Arrondissement d'Épernay

So today was always going to be brutal - we knew we had just short of 6 hours in Roxvanne, making our way south to our new short term home.
Before this we had some business to attend to.
As normal first on the agenda was coffee and a croissant, which we found in a nearby boulangerie just up the road from the hotel. Tre opted for her usual pain au chocolate while I went for the lovely glazed and very plump filled chausson aux pommes. After taking the obligatory food eating photo for Simon we got on the road heading off to buy champagne.
On the recommendation of Lou we headed to an address at Aÿ Champagne. As we drove towards the village we saw that again most houses and business properties along the road were Champagne linked or in fact small independant champagne houses. At the rear of the properties on our left were hillsides covered with vines. We stopped in a lay-by and hopped out. Immediately we could both smell alcohol or probably better and best described as the fermentation smell I remembered when my dad made home made wine at home many many years ago. That odour that seemed to escape from the glass demijohns of whatever concoction he was making.
As described by Lou we approached a small house set back off the road with a small industrial unit to one side. I guessed we were in the right place as Lou had mentioned cats . . . and there were definitely cats!!
A woman appeared from near to the industrial units and thankfully Teresa was able to keep up with the conversation that then took place. My French is poor and it’s times like these I realise how poor! That being said I quickly realised we were in the right place, champagne was being discussed and we were led to what seemed a lower ground garage to the side of the small house. Once inside I knew all was good as we were surrounded by boxes of champagne and bottling and labelling equipment. More conversation and laughing then took place which I managed to keep up with - weirdly my spidy senses kick in when alcohol is on offer. We spent about 15 minutes discussing various bottles and prices before we made our selections, paid up and were walking back to Roxvanne loaded up. Lou - if the rose is rubbish I will find you, I know where you are!!
Everything loaded into Roxvanne we set off - destination south.
We had decided to take the toll roads just to keep the travel time to its shortest, the only downside is we would miss some of the rural countryside. That being said the countryside envelopes you even when on the motorways, with hardly any other cars to be seen, and mile after mile of unspoilt scenery . . . apart from the odd couple hundred wind turbines every so often.
We skirted south a little then west to the south side of Paris and further west to Orléans then onto Tours and then south to Poitiers. We only stopped twice, Tre deciding to have a drive on one leg, with me encouraging her on the basis that the motorways were empty and she would be fine. Tre was not too impressed however that on her leg we had road works, narrow lanes and lots of heavy goods wagons. She did admit at one point to aching hands due to gripping the wheel so hard! - in any case she drove a blinder and soon was totally relaxed and actually speaking again 😎
Our total journey was only interrupted on one occasion, when whilst compiling our Spotify playlist again, I had an emergency IT help desk enquiry from the UK about no sound on a laptop . . . Thanks Simon!!
Of note . . . we did manage to get the world service on the radio and listened to a good element of the Queens Funeral for some of the journey as we were unable to get to see it.
RIP ER II.
We continued south now recognising place names from our previous trips, score finally exiting the motorway onto the N roads and finally the rural lanes that always appear empty of anyone else.
We finally arrived at our new place and met with Hannah who showed us around. I’m not sure either still quite believe we are here and what lays ahead.
We broke out one of the Champagnes from our earlier purchases and sat and managed to watch highlights of the Queens funeral procession.
So a fab day, an exciting but knackering day, tinged with a little sadness. We start again tomorrow.
Lou - the rose was fab!!Read more