's name to the well-known cheese.

Our last stop is Montreux, located on Lake Geneva. Just outside of town is the Chateau de Chillon, dating from 1005.

Many thanks to our friends and family for making this such a fun and memorable trip.