We arrived in Calais via Eurotunnel and immediately reset our watches one hour ahead. Our home for the week, Le Mont de St. Simeon was an easy three and a half hour drive south. We picked up the A26 and sped through the plains of Picardy to Reims and then via the A4 we continued on to the Champagne countryside.
Originally a 'ferme carree' our cottage had an excellent view across the valley. Close to Paris but a world away, this holiday promised an extra fizz!
The next morning we decided to visit Provins (actually people in France pronounce it as Provan) about 20 miles away.
Provins is a fortified medieval town away from the usual foreign tourist route. It's great as there's a tower, ramparts and underground passages. There are plenty of restaurants from good and cheap creperies (we really enjoyed our lunch at La Fleur du Sel on Place due Chatel) to fancier places. Provins has winding cobblestone streets, ancient towers and cute restaurants. What's more, the older part of the town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Provins attractions include Caesar's Tower. This tower was constructed in the 12th century by the Counts of the Champagne region. During this period, Provins was a trading hub and the tower was used as a lookout point and a prison. Architecturally, it is the only tower in the world that features an octagonal tower atop a square base. Inside visitors are invited to explore various rooms, such as the Governor's Office. The top room of the tower features bells that were originally housed in the Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church. From the top you can enjoy sweeping views of the town.
Almost next door is Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church. Construction on the church started in the 12th century but financial difficulties left part of the church forever unfinished. The magnificent dome was added in the 17th century. It's certainly worth visiting.
The Les Aigles des Remparts is a superb falconry show. The team flew a huge variety of birds in a themed show through the ages. The presentation involved more than a half-dozen handlers who dressed in costumes of the time, including oriental moors complete with a camel and Mongols on horseback. Falcons, eagles, owls and vultures responded to their handlers and, launched from high perches in the city walls and towers, flew swoopingly low over the crowd. They dove so low that a school teacher was crouching down - though unnecessarily - to the amusement of her pupils.
The fantasy themed Knight show, with orcs and demons and animals, is also entertaining. Back to medieval times with horses, jousting, stunts, heroes and villians. Plenty of cheers and boos for the villains from visiting schoolchildren. Be prepared for some great acrobatics. Bravo! In French but it doesn't matter. It's like an opera - you don't need to speak the language to get the story.
The following day was the Royal Wedding so we spent much of the afternoon watching the happy couple and drinking champagne. And to celebrate Phil's birthday we treated ourselves to the HPB Bateaux Parisiens Seine River Cruise. The evening started with another glass of champagne in reception to toast the happy couple.
Then a taxi drove us to Paris, direct to the river bank for boarding our dinner boat. After an aperitif and canapes we cast off and enjoyed unobstructed views through floor-to-ceiling windows as we passed world-famous Paris monuments and come sunset they began to illuminate.
Paris is lovely during the day, but at night it takes on even more of a magical quality. We docked right next to the Eiffel Tower and I would highly recommend seeing the iron lady at night. The monument is truly magnificent, regardless of what time of day, but at night on the hour you are treated to a light show twinkling golden for 5 mins. Fabulous! The food, service and scenery were all exceptional. The HPB pick-up (although expensive) was a big plus too - door to door service that made the experience hassle free and Paris was so busy. A "Must Do".
Romantique, Gourmand, Magnifique.
On Sunday we drove to Coulommiers, the nearest town, approximately nine and a half kms from our cottage to visit the large outdoor market. And after all that shopping, where we picked up a wheel of ripe cheese from the fromagerie stall and some seasonal fruit, we stopped for lunch at The Atmosphere restaurant. A lovely location in the centre of town, alongside the river. The food was excellent and next door there is an excellent Patisserie. You know somewhere is good when there's a queue and happy people leaving with baguettes, pastries and artisan cakes. Absolutely delice, bonne patisserie. Of course, we bought some!
With its world class vineyards a visit to this magical region makes for a fantastic day trip.
Champagne is, and always will be, one of the world's great drinks - but a visit to this pretty part of France is even more rewarding than drinking the lovely stuff. AND a place you must visit before one leaves Champagne is Hautvillers, home of Dom Perignon, the 17th century Benedictine abbot who is credited with the complicated double fermentation method, which encouraged the local wine's natural sparkle. The end result was a clear wine with constant effervescence. At the time he is said to have cried out, "Brothers, come quickly; I am drinking stars". It's a lovely quote, more so because drinking the stuff does actually make anybody feel like a star - no drink is more glamorous or feels so much like a celebration. Who has ever shouted, "Let's have tea" after passing their exams?
Dom Perignon is laid to rest just in front of the altar in St. Peters Abbey. The abbey is owned by Moet and Chandon.
There are a lot of urban myths about Dom Perignon - mainly that the French monk "invented" Champagne, one of the world's great drinks. It's not true - it was probably first discovered in England in 1662, 10 years before Dom Perignon arrived in Champagne.
