Champagne

August 24 - August 31

We made it! We are in the Champagne region. Time to use the car to find a a few bottles of nice Champagne. Planning was easier than the execution of the plan! It seemed that most small Champagne wineries were closed for visiting, tasting and buying. May be the season?
So we enjoyed the landscape and visited Epernay and the BIG cellars.

	Châlons-en-Champagne is the administrative center of the Champagne region. The big place in front of city hall is guarded by the lions on the pedestals.
	A doorway in Châlons
	We leave Châlons towards Epernay. Here we finally find the grapes we were looking for. A vintner tells us that due to the cold and wet weather everything is 2 to 3 weeks behind. It is close to end of August and the leaves are still green and the grapes very small.
	Shari and Marc enjoy their last vacation day with us.
	If you ever wanted to know where the Veuve Clicquot is coming from - here it is! Notice the anchor on the milestone? Must be a sign that this is the Champagne to be consumed on AvantiB!
	After a few attempts to visit smaller wineries we give up and drive to Epernay where all the big houses have NICE buildings on the Avenue de Champagne.
	Dom Perignon with a bottle; Peter with a case of bubbly.
	The entrance to the elegant tasting rooms of Perrier Jouet - remember the bottles with the exquisite floral paintings?
	The museum of Champagne a `Jugendstil' building - unfortunately closed for renovation.
	Another tasting room with a well manicured garden .....
	unfortunately it is closed and marked as private property. I'm quite sure if you plan to buy a few 100 cases of their best you might get invited. In that case - think of us ...
	While THEY went Champagne tasting I was left all alone on the ship and only my ducky kept me company.