The mighty Marne beckons… just turn left at the giant
Chinese restaurant and keep on going.
The weather has turned again and we endure heavy rain and
poor visibility, so much so we run into one of the VNF boats in a lock. I don’t think they were as amused as we were! After a bit of clunking together they get the
drift and move up to the head of the lock where they should have been in the
first place…
It’s also the first test of the lowering for the solar panel arch to go through tunnels and fit under bridges. (The whole structure hinges off the transom and can be lowered to water level if needs be) It worked extremely well even if we did have to go round in circles for a bit while we got ourselves sorted out adding to stress levels of the poor lock keepers as we were potentially holding up commercial traffic.
We are now also entering an area of the canal where they give you your own remote control to work the locks. What a pleasant surprise to be able to lock at your own pace… fantastic idea… it just adds to the whole sense of the slow pace of canal life. I just can’t get over what a wonderful resource the canal system is and not just for boaters but walker, bikers, fishermen etc. Shame New Zealand never thought to have any…
Finally we reach Cumieres and to our relief Champagne
tasting is on the menu and we walk up to Haute Villers; the village where Dom
Perignon discovered the joys of riddling champagne.
At last a touristy village, complete with overpriced antique shops, cafes and champagne houses. We take the opportunity to visit two champagne masions and have a tipple or two. There are some interesting champagnes being made here that are not to the traditional standards. Some of the nicest ones contain only one or two grape varieties whereas normally all three would be mixed together. (FYI: only sparkling wine from this small region can be called “champagne” and only three grape varieties can be grown – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier)
We also try some Ratafia; an 18% aperitif made of 80% Pinot Noir grape juice and 20% Marc de Champagne (distilled from the pulp). It’s like drinking liquid honey, very morish! I have found I quite like these “aperitifs” and another one to look out for is Pommeau, a cider and calvados based number - yum yum!
Epernay is the next stop on the tour and the halte nautique is
run by a really lovely couple. Francoise
likes to greet visitors with a Kir Royal (Kir liqueur and champagne) and hands
out free trips to Champagne de Castellane, the massive and amazingly tiled
champagne house directly behind the halte.
We quickly get organised and head off to take advantage of this offer. It
turns out to be a free trip well taken and we learn loads about the history and
making of Champagne. Straight after this
(being literally gluttons for punishment!) we opt to tour Mercier… we have been
lured by the talk of the naff touristy nature of their tour and sure enough we
aren’t disappointed.
Mercier was a man before his time when it came to advertising and we thoroughly enjoy the story of the huge champagne barrel he created for the Great Exhibition in Paris. (It can hold 600 hectolitres – or a huge amount if you can’t relate to that!) Apparently it took many days and oxen to get it there. Not to mention the fact that he had to buy and knock houses down along the way because it was too big to fit down some streets! The rest of the tour starts with a lift descending into the caves. The lift itself is part of the tour and dioramas light up along the way to tell the story of the family. Next comes a film about the history of Mercier and then a trip around the many miles of underground caves in a laser guided electric train – so naff and so cool!! The caves were built with tourists in mind and Mercier even went as far as to employ the famous artist Gustave Navlet to adorn the walls and alcoves with sculptures. As usual the tour ends with a tasting session (what a shame?!) and we take the opportunity to ask a question that has been bugging us for a while. Why don’t the French have to net their grapes? Turns out no-one can answer this and indeed one bloke works up quite a sweat trying to come up with an answer. Luckily the wee Bulgarian girl working for them politely points out that the reason they don’t need nets is that they don’t have any birds… although no one wants to admit that this might be due to the amount of pesticides being used in production they did stress they were trying to cut back on that side of grape management!
We soon leave town behind and enter a small lock; beyond the
canal narrows.
It’s really pretty and more relaxing again than the Seine. There are still barges and tricky bits (we have our first grounding trying to get onto a waiting pontoon by a lock) but all in all we really enjoy our first day of proper canals. To celebrate hit one of the many cute canalside villages and buy CC some planters and flowers to complete the “narrowboat” look. (Look away now sailors, it’s not very shipshape and Bristol fashion!)