The village is very pretty. Taking a walk around its winding streets we noticed that almost every house has some kind of sign attached to it, which advertises the delights of champagne. The place practically floats on bubbly!
Hautvillers is THE place for Champagne tasting and in this town G. Tribaut is a must. The young lady who served us spoke very good English and was only too happy to answer our questions. And, yes, we did buy a case to bring home.
The view as you sip champagne is spectacular.
You can choose 3 glasses of champagne for 10 Euros and if you then purchase six bottles this is refunded. We tasted Cuvee de Reserve, Grand Cuvee Speciale and Vintage 2008 Blanc de Blancs. I loved the Cuvee de Reserve and it was very reasonably priced. (16.70 Euros a bottle). The tasting gives you the opportunity to try a number of different styles. We opted for a tasting of both a vintage and non-vintage to compare. Champagne must be opened slowly and poured into elegant glasses. The cork removal must NEVER be accompanied by a loud POP! (Anyone who pops champagne corks is considered a peasant or English)! Champagne is made from a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes (or just one or two of these varieties), which must, of course, be grown only within the Champagne region.
Tasting champagne is easy. You look at the glass, note the colour and size of the bubbles (small and vigorous is good), sniff and then sip. If it is a mainly young champagne, around 2 years old, say: "I detect notes of peach and lime blossom", if a little older, "notes of brioche and tobacco" and if good enough to have aged seven years or more, "mushroom, toast and coffee".
Champagne Tribaut looks down to the Marne River. It's an arresting view you don't get when buying Champagne in Britain, not even in Waitrose. The Tribauts are known as "Recoltant Manipulant" which means they cultivate and harvest the grapes, then sell on a large part to the grandes maisons de champagne such as Krug or Taittinger. Enough is left over to produce 150,000 bottles themselves.
We then drove on to Ay (look out for towns named Dizy and Bouzy close by) and had lunch at Rotisserie Henri IV. Simple but great food, easy on the wallet and had a table in the shade on the terrace. Must thank Phil for driving and only drinking water as I left a little rosy cheeked after another glass of delightful champagne.
We then continued on to prosperous Epernay; the self-proclaimed capital du Champagne and home to many of the world's most celebrated Champagne houses. Beneath the streets in 110km of subterranean cellars, more than 200 million bottles of Champagne, just waiting to be popped open on some sparkling occasion, are being aged. During the war, these underground quarries not only acted as a shelter against bombings, but also served as homes, schools, hospitals and a way to communicate and travel, undetected by the enemy. Epernay's handsome avenue de Champagne fizzes with maisons de champagne. The boulevard is lined with mansions and neoclassical villas, rebuilt after WW1.
And so from Champagne to Chateau.
The Chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte in Maincy is one of those places that looks utterly gorgeous in photos but when you see it for real looks even better. You may have seen it recently and not even realised. If you're a fan of the TV series "Versailles", (which returns next month - can't wait), the serial about the shenanigans of the Royals and aristos of Louis XIV's court - you've seen Vaux-Le- Vicomte. It may surprise you to know that much of the filming took place not at the Chateau of Versailles as you may think. The producers of "Versailles" had really done their homework on the look of the day, from the shoes and dresses and hairstyles to the furnishings and architecture. Whilst the Chateau of Versailles may seem an obvious choice as the location for filming, in fact, the décor there is largely 18th century, a hundred years too late for the authentic look sought. Vaux-Le-Vicomte though, has retained its 17th century beauty, and, as the prototype and inspiration for the later Chateau de Versailles - it was the perfect place to film.
We spent the entire day viewing the Chateau, the carriage exhibit, and the grounds. DO NOT MISS climbing to the top of the Dome (well worth the extra 3 Euros) to see a 360 degree birds eye view of the property! It is interesting to see the carpentry work of the 17th century as you climb to the top and emerge to the thrill of one of the most incredible views. There is free parking opposite the Chateau. Do hire the audio guide too, very interesting. And a good affordable restaurant with huge terrace in the courtyard for lunch. Children can also hire Versaille costumes if they wish.
Take the time to read the history of Vaux-Le-Vicomte before visiting if you can. A quick history...
The great chateau of Versailles embodies the memory of the Sun King. But behind it lies the story of another chateau - and a man - that the King wanted the world to forget. The year 1661 started off well for Nicolas Foucquet. As France's finance minister he had played an important role in ending the long war against Spain and he expected very soon to become Louis XIV's prime minister. His new chateau at Vaux le Vicomte would not only be a statement of his achievement, but also launch a splendid new era for the country. To show it off, he decided to put on the party to end all parties. The guest of honour was the King himself. On August 17, Louis XIV arrived from his nearby summer residence at Fontainebleau with the entire French court. 6,000 guests dined off silver plates, feasting on food prepared by France's greatest chef, Vatel. A play, written for the occasion by Moliere, was performed against a backdrop of spectacular fountains; the King's favourite composer, Lully, provided the music; and the evening ended with the greatest firework display that the age had ever seen. But everyone agreed that the most extraordinary sight by far was Foucquet's chateau. It possessed a magical, heart-stopping beauty: you could not help but look at it.
