Champagne (doing the pigeon, part 2)

Pigeonnier
In the Champagne region we stayed at Chateau de Mairy in Mairy Sur Marne, which is a tiny hamlet just outside Chalons en Champagne. We were originally to stay in a room in the chateau but when it was booked out by a large family, they offered for us to stay in the 3 story tower located on the chateau grounds. Now, to us a tower sounded rather exciting, so naturally we agreed. However, reality doesn't always live up to fantasy (princess in her tower kind of thing). The tower was certainly different to anything else we've ever stayed in. It was originally a pigeonnier, which is where the rich chateau owners kept their many thousands of pigeons. On the top floor was the bedroom which contained a 20ft ceiling, as you look up and around you there are thousands of pigeon nesting holes (thankfully no longer containing the birds or their deposits).On the ground floor was the kitchen and dining area and the second floor, the sitting area/lounge. Sounds great so far - back to reality: the stairs were closer to a ladder in their steepness and width; the tower had solid stone walls about 4ft thick, not conducive to warmth and light; the tower was a few hundred years old and not everything yet had been renovated for modern comfort (befitting a princess); and, when the chateau had been built the railway line hadn't but was now located just at the back of the chateau grounds, ignoring the noise factor, the tower did shake a little every time a train went by...which they did a lot (admittedly between 10pm and 6am they were very infrequent). However, the said we did enjoy the unique experience and particularly liked the 6 cats that lived there also.

The Champagne region was generally lovely with wide rolling hills of grapevines, expanses of vibrant yellow canola fields and typical French villages with their ancient stone buildings, churches and very thin streets...not to mention the great champagne. We toured the champagne house of Moet & Chandon. The miles of old stone underground cellars were very exciting indeed. So much champagne, so close. One small dark cavern could contain 40,000 bottles and there were hundreds of caverns that we saw and that was only a fraction of it. It took a bit of will power to not grab a few bottles on the way through. Apparently during the war they bricked up some areas for safekeeping the champagne, they still today come across hidden areas still safely holding the bottles, now well aged. The fizz was excellent, by the way. We're not experts, but are beginning to better understand the contribution each grape variety makes to champagne and how the wines come to taste as they do.

Reims cathedral
Neither of us are compulsive visitors of each and every church or cathedral that we come across, but we made a special trip for Reims. It didn't disappoint. It's exterior is imposing: more so than Notre Dame, which we think may be accentuated by the surrounding buildings being no more than three-storey (as opposed to six or seven around Notre Dame). The doors are lavish, and so much easier to view in peace without the herds of sheeple that mill around ND :-)
The interior is a soaring hushedness, and the variety of glasswork is a particular highlight. Sure, there are 15th century pieces in the style one expects, but there are also more abstract works and (famously, we believe) works by Mark Chagall from the 1970s that look more like watercolours than stained glass.