We Felt Bubbly About Our Final Stop In Reims

After lunch, we walked about a mile to the champagne house of Veuve Clicquot.  Reims is the capital of the champagne region of France, which means, since their wine is from the Champagne region, they can call their sparkling wine Champagne.

Going and doing champagne tours in the Reims area (day trip from Paris) is quite popular.  Typically you go to some combination of vineyards, cellars, and champagne houses.  We didn't feel the need to do that, so we did just an hour long tour of the caves at Veuve Clicquot, with a tasting at the end.

It was about a mile walk from lunch (at a restaurant just below the Abbey) to Veuve Cliquot.  It was the part of town where the roads had not been torn up!  

For the tour, we were in a group of 12-14 or so.  Our guide took us into the caves to some different rooms carved by Romans out of chalk back in the day.  It was an interesting tour.  I asked at the end what they thought of the recent French movie, "Widow Clicquot," which came out in 2023 (French language only).  

Well, I got a quite frosty response.  Not having seen the movie, but thinking about watching it, I was taken aback.  Apparently the movie was not made with cooperation of the company, as it did a Hollywood-esque number on Widow Clicquot.  Given how upset the guide was by the question, I didn't have any more questions.

One funny moment during the tasting was a champagne bottle top popped in the next room -- just fired off on its own.  Apparently it doesn't happen often, but it does happy.

The stairs down into the caves.

The rack for turning and aging

was one of the Widow's several

innovations in the wine &

champagne business.

The caves are the perfect temperatures

for storing barrels and bottles.

The stairs up are famous in

champagne circles.  The

years in the stairs represent

top quality vintages.

After the tour and tasting, a staffer called a cab for us, and we headed back to the train station.  Except. . .wrong train station!  I had booked us a train back to Paris from the Reims station rather than the Ardennes-Champagne station.  Ugh, we didn't realize it until I couldn't find our train from Ardennes-Champagne on the board -- because we held tickets for Reims to Paris.  Fortunately, we were able to switch trains with a minimal added cost.  That's what I get for overthinking our journey.

Photos From St. Remi's Abbey/Basilica

The Abbey

Abbey's cloister

Tapestries

The mosaic is more exciting

than a Gladiator movie sequel

Horse is impressive,

but not to scale.

Another view of the cloister.

Rose window.

Beautiful vaulted ceiling.

Some 900 year old stained glass.

The Basilica, dedicated

by the Pope in 1049.

Side entrance.  Note the Flying

Buttresses holding up the nave.

Usually UNESCO Means "You Must Go" But For Musee Saint-Remi It Means "Meh"

Regular readers of this blog know Carol and I are big fans of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  I'm even the person who coined the phrase now used around the world -- "UNESCO means you must go!"

(Editor: That phrase is NOT used around the world.  Writer: It should be.) 

Of the three UNESCO sites in Reims:

• The Cathedral is certainly impressive.  
• The Palais du Tau is closed for renovation.
• The Musee Saint-Remi is one of the three least impressive UNESCO World Heritage sites we've ever been to.

Musee Saint-Remi is an archeology and art museum in the former Abbey of Saint Remi.  Founded in the 6th century, it has the relics of Saint Remigius (the Bishop of Reims who concerted Frankish king Clovis I to Christianity in 496).

(King Clovis sounds like the name of a band who has played the Grand Old Opry twice.)

Both the Abbey and the Basilica are UNESCO World Heritage Sites because "of their outstanding architecture and importance in the early French monarcy."

So I was expecting great things.  Oh, the Abbey and the Basilica are both interesting enough, but in MCEIUNESCOS (My Considerably Experienced In UNESCO Sites) opinion they are not as jaw-dropping as a UNESCO site should be. 

The existing basilica was dedicated by Pope Leo IX (his friends called him "Leo") in 1049, so it is older than the Norman conquest of England.  According to Wikipedia, "among the illustrious later abbots. . .may be mentioned" but I'm going to use the "may be mentioned" excuse and not mention them.

There is stained glass from the 12th century still, while a lot of valuable objects were looted during the French Revolutions.

Our favorite part of the museum is the 16th century tapestries donated by archbishop Robert de Lenoncourt.  Another is a Roman mosaic of gladiators, which, although it doesn't move or speak, was more exciting than the Gladiator 2 movie.

By the way, the route from the Cathedral to the Abbey, nearly a mile long, was nearly 100% torn up and under construction.  Not the pretty visit to a smallish city.

A Day Trip To Reims

When we are in a city for a week or so, we like to take a day trip to a nearby city or other interesting place to go.  We didn't take a day trip from Rome because November wasn't the time to go to nearby places.

