Epernay - Champagne Country in Northern France

Our trip to Epernay was quick, just a one night stopover at an Ibis hotel (endemic in France, small, comfortable, inexpensive and centrally located) on the way to Bruges, Belgium.  We left Blanzay early and after a quick stop for an amazingly indescribable chocolate croissant (no photo could do it justice, it was more like a croissant pancake with layers of flaky crust and slivered almond topping, only found at bakeries in this region), drove mostly on back roads to Epernay.  

Nostalgic moment here - we visited Epernay on our epic road trip in the summer of 1985 as well - 3500 kilometres from Paris down through France, Germany and around the mountains of Switzerland, Austria and northern Italy.  Anyway, our goal this time was to find a small champagne vineyard and pick up a nice bottle or two for our friends in Brussels.  

This town is the self-proclaimed "Capitale du champagne" and home to many of the world’s most celebrated Champagne houses like Moet and Chandon.  It’s a destination of many visitors as the best place for touring cellars and sampling bubbly. The town also makes an excellent base for exploring the Champagne Routes.  

Approaching Epernay are vineyards of grapes grown for champagne and
the regional wine as far as the eye can see.   

Former church/cathedral on the road to Epernay - now used for public events 

Detail of the rock walls of the church above

These street signs were right on the corner of the church above
but we didn't go to any wineries until the day we left Epernay.

The vines were never ending on the way to town

Detail of a doorway by daylight in Epernay - the downtown was quite
busy and commercial, not like we remembered it.  Of course a lot
can happen in 29 years! 

Another doorway in town quite close to the carnival, by night

This permanent arcade of games and rides was certainly not here in 1985!!!

Town Square, very pretty and empty at 0800 the day we left on our search for champagne 

Lovely mural on the "Rue de Champagne" road which left the
center of Epernay and led into the countryside to wineries
north of town. 

Vines and more grapes - just beginning to mature outside the little
winery where we purchased our champagne - coincidentally,
we met a wine dealer there who lived in Brussels our destination or
I should say the destination of the champagne!  He just started doing business with
this winery and of course recommended what we should purchase
- all very convenient since the proprietor spoke NO
English.  The whole process worked out well.

Voila! From Bochet-Lemoine Vineyard