Three weeks later the 22 year old Louis XIV, had Fouquet arrested. Accused of enriching himself at the expense of the kingdom, the disgraced minister was eventually taken to the remote fortress of Pignerol in the Savoy Alps, where he remained till his death in 1680.
The arrest meant that Louis could indulge himself in an orgy of gratified covetousness, seizing all the ravishing paintings, tapestries and furniture that had given such offense. And in a further backhanded compliment to Fouquet's patronage, Le Vau the architect, Le Brun the painter and Le Notre the gardener, were all transferred to Versailles to produce for Louis XIV a palace that would make Vaux seem an ignominious hovel.
Yet the golden house survived the centuries, and its apartments, filled with maps, bronzes of Kings and Marshals, bedroom hangings of rococo flowers and Louis XVI Savonnerie rugs, gracefully decant its history. Returned to Mme. Fouquet 13 years after the arrest, Vaux passed to the military family of the Villars and then to the great ministerial dynasty of the Choiseul-Praslins in the reign of Louis XV. In 1847 one of the family murdered his wife and committed suicide, and the Choiseuls fled Vaux like a place infected with disaster. Its great pools and fountains filled with weeds and wheat; sheep grazed on its once perfectly trimmed lawns.
In 1875, a wealthy sugar refiner, Alfred Sommier bought Vaux and spent his life returning it to the glory it had enjoyed in that brief, dazzling summer of 1661. Seventeenth-century statues were bought and brought into place; miles of new piping were laid to restore the original hydraulic system that had fed fountains and reflecting pools; the lovely oval cupola was reroofed; topiary was matured, pruned and grown again. What the happy visitor now sees, then, is Sommier's Vaux. There are a few liberties taken here and there (a clumsy 19th century copy of the Farnese Hercules at the garden's vanishing point - well worth the long walk there, appears closer than it is from the Chateau), but, in essence, the 19th century sugar magnate understood the 17th century financier better than any of his aristocratic predecessor-owners. His descendants continue to preserve the Chateau, which remains privately owned by Patrice and Cristina de Vogue, the Count and Countess de Vogue. It is now administered by their three sons: Alexandre, Jean-Charles and Ascanio de Vogue. Vaux-le-Vicomte lives again.
Unfortunately, after all the hard work the Boxwood are dying. The Boxwood which form the embroidery drawing in front of the Chateau are in a poor state. The Boxwood (just like the Boxwood in our own garden) has been damaged by two causes of dieback: the box moth (caterpillar) and two fungi (Volutella and Cylindrocladium) whose attacks are difficult, or even impossible to fight. In addition a late spring frost burned the young spring shoots. At present there are no satisfactory solutions that don't involve the continued use of chemicals or tripling the number of gardeners. Hopefully, a solution will be found - an organic treatment or the replacement of the boxwood with another immune plant. But the gardens are still magnificent - its only when you look closely.
I can't wait to return on a Saturday evening for the Candlelit Dinner. And I'm just going to go ahead and say it: Better than Versailles. You know why? On the day we visited Versailles was closed due to a national strike.
On our last day we visited Francis Bourjot. Francis is a stone-cutter or Lapidaire who cuts, polishes and works with semi-precious stones. He makes jewellery, ornaments and figures from inside the little workshop located by his house. This workshop was once a bustling place, with up to 35 workers employed here during its heyday. The little workshop produced beautiful jewellery for expensive shops along Paris's famous Avenue des Champs-Elysees. Francis still uses the old machinery to make fancy ornaments for Cartiers and especially the Sultan of Brunei. During the second World War and the German invasion a lot of businesses around France were forced to hide or protect their assets. For champagne houses, this meant bricking up the cellars, but for stone-cutters it meant burying their treasures in the garden! It is in Francis' garden that these beautiful stones still remain. It was only when he picked them up and cleaned them that we realised their beauty. For this reason I must keep Francis' location under wraps. Though the war came and went, the stone-cutting workshop never really regained its former glory. So now Francis continues the legacy, using the piles of semi-precious stone that lie in his garden - hence the need for secrecy. He's sadly one of the last of his trade in France. We really enjoyed our visit and he was so happy to show us through the workings of the place, the big polishing wheels and the antiquated but still functional machinery.
One little owl in particular, made by Francis, caught my eye and asked to be taken home...
In September 1914 the British Army operated for some days in and around St. Simeon, playing a key part in the Battle of the Marne.
