Day Three in Paris/Reims – Fast Trains, Good Bubbly and Church
Two baguette bakers baking in the village of Reims… (there’s a song in there somewhere)
One of the chalk caves where Ruinart champagne is fermented and aged.
Champagne, anyone?
Vraiment Goth.
Yesterday’s trip is worthy of a couple of posts, but I’ve shown you some of the highlights. We were up at the crack of dawn (literally!) to catch the high-speed TVG train to Reims. We wandered around Reims for a bit, then caught a cab to our first champagne house tour at Ruinart. Details to follow, but we were the only people on the tour and it was excellent…fascinating and informative. And then to cap it off, the tour guide opened a bottle of the Really. Good. Stuff. (Dom Ruinart Rosé, one of their top-of-the-line bottles.) It was phenomenal, and unlike anything I’ve tasted before. She poured seconds.
After getting a good champagne buzz on, we had lunch at a brasserie in the village, and then dashed off to our second tour, at Veuve Cliquot. This tour was larger and more commercialized, but still interesting, especially to compare to very different wineries and their processes. Before we left Reims, we had to visit the magnificent Cathedral Notre Dame where 55 French monarchs have been coronated dating back to the 13th Century, and where Marc Chagall had designed and installed some stained glass windows at the far end. By then it was time to hop the train back into town. After all of the wine and excitement, we opted for a simple dinner of Croque Monsieurs. But one can’t live on sandwiches alone, so a spur-of-the-moment dash to Laduree for dessert capped off our day.
Yes, je sais this looks the same as Day One (blue jeans, black jacket, purple scarf), but underneath the jacket is the aubergine top instead of the black (it was quite chilly in Reims and in the underground chalk caves, so the jacket stayed buttoned most of the day). I’m planning to shake things up a bit starting tomorrow. 😉
~
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You’re so generous with your posting! Thank you!
This is why packing light makes sense—you look great, and what’s more you sound like you are having a wonderful time… enjoy!
I love your photos and updates.
Thank you for taking the time to post from your trip.
Oh what fun! A champagne tour? Lucky girl!
Miss J is SO VERY JEALOUS of Miss Pseu’s champagne tour! Oh La La, it sounds fab.
In case Miss Pseu is unaware, it is RAINING in LA (yay!). The inclement weather has allowed Miss J to finally break out the rain trench she got last summer from Miss Pseu. It is PERFECT in every way! Merci!
covI guess if you are from LA and visiting Paris, Reims does seem like a village! But actually it has 188 078 inhabitants (I knew the approx size, but thank wiki for the precise figure) and is the 12th city in France.
The cathedral is wonderful, non? But in terms of modern technology, the TGV is just as impressive as the cathedral and Dom Perignon’s bubbly, IMHO. I still remember the first time I took it from Paris to Lyon, over 20 years ago.
And you look just fine. Lots of chic Frenchwomen devise a “uniform” and pretty much stick with it de toute façon.
I’m loving these photos. And craving champagne. At just before 8 in the morning, so thanks for that! 🙂
You look gorgeous! Perfect for Paris.
i didn’t even notice you were wearing monday’s attire…really.
the tour of the bubbly caves looked quite interesting…hoping you’re shipping some back?
have a most wonderful day.
You do look…bubbly! Thank you for taking us right along! A glass will be raised in honour of your spirit and stamina.
That’s what I call un jour parfait. You look completely happy in this picture, and once again, I must compliment you on the scarf. The ruching makes it so interesting.
Which Laduree did you visit, and what flavors did you get?
DP, the Roger Vivier site just posted a new Ines diary about the Marais featuring some shops that might interest you:
http://www.rogervivier.com/en/#/ines
Make sure you have more champagne for me 😉 Totally enjoying your photos! More more! LOL!
Oh, how lucky you are… Paris in the autumn. Even though I am almost overcome with envy, I so appreciate you taking the time to post while on the trip. We get to travel through your travels. Next best thing to being there. And I love hearing about Paris style- hope you can take some pix of the street fashions.
Sinead
A Champagne house tour is a wonderful thing. Hic!
fabulous, fabulous! Lucky pseu.