Allstar Bristol Hotel Reims

We worked our way all the way up to Reims, the heart of the Champagne region. While Reims does have a pretty cool cathedral and I'm sure there is some historic stuff, we came for the champagne. We followed the Rue de Champagne down through all the little towns and Epernay. Then as was our luck, the Salon de Vins festival was taking place, so over 250 vintners from all over France were there to let us taste (and buy) their best. Some ...

... to the bottle leading to the wine’s second fermentation, and the bottles are left to age in the myriad of caves beneath the cities of Reims and Epernay. Over time, the bottles are twisted and rotated upward so the yeasty sediment enters the mouth of the bottle. When it reaches the tip, the bottle is flash-frozen, the sediment is removed, the bottle is topped off, and then it is finally corked.

After we learned all this, we drank.

Almost ...

... this stuff. And I doubt you have to be an architecture nerd to appreciate it, either. I still can’t wrap my head around how the master builders were able to construct these buildings without TI-89 Titaniums or at least computers! After sketching a few views of this building, it was back on the bus to head to our last destination of the day, the landmark building of…our hostel.

... and waited for about 10 minutes before the tour started. One of the amazing parts about the Pommery is that they not only house champagne in their cellars (or 'caves') but art is also displayed. While we were there a more modern artists had displays in many of the corridors as well as the cellars including a dress designed by the designer of the mini skirt and a race-car suspended from the ceiling.

Originally the caves were minbed for chalk that was used ...

... complete so you can fully appreciate the beauty of the city.

We stopped for some lunch before exploring the city at Ernest Hemingway's on the main shopping street. A lovely atmosphere bustling with people we spotted the huge hamburgers and made it our instant choice. To be fair with my non-existent french it was the safe choice but word of warning for those not familiar with french cuisine - the hamburger is made of mince meat ...

... her credit cards in it.

We pulled off the highway and threw our belongings out of the car, searching everywhere for the wallet. But it was nowhere to be found. Mom thought it may have been stolen last night at the Eiffel Tower as at one point she looked down and saw her bag was open and wondered if she had left it that way.

We decided at this point there was little we could do but ...

... staircase deep into the chalk caves. The area is made up of these huge chalk deposits, which absorb moisture and help maintain the consistent temperature and humidity year round. They are the reason this area is at the heart of Champagne country. The tour is about 45 minutes long and winds through the underground chambers while they explain the process involved in creating the world's best sparkling wine. It is rather cold down in the caves, so if ...

... know the city Reims well?" Kim replied, "Unfortunately, no."  We burst into a fit of laughter, later explaining to the woman how the day was going. She, then, was pelted by large nuts that were falling from the tree.  (We had been sitting there for an hour and not a single one had fallen, but she, she attracted them). After walking around for a much longer time trying to find the apartment, we finally did.  Saw it.  I am still looking for apartments....

... World War 1, 85% of Reims' houses were destroyed or damaged. We visited the Basilica St. Remi which was rebuilt in the 11th century in Romanesque style on the spot where a chappel dating from 533 housed the remains of St. Remi. It is a Benedictine Abbey. The exterior and interior of the choir are a primitive Gothic. We moved on to Reims Cathedral, which is noted for the unity and harmony of its ...

The morning is taken up by a meeting with the CIVC, who are embarking on a new wine tourism strategy and are enlisting Steve's help. As I also might be able to help out, I tag along and find it to be a very enlightening and useful meeting. Steve leaves me for a lunch meeting and I head into town for lunch, finding it as difficult as ever to decide what and where to eat. In the end I head to a ...