We went from the tranquility of Courcy to the overpowering noise of Reims. (Reims is not pronounced as it is written. Say France – in English – and drop the F.)
There were plenty of converted commercial barges as we entered Reims.
A little farther ahead, a marina for pleasure boats was under construction. For anyone who wants to moor in downtown Reims, it will be convenient. We would never stay there. Maybe we’ve been away from Paris for too long – but the noise from a busy road running alongside was just too much. We chose to pass through yet more locks to get away from Reims.
We decided to tie up in Sillery for four nights. it is a nice marina – quiet with bus service to Reims.
Don’t get me wrong. Reims is wonderful. It was the traffic noise along the canal that was awful. Get away from that and exploring Reims is very enjoyable. The city is known for two things. First, its cathedral.
Next (or maybe first, depending on your point of view), Champagne. Available everywhere.
There’s even a store that sells only Champagne souvenirs – from fridge-magnet Champagne bottles to Champagne flutes.
I liked the apron that showed the various sizes of Champagne bottles. The Salomon, holding 18 litres of Champagne, is the largest on the apron. But you can buy far larger bottles. Missing from the apron is the Melchizedek – holding 30 litres of bubbly. That would be quite the party.
I wasn’t able to order a bottle of Champagne of any size at Café du Palais.
The sign on the door reminded me that it’s August.
The Café du Palais didn’t get its name from being close to a palace – at least as I know the word. It sits across from a different kind of palace, the Palais de Justice – the courthouse. Convenient for a final glass of Champagne before being sent away.
Below is what’s left of the old (Okay, that’s stating the obvious.) home of the treasurer of the Cathedral. Built in the 12th century.
We found residential streets to be as pretty as those in the centre of town.
As with every city in France that we have visited, a colourful carousel sits in the centre of town.
This one is unusual as it has two levels.
And as with every city in France, spires of churches dominate the skyline.
The architecture of this store caught my eye.
As did Reim’s tramway. Unlike North American streetcars, most of the ones in France do not have overhead wires. Electricity is supplied by the metal strip between the tracks – and no, it’s not dangerous. You can walk on it. Giving the tracks their own lawn adds to the beauty of the city.
We were getting hungry. This place looked inviting.
We walked closer and looked at the Carte. Way too many choices.
This street was lined with restaurants. Way too many people.
Finally, we found this place. We phoned for reservations and got the last table – but of course, we had to wait until 7:30.
It had everything we wanted. Just a few tables. And just three choices – both for the entrée and the plat. Exactly our kind of place.
We’re in Reims. We had to start with Champagne.
It was tasty! To help us remember the House it came from, the name was engraved on the glass.
For an entrée, we both had the Italian ham with melon.
For her plat, Jeannie had pollock.
I had chicken in a mushroom sauce.
If you can believe it, I passed on dessert. A first.
We cast off the next morning and were greeted with more poles.
And more massive grain elevators.
Elevators, we’ve seen before. But this was something new – a carnival hidden behind the trees.
It even had horses for rent – turning the tow path into a bridal path.
Uh oh. The only thing more difficult than a lock is a tunnel. And there was one in front of us. (We had looked at our maps and knew one was coming. But even so.)
It was well-lit – but still narrow for Aleau. Jeannie kept an eye out and let me know when I got too close to the edge.
Once out of the tunnel, we were met with a gorgeous day.
Now that I’ve told you how beautiful we found Soissons, Sillery, and Reims – let me add that the First World War made them all horrible places to be.