It’s really pretty and more relaxing again than the Seine. There are still barges and tricky bits (we have our first grounding trying to get onto a waiting pontoon by a lock) but all in all we really enjoy our first day of proper canals. To celebrate hit one of the many cute canalside villages and buy CC some planters and flowers to complete the “narrowboat” look. (Look away now sailors, it’s not very shipshape and Bristol fashion!)
It’s also the first test of the lowering for the solar panel arch to go through tunnels and fit under bridges. (The whole structure hinges off the transom and can be lowered to water level if needs be) It worked extremely well even if we did have to go round in circles for a bit while we got ourselves sorted out adding to stress levels of the poor lock keepers as we were potentially holding up commercial traffic.
 |
| Where the hell are we? |
Next excitement was
getting used to a new locking system (there isn’t one; all the locks are
different!) and avoiding fast moving barges in very narrow sections. All good stuff and we are learning as we
go. We know we must be doing OK as our
“guest” hasn’t abandoned ship or even looked perturbed. (“What do I know?” says Sonya “You never let
on you were worried!”)
This section of the Marne is very Amazonian. Lots of trees right down to the banks and loads of wildlife. Fisherman line the banks at villages and the barge traffic starts to thin out. The stopovers become more remote as well, often with no power or H2O but that doesn’t bother us much as we just take great delight in being able to step off your boat and take a stroll along the river bank whenever you please.
This section of the Marne is very Amazonian. Lots of trees right down to the banks and loads of wildlife. Fisherman line the banks at villages and the barge traffic starts to thin out. The stopovers become more remote as well, often with no power or H2O but that doesn’t bother us much as we just take great delight in being able to step off your boat and take a stroll along the river bank whenever you please.
We are now also entering an area of the canal where they give you your own remote control to work the locks. What a pleasant surprise to be able to lock at your own pace… fantastic idea… it just adds to the whole sense of the slow pace of canal life. I just can’t get over what a wonderful resource the canal system is and not just for boaters but walker, bikers, fishermen etc. Shame New Zealand never thought to have any…
It’s very misty in the mornings and autumnal colours are
starting to touch the trees. Walnuts,
hops and sloes abound and nests of mistletoe adorn the trees on every side. There is a definite nip in the air but still
Sonya refuses to give up on the t-shirts and shorts – hardy folk, these west
coasters!
We are finally hitting champagne country and the vines
stretch up the top of the hills on either side blending in with old pockets of
forest. We have some great walks among
the vines and enjoy the curiosity and friendliness of the locals.
 |
| Any rabbits down here? |
In one village bar we met the quintessential Frenchman;
short, dark, lightly bearded with a beret and pantaloon trousers. If he had been wearing a stripy t-shirt,
neckerchief and been carrying a string of onions we may have had to kidnap him
for use by the French tourist board. And
what manners! Hat off to talk to the
ladies, shake everyone’s hand upon entering the bar, acknowledge each person
leaving... You could have done worse
Sonya! Has to have been one of our favourite bar experiences
so far… and we learnt some French as well.
What more could you ask for?!
We seem to have mistimed our run down the Champagne stretch
as we now find out that harvesting is about to start and sure enough white vans
begin to dot the hillsides and caravans litter the canal banks. Unlike New Zealanders the French don’t appear
to think of harvesting as a tourist attraction and all the champagne houses we
come across are closed and even some of the associated tourist traps; yes we
really did want to see that miniaturised champagne diorama!
 |
| Rue de Buttes! |
Finally we reach Cumieres and to our relief Champagne
tasting is on the menu and we walk up to Haute Villers; the village where Dom
Perignon discovered the joys of riddling champagne. At last a touristy village, complete with overpriced antique shops, cafes and champagne houses. We take the opportunity to visit two champagne masions and have a tipple or two. There are some interesting champagnes being made here that are not to the traditional standards. Some of the nicest ones contain only one or two grape varieties whereas normally all three would be mixed together. (FYI: only sparkling wine from this small region can be called “champagne” and only three grape varieties can be grown – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier)
We also try some Ratafia; an 18% aperitif made of 80% Pinot Noir grape juice and 20% Marc de Champagne (distilled from the pulp). It’s like drinking liquid honey, very morish! I have found I quite like these “aperitifs” and another one to look out for is Pommeau, a cider and calvados based number - yum yum!
