Wine and Spirits Travel

Day four in France was jam-packed with excitement as we had our final Champagne visit and headed into a totally new region – Burgundy. We came to Troyes (pronounced “Twa”)  the previous night for our dinner and stay at Le Maison de Rhodes , but didn’t have any time to explore.  We made up for it with a tour through one of my favorite places yet. This charming city appears to have all the food, shopping and architectural aspects of every major city in Europe all rolled into one.  Within a short two hour drive (or 1-1/2 hour train ride) from Paris, you can reach Troyes for a day at the famous outlet malls or a visit to the village.  The combination of strolling past James Joyce’s Pub, Medieval cathedrals and an H&M Department store was fascinating.  It was a place I wished I could stay in for days instead of a few short hours, but we had so much more to do. After the tour of Troyes, it was time to officially leave the Champagne region and drive to Chablis.  During the hour

My internet has been very limited as I travel through Burgundy, but I will catch up in the next few days on my tour of Troyes; Lunch and Vineyard Tasting in Chablis; Dinner & Stay at Auberge de la Beursaudiere; Guided Tour of Guedeion; a Castle Under Construction; Medieval Lunch; Tour of Vezelay; Stay at La Cote Saint Jacques and Dinner at Jean-Michel Lorain; Visit to the Castle of Ancy le Franc; and my final night -- Dinner and Stay at Bernard Loiseau!

Our final day in the Champagne-Ardenne region was quite an unusual one, as we learned about and drank bubbly in the strangest places. Our first stop was in Trėpail.  I always thought I was a multitasker, but here I met a woman who certainly outdid me.  Madam Maizieres owns a champagne house. That in itself is not unusual for a woman in 21 st century France.  She decided, however, that she wanted everyone to learn about French in the most unusual way, so she created Pré en Bulles , an automated robotic show which takes you through 12 lessons (in your choice of four languages) in a fun and informative way.  At the end , there’s a puppet show with special effects George Lucas would appreciate, explaining champagne from the cultural aspect of how it relates to food and France. After the show, Madam Maizieres took us through the beautiful apartments and bed and breakfast she rents with incredible views of the quaint town of Trėpail.  Then we tasted some of the champagnes she makes und

Every day in the Champagne region of France brings more discoveries and more breathtaking scenery (and more delicious champagne).  Day three was split between two of Champagne’s most important towns – Hautvillers and Epernay . We left Reims first thing in the morning under the direction of our two extremely knowledgeable guides, Sarah from Reims Tourism and Anna from Atout France .  Both managed to foresee problems before they happened and translate flawlessly for the rest of us.  The only thing they couldn’t help us out with was the weather, which continued to be unseasonably cold.  The drive to Hautvillers (pronounced “O-va-lee”) was a scenic one and it would only get better.  The town where Dom Perignon , the monk who created champagne, once lived is about a quaint and picturesque as anything you can imagine.  Michel from the Office De Tourisme took us through this village that dates back to the year 658 and is now the home to 900 inhabitants – and nearly 70 growers of wine.