La Grande Finale, avec Champagne!

After a day’s relaxation (shopping) we began packing our things for the Champagne region. My Mother and Granny Jill would not be returning to Arras so we packed all their things and the four of us into la petite voiture and headed out on the open road, this time Granny Jill could finally relax with Andre in the driver’s seat.

Laon Cathedral

Laon Cathedral was on our route to Reims and Epernay where we would be spending the night. The Cathedral was magnificent as was the old city walled within the hilltop. Winding our way up the hill 

we parked directly beside the 

cathedral and headed in to see the

 centuries old stained glass and 

luminous white stone interior.

Walled City Gates, Laon

We drove through Reims to the Tattinger Champagne house. We caught the last tour for 4:45. The tour took us down a winding staircase into the caves where the bottles of Champagne ferment. Some of the caves are from the Greco-roman times and have graffiti etched into the walls depicting faces, elements, and mythical creatures.

We ended our tour with a glass of champagne, santé!

 That night we had dinner in our Epernay campanile hotel room, courtesy of Leclerc the nearby grocery store. Complete with two bottles of champagne of course! The next morning we drove around Epernay and the vineyards, our toy car barely making it up the rolling hills.

We went into Reims to see the Cathedral and stained glass of Marc Chagall, whose work my Granny Jill adores. We also visited the Palais de Tau where the French Kings would prepare and celebrate their coronations that took place in the Cathedral.

That night we all stayed at the airport hotel to see my Mother and Granny Jill off the next morning. Thank you for a wonderful week!

Vous me manquez!