Gale Reeves arrived in Paris, June 12 and it was the next morning, we had to arise early to await the arrival of the "coach" (8 passenger minivan) that would sweep us away, OUT OF PARIS. Oh, just for the day, a 12 hour day that would begin with a slight drizzle and overcast. Sounds like Paris? Well, that did not deter our anticipation about seeing the countryside and exploring the Champagne caves.
O'Chateau was the company with whom we had made arrangements. There were 8 women in the van and "Gil" our French driver who spoke rather good english. He didn't understand all that we said, especially when Gale asked him, "What do I call you?". He said, "I am only 27". He thought she was making a "Move" on him. When it was explained she wanted to know his name, he had better clarity. We all laughed and even Gil thought it humorous. Two of the women were from Australia, Perth in fact. I shared with them Jerry and I have visited Perth and stayed there the Christmas of 2011. Two of the women were from Florida and the other two from Arizona. We had quite a day learning about why we were traveling, what we did "back home" and where we were headed after Paris.
After, getting out of the city traffic at 8:30am we headed East of Paris and soon the land was pretty rolling hills, chateaus dotted the plains and even with the haze over the view, it was a great change from the city.
We went to Epernay, then to the Marne Valley and finally to Premier Cru. At each of these we visited the Champagne Caves, had personal guides who explained the process of growing the grapes, selection and making the champagne. Sure, we had a little taste along the way, but NOT too much, really. It was a sip here and a sip there. Ha.....
Until lunch, then we ate at a private Chateau with Alexandre and his wife (who prepared the lunch). There we had 3 kinds of Champagne: one with the salad, one with the plat (Main course) and one with dessert. Alexandre explained the difference in the three choices and kept asking us which one we preferred. Well, after all of that, I said it was the last one we tasted. Actually, you could make a distinction in the taste and he described the way they deliberately designed the choices, process and time of the aging.
According to what we learned, it was monk Dom Perignon who discovered how to make champagne in about 1700. After much fiddling with double fermentation, he stumbled onto this bubbly drink. One source says on the day the monk discovered his creation, he went running through the abbey shouting, "Brothers, come quickly...I'm drinking stars."
We visited the most well known one: Moet et Chandon along with the two other caves that were family owned, one for over 400 years with the same family.
I will hope to post some of the pictures from the day. Note: I have trouble with this process on the blogging but I will do my best. Also, neither do I have Gale's photos and SHE is a great photographer. People on the tour kept asking if she was a "professional photographer". She cold be and she has her own blog.
http://www.studio1014photo.com and http://www.bakingpictures.com
Yes, it is made of champagne glasses
Yes, a very modern wine press found at the last establishment we visited.
This garden was located at the last stop we made this day, June 13, 2013. The weather had cleared but only briefly. It was enough to enjoy the view as we enjoyed the last sample of Champagne for the day.
The fields of France are lovely rolling hills and it was a pleasant day.
We made our way back to Paris where it cleared into a sunny evening. Gale and I had supper just walking distance from the flat. It stays light in Paris until about 10:00pm and we try and make the most of each day.
WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE.
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