This is going to be a large posting with many days combined because I have been unable to get to the blog every day:
End of Cambrai
I left off with my wonderful time in Cambrai...we awoke the next morning, enjoyed a lovely breakfast - I of course had a croissant and orange juice - packed the car and headed to the train station in Arras (a bit north of Cambrai).
The drive through the countryside was magical. There were amazing circular hay bales - apparently it is harvest time for hay - cows and pretty much everything else you would expect from a French countryside. We arrived in Arras and Mike dropped us all at the train station while he went to find the Hertz Rental Car drop-off spot. We waited and waited...ended up that the Hertz office was closed (which Mike only knows somewhat of why it was closed because it was in a hand-written note taped to the door) and he had to drop the car/keys off at a neighboring hotel.
We waited for the train at Track Number 8. It felt like I was in the movies...waiting for a train in a European train station - but it was real life! We boarded the train headed for Strasbourg and rode the TGV until Strasbourg.
Strasbourg
Mike then again went to find the Hertz Car Rental Office. We waited at the train station with the bags. I do have to say I was a bit woozy from the train ride, but I was also starving. Mike picked us up and we all fit well in the new car, but getting to the hotel was a different story. Mike has his Tom Tom navigation unit with us, which has served us well getting out of Paris and to the hotel in Cambrai, but driving through the streets of Strasbourg was not as easy. There were a ton of pedestrian streets Tom Tom was telling us to go down. I finally called the hotel and he told me to put in a different address in the navigation unit. We found the hotel and I think all of us needed a break. We checked into the hotel and went to our respective rooms. From there, Mike and I went to find some food. There was a busy cafe across the water from the hotel so we walked there. I have a delightful cheeseburger and Mike had a chicken and mushrooms dish with spatzel. Yes I did say spatzel. Apparently we are so close to the German border that the food definitely comingles.
We then went back to our room and relaxed for a bit, but decided if we did not head out we would just go to sleep for the night. So we headed out to find the Cathedral. It was such an amazing Cathedral with intricacies, the likes of which I have never seen before. And honestly, I could not believe the scale of this building. It was enormous.
Picture of the Catheral (Outside)
Then I had my first Tarte Flambé - which is essentially a flatbread pizza with crème friache, bacon and I had them add fromage (cheese). It was outstanding, but I could not finish it - actually I only had about 1/4 of it and Mike finished the rest. He had a three kinds of meat stew that was not that great, but the potatoes that were in it were delicious!
We headed back to the hotel and I tried to organize for our trip to Champagne. We decided to only take one bag, so there was a bunch of rearranging that needed to occur. Finally it was time for bed.
The next morning, I slept in a bit...contrary to my notions of getting up for an early morning run/walk. I did not really even want breakfast, so I stayed in our room reorganizing and getting ready for the day. I met Jane and John downstairs in the lobby around 9:30AM and we were off. We headed toward the boat tours of the city which we were hoping would give us a better understanding of where we were. So off we went.
We found the boat tours and it was really fun. It was an hour and 10 minutes and they had headphones which had all sorts of languages that gave the tour. I chose English-Adult and Jane and John chose English-Kids. It was great. Learned all sorts of things about Strasbourg and where things were. We even got to be lifted up in a lock (right by our hotel) and then brought back down later in the tour. I thought it was great!
Then we went back to the hotel, I moved one bag up to the Heins' room (for storage) and then took one down to the Front Desk to store until we were ready to leave. We then went and had lunch. I had a delightful salad with warm goat cheese and beets. It was yummy!
We went to the park to let John play a bit and that is when Mike and Dan came back to the hotel from work. Mike and I waited in the lobby for our taxi to take us to the train station. Once we arrived at the train station, we needed to waste a bit of time so sat down for a drink. Then we found our train and boarded for about a 2 hour train ride to Champagne.
Champagne (Reims)
As we rode the train to Reims, we went through a bit of a rain storm, but when we arrived, the sun was out and it was beautiful. The train station seemed very new and our driver from the Chateau met us there and hauled our enormous bag to his car. We took about a ten minute drive to get to the Chateau and upon arrival have been treated like royalty.
Here is the website to our hotel:Hotel and if you look at the picture of the hotel (Le Chateau) our room is the top floor left-side window.
Our room is AMAZING!!! I do not even know how to describe it other than magical. The ceilings are about 20 feet. Our room is decorated in very regal red and gold. There is a door out onto a tiny balcony that overlooks an amazing lawn that they call their garden.
Within 5 minutes of us arriving in our room, they brought our luggage and two glasses of Mumm Champagne for us. There was a gorgeous fruit plate and a bottle of water for us as well. We quickly (or if you ask Mike slowly) got ready for dinner and headed to Le Jarin Brasserie (the "bistro" on the property).
Dinner was AMAZING!!! I wish I could use a different word to describe this place, but it truly takes your breath away. We of course started with a bottle of Brut Rose Champagne and let our server pick out what would be best with the meal we decided upon. I started with a swordfish tartare and Mike started with warm summer potato salad with shaved truffles. Our entrees were: Steph - Cod in a tandoori sauce and Mike - Filet of Beef and Foie Gras (in a sauce that we can only describe as flavored like the Swedish meatball sauce from Ikea, but a million times better). Mike literally wiped up all the sauce with the remaining bread on the table.
We then arrived back to our hotel room where they turned down the bed and we were ready for a great night's sleep.
This morning we got up and went downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was again glorious and very similar to the breakfast we had in Paris (way too much food). It was however required to get in a good breakfast since we had a full day of Champagne tastings to go to. I had a cheese omelet with bacon and Mike had a cheese omelet with mushrooms. Both were outstanding and they served us something in a little clay pot that I can only describe as the filling in crème brulee or pot de crème. It was outstanding.
We headed to Tattinger (which they pronounce Tat-i-jay) and learned all about the champagne process and then toured their caves. It was fun to learn about the process in France. I have been to many explanations/tours in Oregon Wine Country from phenomenal places such as Argyle and Soter, but it was pretty cool to be in caves that the Romans had dug out and feel the history in every step we were taking.
Back to the Jardin Brasserie for lunch where I had a wonderful Lobster Salad and Mike had basically a Charcuterie plate. And of course we both had glasses of their featured Rose Champagne.
We then headed to Veuve Clicquot which was fascinating. Apparently it was Madame Clicquot who developed the riddling table which still is what is used today for the larger bottles in production. It seemed more commercial to me, with many more items for sale and kitschy wine containers for their bottles. But it was still amazing to be in these facilities that were used so long ago and gave birth to the Champagne industry.
We are now back at our room resting for a bit before we walk over to Pommery.
Cheers to being in Champagne country where Cheers happen all the time!
I am so jealous, but at the same time so happy that you are having such a great time!
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