So from Paris, Carol really wanted to go to Reims, for the Cathedral.  In 2013 We'd been to Giverny (and loved it) and Versailles (and survived the hordes, albeit it barely.)  So Reims it would be.

Took an early train down to the Ardenne-Champagne station outside of Reims (oddly, direct trains to Reims were fewer and far between).  I went to grab a taxi outside the small, pleasant station.  Except taxis must be reserved in advance.  I thought

Fortunately, two cabbies who were waiting for their booked rides arranged to contact a fellow cabbie. She took very little time picking us up, so what could have been a significant waste of time turned out to be a short term inconvenience.

It turns out Reims is:

a.  Under major construction -- many of the roads are torn up.  By "many," I mean all the roads and sidewalks in the main part of downtown.  It looks like either for electrical, internet, or sewers.  I feel bad for the downtown businesses, because we would have been better getting around town with hiking boots.

b.    Hard to pronounce.   Early in our week, someone in Paris asked where we were going besides the city -- and I said "Reims" and pronounced it "reams."  He laughed at my butchering.  "It is pronounced. . ." and he proceeded to make a sound similar to a trilling sneeze.  It was my turn to laugh at him.  I asked him to repeat it -- same incomprehensible pronunciation.  Apparently it rhymes with "rinse" but with a Inspector Clouseau accent.

(By the way, since there is a YouTube clip of the beloved Peter Sellers butchering "room" in the French way, I'm not the only person who still remembers that scene).

Anyhow, next time we talk, don't ask me to pronounce "Reims" because I'm not going to even try.

Well, I just looked it up online, and apparently it is pronounced "Raans" in a nasal and guttural way.  

(Editor: Why are you fixated on this?  Writer: I had a Frenchman laugh at me, even though I wasn't doing an imitation of Jerry Lewis or making surrender jokes.  But even more so, the word is pronounced nothing like the spelling.)

The Reims road/sidewalk issue put a damper on the day for us.  Downtown was pretty dead.

Now, the High Gothic cathedral of Reims is beautiful.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, the construction of the current cathedral started in the 13th century and finished in the 14th century.  The previous cathedral was the site of the Clovis' baptism in the sixth century.  He was the first Frankish king to become a Christian.

Severely damaged in World War I, the repair was finished just before WWII -- but it was not damaged in that one.  

Underscoring that the American Revolution wasn't the first clash over taxes, I found this paragraph on Wikipedia to be both surprising and interesting:

In 1233, a long-running dispute between the cathedral chapter and the townsfolk (regarding issues of taxation and legal jurisdiction) boiled over into open revolt. Several clerics were killed or injured during the resulting violence and the entire cathedral chapter fled the city, leaving it under an interdict (effectively banning all public worship and sacraments). Work on the new cathedral was suspended for three years, only resuming in 1236 after the clergy returned to the city and the interdict was lifted following mediation by the king and the pope. Construction then continued more slowly.

For some inexplicable reason, there is a huge panel display place right in front of the doors of the western (main) facade.  All of it is in French, and it interferes with a picture of the entrance.  Such thoughtlessness boggles the mind!

The Brits captured Reims in 1415, and held it until Joan of Arc led the battle in 1429 to win it back for the French.  (Tax revolts, beating the Brits in a war. . .sounds vaguely familiar).  Ms. of Arc is revered in Reims for that reason.  

Suddenly, the Cathedral became the place for the coronation of French Kings.  The vast majority were crowned at Reims, with the last King to ascend to the throne there was Charles X in 1825.  Overthrown in the revolution of 1830, he was replaced by a constitutional monarch, sworn in at the Parliament in Paris.

In more "recent" history, Reims Cathedral was the site of the reconciliation meeting between French President Charles de Gaulle and West German Konrad Adenauer in 1962, 17 years after the end of World War II.

Yikes -- I Almost Forgot To Share My Favorite Notre-Dame Joke, So Here It Is

I mean, I shared my second favorite art joke with you already, and linked to my favorite art joke.  So I've got to share my favorite Notre-Dame joke:

After Quasimodo's death, the bishop of the cathedral of Notre Dame sent word through the streets of Paris that a new bell ringer was needed. The bishop decided that he would conduct the interviews personally and went up into the belfry to begin the screening process. After observing several applicants demonstrate their skills, he decided to call it a day when a lone, armless man approached him and announced that he was there to apply for the bell ringers job.

The bishop was incredulous. "You have no arms!"

