Day 2 - a bubbly sort of day

 We went for a bike ride in the morning, cycling high into the hills surrounding Epernay. Lord, the last bit was really steep, and even though I was on an electric bike the last 100 metres was just too much to pedal.

At the top we were rewarded with a beautiful little village, and in the abbey was the final resting place of the monk who started the whole champagne ball rolling - Dom Perignon.




As is always the case in France there was a café nearby, and a steaming bidet of coffee fortified us for the journey back down.

In the afternoon a visit to a Champagne House had been organised, in this case Champagne Albert Gratien. This little known brand is apparently quite exclusive, and mainly supplies only top end restaurants - you are not going to find it in Aldi! The cellars were 80 metres underground, dug into the limestone rocks, and surprisingly cool.







 Was there a tasting session after the tour (which by the way was excellent) - of course there was! And, yes, I can report that there was a load more flavour in these than the vast majority of anything I had tasted previously back in the UK.

This is a huge helium balloon that gives rides (tethered) to quite a height over Epernay.

Just one of the many, many Champagne Houses in Epernay. This one is Moet and Chandon.

We walked back into the town centre for a few pressions (french beer from a pump, rather than a bottle) before an excellent curry in a curry house that was run by actual Indians, rather than the Bangladeshis we normally find at home. 

All in all, and excellent day. Off to Germany now.


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