Champagne and More

19/7. Corbie to Epernay.
it was not an early start: yesterday wiped us out.
It is great “avoid tolls/avoid motorways” and we really are seeing rural France.

This definitely is the breadbasket of France - we have hundred of thousands of hectares in Australia ... by comparison of size, so does France. Km after Km of wheat and at one stage we were 18 km with no towns at all.

We came into a town and down the road came a donkey and cart, with children on board, and other children with Shetland ponies and some just running around. We followed them through town, it seemed quite a way for children.

We stopped along the way and bought a baguette sandwich ... and a treat for later ... and then finally Tardois de Frer where we stopped for coffee. An unusual building, we couldn’t find out what it had been - it was suggested a hospital.

Some towns/hamlets will have a Boulangerie some a Tabac/Bar/Coffee, so sometimes the morning coffee is a long time coming.

And then out of the blue, the Nesle Castle - no not Nestle. A private place, although it had a parking place so we took some photos.

Beautifully maintained.

Over the hill and there they were - grapevines and grapevines. We came through a place called Hautvillers and we are going back there, and then worked our way into Epernay and the Càmping Municipal.

So well done, these places. Hedges between sites, we have a 10 m x 10m site. Good toilets and showers. We can dump our waste too. Power and water. And a lavarge- washing machines and dryer.

We walked into the Carrefores (Supermarche) and taxied it home: worked out well, as I got her card for later). This supermarket was huge, and a mix of electrical, clothes etc, wine, champagne and food. A bit like a Costco. We bought flip flops for the showers at camp grounds; neither of us like them, but we must - so we bought them with the tricolour! France is a long way ahead of us in recycling: NO bags anywhere and everyone comes well equipped. The best you get are paper bags, even with vegetables. At markets, charcuterie, Boulangerie and patisseries food is wrapped in designed waxed paper, quite lovely.

And at the campground they have a pop up cafe, where we had a very nice champagne, duck confit and a nice white wine.

A nice end to the day, and saved us having to go into town.

Today has been a ‘lay day’, sorely needed. We did the laundry and not much else, then this afternoon James got on his bike and went to the supermarket for a few things - I’m a woos and haven’t made it onto the bike as yet. Not to be outdone though, I walked down the path and met him and then ‘ran’ a good part of it home.

I made contact with a Champagne House introduced by friends in Stanthorpe and we see them tomorrow (Saturday). And then phoned the taxi lady, who speaks no English, and somehow explained we want to go to the champagne house and then To another village, and could we then call a few hours later to be picked up.. she said ‘qui’ and I think she actually understands. The proof of the pudding will be whether she turns up at 10.45 am tomorrow!

We ate at the cafe again, this time a rib fillet for James and a Pork with mustard sauce for me. We were quick to leave though as black clouds threatened and the wind came. Home in time to close up before a good thunderstorm came, short lived. It is 9.30 pm and the sun is setting.

Saturday (we think, it’s hard to remember) we took a taxi to Monthelon, just south of Epernay to Denis Frezier champagne. Aurore welcomed us and was extremely hospitable- three tastings later we bought six bottles, 6 glasses (they are so delicate) and she gave us an ice bucket ... yes, another suitcase, but we’ll have drunk the champagne and the rest doesn’t weigh much!). The taxi came and took us home. We bought some of the 2012 and another - this is a champagne we buy from Savina Lane in Stanthorpe (not this year, the 2010 is on its way and leaving Genoa about now). Beautiful.

We decided we had drunk the best and didn’t need to go tasting elsewhere. A quiet afternoon and James cooked on our little charcoal BBQ - it’s a bit messy with smoke but the food, as you would expect by Chef James, was wonderful: chicken wrapped in prosciutto, potatoes with garlic, cabbage, zucchini. Forgot to say, we started with champagne!

Sunday and the same lovely taxi woman (we haven’t had a man yet)

picked us up for a visit to Avenue du Champagne. We found a veggie stall and shopped, then coffee, then the charcuterie... seems there’s a pattern here. Then a walk along ... as James describes it ‘Embassy row’ - opulence personified. All of the well known here, including our wedding champagne, Pol Roget. Lovely memories there. Nothing open, too early on a Sunday so we walked up and walked back. Found, you guessed it, a Boulangerie and Pattisserie - and a queue of about 20 people: by the time we got in and left it was about 30! Yum again.

Our lovely woman picked us up again and home for another quiet afternoon. And the rest of (that bottle of) champagne. We went to the cafe again - James had a rib fillet and I had Coq au vin. Home to bed early.

So now we leave Epernay after a lovely few days of R &R.