Watching the Olympics from Barcelona.

When my son was younger, we used to go up to Big White in Canada for what was known as winter break, which coincided with the Winter Olympic Games. A week in winter for a break from learning, as practiced by most school systems in the Northwest.

We would pack the car with food, gear, and an extra kid or two, as it’s always more fun with others, not just your family. My son, as an only child, enjoyed bringing a friend with him. Aa did I because they entertained each other.

In the early days, when he was 12 or 13, he was learning to snowboard on the mountain. His determination outweighed his body fat. Ultimately, we figured out how to stuff a small pillow on his ass, as he probably spent much of his time in this position on the snow.  As time wore on, his skills changed, and he became pretty adept at snowboarding, even attempting jumps and the half-pipe.

As Big White Resort is located

As Big White Resort is located a distance from any town, it’s important to be self-sufficient. There’s a small market there that sells fresh and frozen food, but even with the exchange rate, it gets pretty pricey.

The food we brought with us, what we had cooked, and could eat for 3 or 4 days, and get pizza and burgers from the local takeout place. Awful diets, but lots of mandarin oranges and popcorn, too.

I would go out and possibly meet up with a friend to ski for a few hours. When tired, returning to the room, relaxing with a book for the remainder of the day on my own.

The apartments we rented were usually pretty well used, in somewhat disrepair.

In the small island town

In the small island town we lived in, approximately 100 other folks would be vacationing on the same mountain. The drive took the whole day, including catching what we called the red-eye ferry.

With stops along the way for coffee and the bathroom, we arrived around 6pm. We would see other known peeps on the road and wave, sometimes playing the driving game of leapfrog.

Always with windshield wipers working overtime as the roads were slushy or snowy, depending on the moment, using tons of windshield wiper solution.

The Canadian government did a great job keeping the roads open and plowed. The areas we drove through were quite scenic, featuring snow-covered peaks and vast valleys planted with fruit trees. Was it a beautiful drive, though a bit tedious, as my son, when younger, was too young to share in the driving?

On our last trip

On our last trip, he drove the entire way. What an unnerving experience that was.

The great divide on the mountain was the accommodations. The rich folks had large 6-bedroom houses with 3 bathrooms. We habitually rented a one-bedroom apartment centrally located in the village, as it suited the two of us.

There is nothing like an active vacation with preteens. With hormones just activated, the smell from the socks and shoes was painful. The kids were always getting into snowball fights or playing video games. Everyone brought their Nintendo, too.

From an online source:

The average age of athletes at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics varies by sport and national delegation, generally falling between 25 and 28 years old.

Historically, the mean age for Winter Olympic participants has stabilized around 26.1 years, with medalists often being slightly older, averaging roughly 26.3 years.

France: The delegation maintains an average age of 26 years.

USA: The entire roster has an average age of 28.30 years, its largest and one of its most veteran teams to date.

China: The team average is approximately 25 years.

The 2026 Games feature a vast age span, from 15-year-old Australian freestyle skier Indra Brown to 54-year-old veteran competitors.

The thing I remember vividly is watching the Olympic Games every night. The small studio apartment I rented was usually filled with hungry, smelly teenage boys. Our place was known as a hangout. I encouraged this as I preferred knowing where my son was.

Nightly gatherings to watch

Nightly gatherings to watch the Winter Olympics from afar sparked many conversations about sports and national pride. We were in Canada and not the USA. The ethos of sportsmanship is ingrained in all nationalities.

I have a deep love for ice skating, as when I was a teenager, I would skate for hours at a local rink. Not having much talent or ankles capable of supporting me, this was a short-lived predicament. But the beauty of the sport continued to follow me. Ice dancing, pairs, short programs, and more such labels do define the sport.

Now, twenty years later, living in Barcelona, I realized this year the Winter Olympics are in Milano, Italy, and we are in the same time zone.

In the past, I don’t think I ever watched the opening ceremony or the lighting of the Olympic Torch, but I did on Friday night at the beginning.

Outstanding performances

Wow. Outstanding performances by many famous singers, including Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey, pianist Lang, Italian rapper Ghali, plus a few Italians singers I didn’t know. With a cast of thousands of dancers and volunteers, the spectacle was truly a spectacle. The ginormous stage was lit in the shape of an elongated Fibonacci spiral, with gyrating lights and 4 entrances.  The dances performed ranged from truly modern to ballet to just having a good old time. The Italians are experts in these events.

Oversized paint tubes descended from the roof, almost touching the floor, followed by 5 symbolic Olympic rings that once light remained aloft for the entire event.

It was a night of discovery, a celebration of the world’s athletes.  It was a night with lots of talk about peace and harmony.

The current president

The current president of the Olympic Committee is Kris Coventry, from South Africa, who was the first female president of the Olympics and was a competitive swimmer. Her opening address touched on the whole olympic experience as a way of breaking down barriers.

Tonight I am watching the women’s freestyle skiing event. It’s genuinely astounding watching these young women twirl and spin in the air. So much hope amid the culmination of many years of work. The joy of competition with nerves tingling creates much magic. Win, lose, or fall out of the standings, what a celebración of harmony.

These athletes are the elites of the world. Tonight an old Italian woman set a world speed record on her 35th birthday and also as the oldest woman speed skater.

While athletes often peak between 20 and 30, “skill and endurance” sports (like curling or luge) often favor older, more experienced athletes, whereas “judged” sports (like figure skating) trend younger.

The oldest Winter Olympian in history is Sweden’s Carl August Kronlund, who won a silver in curling at age 58 in 1924.

As the different categories continue with these games, I hope you are able to catch a few different sports programs.

This spectacular will go on for a total of 2 weeks.  I hope to catch a few more events.