On the motorway early with Jack Badham at the wheel, I am driving at around the speed limit of 130 klms and they are all whizzing past me. Epernay, the epicentre of champagne is the target of our sat nav, arrive just prior to the towns lunch break. Some pull the curtains down at 11.30 am others at noon and do not open again to 2.00 pm. Closed at 6.00 pm. Decided to not go main stream for tours, only so much Moët & Chandon, Pol Roger and Veuve Clicquot etc one can take in!

Whilst they were having their 2 hour lunch break we were having our (liquid) lunch . There are a number of outlets in the town that do sit down sampling - they call it a champagne degustation and was thinking of Donna and Peter as this exercise is a little excessive. We should have only had the 100ml tastings instead of the 140ml size as after half a dozen tasters the world seems not such a bad place after all. We are explained the three different type of grape varieties in the champagne region and where the fruit came from with each the of the champagnes - we sit up like the cat that got the cream trading our quality french language with the hostess. Seems a reasonable sort of a joint this Epernay. Actually not a pretty town at all, one one street of any value - check out the pic. Made a special purchase of a bottle of Dom Perignom at the source - we will really be drinking stars and dollars!).

Seems that the drivers here are slow to catch on - stay clear when the Aussies are on the road. We are far too often on their wrong / right side, anyway no harm done so far .

Went on a tour (English speaking) at a champagne house called de Castellane, interesting, the building is very impressive with a tower that is now heritage listed, it was built to be a water tower but the water kept freezing in winter so a lot of work for zilch in return. The caves are 6 klms in length with the longest in distance 700 metres. The storage and works that take place under ground is astounding. This would have to be one of the cleanest work places I have ever seen. Pity the champagne was poor to our taste, you become a little discerning after a while with ones french fizz. Next on the agenda was a visit to the house of Mercier. Mr Mercier was well before his time, reminds me of Mr Selfridge of the London department store Selfridge & Co.
He was one of the first to market a product and himself, hot air balloons, advertising on trains and the first to do a commercial for the big screen and a car rally in his caves! He had built over 16 years one wine barrel on wheels, it now sits pride of place in the entrance foyer - check out the pic . Fits 200,000 bottles. He took it to Paris to the world trade fair in 1889, had to buy houses and knock them down on route so as his barrel could get along the streets!

Anyway, we start this tour in a lift to drop down 30 metres, as we descend the back of the lift which is black glass lights up as there are displays of firstly the Mercier hot air balloon and then vineyard and cellar scenes as we drop the 30 metres to floor level of the caves, one of the most innovative things to be seen especially in a lift. You then board a laser-guided train for a 30 minute ride around the caves. Their longest cave is 1000 metres long, they have 16 klms of caves. The total length of caves under Epernay is 150 klms! Finish off with a few more tastes, not that bad, a good everyday drinker.

We then find our way to our digs for the night, a few ks out of Epernay at a place called of all things - Dizy. A word on our paid places of sleep, generally we like to pay around 80 to 90 euro, for this the room is generally adequate and clean but generally small with an even smaller bathroom. At Dizy we paid 115 euro and the difference was marked, the best we have stayed at by a long way. Getting a twin room can also be a little tricky as the Europeans are such a gay mob, the beds are side by side so we do our best to shift them apart as far as possible. John says he doesn't sleep but man does he sleep and he does plenty of it. An hour at least before me at night and the same generally in the morning!

We are doing the French thing tonight, both in dining time and treating ourselves to a French restaurant so out at 8.45 pm - more champagne and I started with a very rich foie gras so a late night to allow the food and beverage and day to go down, yes really, so de rigueur in Epernay.