Epernay is the next stop on the tour and the halte nautique is
run by a really lovely couple. Francoise
likes to greet visitors with a Kir Royal (Kir liqueur and champagne) and hands
out free trips to Champagne de Castellane, the massive and amazingly tiled
champagne house directly behind the halte.
We quickly get organised and head off to take advantage of this offer. It
turns out to be a free trip well taken and we learn loads about the history and
making of Champagne. Straight after this
(being literally gluttons for punishment!) we opt to tour Mercier… we have been
lured by the talk of the naff touristy nature of their tour and sure enough we
aren’t disappointed. Mercier was a man before his time when it came to advertising and we thoroughly enjoy the story of the huge champagne barrel he created for the Great Exhibition in Paris. (It can hold 600 hectolitres – or a huge amount if you can’t relate to that!) Apparently it took many days and oxen to get it there. Not to mention the fact that he had to buy and knock houses down along the way because it was too big to fit down some streets! The rest of the tour starts with a lift descending into the caves. The lift itself is part of the tour and dioramas light up along the way to tell the story of the family. Next comes a film about the history of Mercier and then a trip around the many miles of underground caves in a laser guided electric train – so naff and so cool!! The caves were built with tourists in mind and Mercier even went as far as to employ the famous artist Gustave Navlet to adorn the walls and alcoves with sculptures. As usual the tour ends with a tasting session (what a shame?!) and we take the opportunity to ask a question that has been bugging us for a while. Why don’t the French have to net their grapes? Turns out no-one can answer this and indeed one bloke works up quite a sweat trying to come up with an answer. Luckily the wee Bulgarian girl working for them politely points out that the reason they don’t need nets is that they don’t have any birds… although no one wants to admit that this might be due to the amount of pesticides being used in production they did stress they were trying to cut back on that side of grape management!
Other useful Champagne facts:
- 80% of all champagne produced is drunk in France
- Land that is allowed to grow champagne grapes is worth 1 million euros per hectare
- If there isn’t a year on the bottle label it isn’t a vintage
- Vintage champagne isn’t made every year and 2012 wasn’t going to be a good vintage yea
- You should drink vintage champagne within 10 years of its bottling (any older and it is likely to be rubbish!)
- If it isn’t vintage champagne you need to drink it within 2 years
- The popularity of certain champagnes is only down to advertising not to superior taste (you have just got to love the forthright nature of these Bulgarians – they just love to tell it how it is; although I am not sure she will have a job for life at Mercier if she continues to tell the truth!
- Mercier is the champagne of choice for most French people
 |
| What can I say? ...it was a long day! |
By the time we wend our way back to the boat we are pretty
mellow but we still manage to down a “superior” bottle of champers to celebrate
Sonya’s survival of the Camino (and our company!) before heading out for a
vey nice meal at the Cave. It’s been a great trip so far and
we can’t wait to see the rest of what the Marne canal has to offer. Sadly the divine Miss Sonya has to leave us
here and go back to NZ and work. (I'm sure Annette could swing you another couple of weeks??!)
Au revoir et voyages heureux!
Au revoir et voyages heureux!
P.s: Both Mercier and
Castellane make fine tasting champagnes but then so do many of the little
maisons and of note was G. Tribaut of Haute Viller… (They also make a lovely
Ratafia)
Sadly we were unable to score a bottle of Moet Chandon, Dom Perignon, Mumm, Bollinger, Tattinger or alike, so are unable to provide informed suggestions on what to buy but, if you feel the need for us to perform more research into the matter, please feel free to send bottles of the afore mentioned for scrutiny and we will endeavour to form a coherent list of top champagnes of the region! Sante!
Sadly we were unable to score a bottle of Moet Chandon, Dom Perignon, Mumm, Bollinger, Tattinger or alike, so are unable to provide informed suggestions on what to buy but, if you feel the need for us to perform more research into the matter, please feel free to send bottles of the afore mentioned for scrutiny and we will endeavour to form a coherent list of top champagnes of the region! Sante!
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