"No matter," said the man, "Observe!" He then began striking the bells with his face, producing a beautiful melody on the carillon. The bishop listened in astonishment, convinced that he had finally found a suitable replacement for Quasimodo. Suddenly, rushing forward to strike a bell, the armless man tripped, and plunged headlong out of the belfry window to his death in the street below.

The stunned bishop rushed to his side. When he reached the street, a crowd had gathered around the fallen figure, drawn by the beautiful music they had heard only moments before. As they silently parted to let the bishop through, one of them asked, "Bishop, who was this man?"

"I don't know his name," the bishop sadly replied, "but his face sure rings a bell."

Every City Needs An Art Center Like This

Okay, so we didn't go in -- we needed to get back to hotel to get ready for dinner.  But the outside 59 Rivoli, a cultural center and art gallery is pretty nifty.

Who doesn't want champagne and lobster

(Editor: Er, people who don't like lobster

and champagne?)

The whole facade.

That's taking the bull by the horns.

A bit less whimsical than the

lobster, cow and champagne bottle.

Notre Dame: Facade In The Sun. And My New Favorite Quote About Gargoyles

It's pretty simple.  Photos, whether people, animals, landscapes, or buildings, usually look better with sunlight beaming on to the subject.  Not always, but usually.  Given that the facade of Notre Dame faces west, my pictures of the facade the other morning were not very illuminating.

So, after Invalides, I pitched Carol on cabbing to Notre Dame despite our being tired, just so I could take some pictures.  She wasn't thrilled with the idea at first, but changed her mind.  So here's a string of photos, only two of which are selfies:

The Bored Gargoyle.

The ancient Kings of Israel (not Palestine)

St. Denis.  Ya can't

say he lost his head.

Jesus with his mom.

Trumpeter on the left.

A better shot of the Devil and

the Archangel Micheal.

Don't have a cow, man!

Mary and two angels on the

outside of the rose window.

One of the three portals.

Gargoyle is derived from the

French "gargouille" which

means throat.  They usually

take the form of a twisted

face or an animal hybrid.  In

Greek mythology, they are

called "chimera."

They are used to drain rain

water off church roofs, to

ward of harmful spirits, and

to remind those who did not

attend church that they are

going to straight to hell.

Great quote I found on the website "The Historic England Blog" whilst looking up info on gargoyles:

In the 12th century, church leader, St. Bernard of Clairvaux was famous for speaking out against gargoyles.

“What are these fantastic monsters doing in the cloisters before the eyes of the brothers as they read? What is the meaning of these unclean monkeys, these strange savage lions, and monsters? To what purpose are here placed these creatures, half beast, half man, or these spotted tigers? I see several bodies with one head and several heads with one body. Here is a quadruped with a serpent’s head, there a fish with a quadruped’s head, then again an animal half horse, half goat… Surely if we do not blush for such absurdities, we should at least regret what we have spent on them.”

Saint Bernard was famous for dogging church architects.  Now back to our regularly scheduled photos.  

(Editor: Now that we know your new favorite quote about gargoyles, what's your old favorite quote? 

Writer: "Gargoyles are cool," said by Glen Bolger upon first seeing them on Westminster Abbey in 1984.

Editor: St. Bernard's quote sure is better than yours.

Writer: His quote is only 900 years old.  Mine is already 41 years old.)

                                

The Bored Gargoyle and his

compatriot deserve two photos.

Charlemagne.  (Not actually him,

but a statue of Charlemagne.)

"France has lost a battle, but France has not lost the war," Charles de Gaulle

After Napoleon's Tomb (and a lot of other tombs), we went over to the exhibit (temporary?) on Charles de Gaulle, the Free French, and the French Resistance.

Having watched the French movie "De Gaulle" on the flight over (worth watching, unless you don't like to read closed captioned English whilst listening to French dialogue), it piqued our interest in learning more about de Gaulle.

The movie focuses on the start of World War II, de Gaulle's escape to England, and his efforts to start the Free French military.  

The display was modestly interesting.  Sorry, but there were a few informational signs with English, but most of it was just in French.  I know, I know -- it's not like there are signs at the Smithsonian in French, so, yeah. . .there are a lot more English speaking tourists in Paris than there are French speakers in Washington DC.

My favorite were the posters -- it was clear what they were communicating (some were in English for Americans and British soldiers to understand that the French people were on their side, even if the Vichy government was not.

 

The Cross of Lorraine, symbol

of the Free French.

The street sign for the BBC radio

broadcast center where de Gaulle

gave his famed 17th of June

speech to rally the French to

keep fighting.

A welcome poster in France

for American and Brit troops.

"One Fight For One Homeland"

This is my personal favorite.

The dome of Hotel Invalides.