Day 27

We had another day in the Champagne region today.
We started the day visiting the Reims Cathedral. It had been damaged terribly during the First World War. The photos of the devastation to the Cathedral and surrounding area were very sobering and I found more upsetting than the visit we had last year to Hiroshima. The cathedral felt full of sad souls to me. Hiroshima in contrast was terribly tragic but very peaceful.

We then visited the Verve Clicquot and Pommery Champagne Houses. Verve Clicquot has always been my favourite champagne and it didn’t disappoint. The tour in this house was very good and again we visited the crayeres . Our guide was very informative. The Champagne House was lovely but I didn’t think it was as elegant as the Champagne House of Moët and Chandon. We had a glass of the Grande Dame Verve Clicquot and it was very yummy. We have never seen the Grande Dame Champagne in Brisbane and we shall now look for it. Our bags are too small to bring any home with us.

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Our next visit was Pommery. This house seemed much more commercial and touristy. Our tour here was also very good. The special thing about this tour was not the champagne but the art in the crayeres. This was a passion of Madame Pommery and although the house is now part of a much larger commercial operation the house still continues to have contemporary art exhibitions in the crayeres. Madame Pommery also had many frescoes carved into the chalk in the crayeres that are still there. When they were done there was no electricity so they would have been done by candlelight.
All the houses we visited were so different and all had many stories attached to them.
We finished our day with a very very special meal in Le Parc Restaurant which is part of our hotel. It is a Two Star Michelin restaurant and I would love to have taken photos. I am sure the staff would not have minded but it seemed a very inelegant way to behave in such an elegant place.

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1 Response to Day 27

  1. Cass George says:

    Hi Jen!
    Back from Botswana – and now have wifi!
    I know the rep in Bne who can drip feed you Grand Dame.
    Xc

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