We had a very busy day yesterday. We traveled via the high speed TGV train to Reims in the center of champagne country. The high speed train is very cool. It's quiet since it's an electric train and moves so smoothly you can hardly believe you're traveling, at some points, a bit over 190 miles/hour. The seats are very comfortable, arranged in groups of four with two and two facing each other with a fold up table in the center. There are electrical plugs to charge a laptop, overhead bins for luggage and a bathroom at each end of the car. It only took us 45 minutes to travel 90 miles in comfort and style!

We wanted to see two things in Reims: champagne caves and the famous cathedral . Since the cathedral was open all day until 7:30 pm, we started with the champagne caves which required us to sign up for a tour time. We visited the Taittinger Caves (http://www.taittinger.com/) first and took a tour of the chalk caves where they store millions of bottles of champagne as it ages. The caves were cool, about 50 degrees constant year round, and damp. You can put your hand on the chalk walls and feels the wetness. They initially create the wine in a modern facility and then bottle it and bring it to the caves for storage and aging. The bottles are stored tilted in wooden racks and turned regularly to allow sediment to collect in the neck of the bottle. We saw all sizes of bottles from the size of a standard wine bottle to racks of the mammoth bottles that hold up to seven liters of champagne. That would require a very large party! We tasted champagne at Taittenger's tasting room but didn't purchase any. It was quite expensive, nearly $50 a bottle for the least expensive, but it was very good.

Because Reims was on the line of fighting in WW II, civilians and military alike used the champagne caves for shelter . Of course, they left a bit of themselves behind in drawings and initials and names carved into the chalk walls of the caves. These were so interesting to see and imagine the people who had sheltered here while the bombs dropped so close to them. The caves went down as far as 60 meters in the ground, but the temperature is a stable 50 degrees and best for champagne at 30 meters, so that is the depth of the majority of the cave tunnels. The tunnels are miles long and very dimly lit with yellow or red and blue lights so as not to add heat to the atmosphere.

The next champagne cave we visited was Pommery Vrencken, a bit more modern yet still impressive. We entered the caves via a long, long staircase carved out of chalk -- 112 steps. After climbing down, we walked along long paths carved out of the chalk and saw hundreds of smaller caves carved into the chalk walls stretching out from the main cave. They all held modern metal racks of champagne bottles, over 25 million bottles stored in this cave . Each rack held 500 bottles and the racks went on forever. We could hear the sound of rattling and noise in the background. The guide told us it was the workers with forklifts moving the racks of bottles, and the bottles were clanking in the racks. She showed us the caves that held their collection of vintage champagne, the oldest bottle dated 1875. The had several hundred bottles in an iron-gated cave with dates all the way from 1875 to now. We saw the sediment in the bottles as they aged and learned how they use super cold coolant to dip the tip of the bottle, freeze the sediment and then extract it. The champagne is recapped and then ready to drink. We also tasted the Pommery Vrencken champagne, and it was also very good. Both champagnes were much better than any champagne I've ever tasted in the US. They were light and fruity, not too dry, and bubbly.

After our champagne tours, we took the bus back to the center of Reims and explored the magnificent Gothic cathedral where all French kings have been crowned since the beginning of the monarchy (http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/Reims_Cathedral). While not as large as Notre Dame in Paris, this is a magnificent example of Gothic architecture. The soaring arches inside the cathedral are magnificent. The ceiling soars 125 feet into the air and it just takes the breath away. The cathedral aisles were arched and adorned with intricate stained glass windows. The cathedral was heavily damaged during WW II, but restoration work has been ongoing since. In fact, the front façade was covered with scaffolding when we visited. We noticed several statues of saints that were damaged and still to be repaired. New and modern stained glass windows have been installed in the back of the church behind the altar that contrast with the old and very intricate stained glass in the aisles of the church. I've never seen so many carved stone statues in a cathedral before. They are carved into the stone of the walls and adorn every inch of them. Thousands of saints, carved and arranged around doorways and windows all the way to the ceiling. It's truly magnificent.

At the end of the day, we boarded the speedy train again . This trip we met a young man who sat across from us. He was traveling with his cat in a green canvas bag. He said she went everywhere with him.   We told him about our cats who now live with Tom, and learned he was a chef who was born in Reims and traveling back to Paris where he now lives. He allowed us to take a picture of his cat as I know no one would have believed a cat would travel so peacefully.  I love meeting interesting people when we travel! It was a wonderful day, and we learned so many new things. We have a greater appreciation for a really good bottle of champagne, and an increased sense of awe for the magnificent cathedrals the French have built over centuries.