Champagne meet 2017 pictures and reports

[mylifeinpixels]

Here's a quick post-meet trip report.

After we'd recovered from the champagne tasting and finally moved off on Sunday we headed East, further into the Marne valley. We ended up at another France Passion stop - Champagne Dominique Foureur in Ambonnay. This is a much smaller operation than Champagne Nowack, just a husband and wife. They can accommodate a couple of vans in their courtyard, amongst the six cats. We had fun trying to contrast their champagne with Champagne Nowack's and are now bringing back twice as much bubbly as a result...

After a bit of an adventure on Monday (separate thread to come on that!) we spent the night in Laon and had a good day exploring the medieval city centre today. There's a good half day's exploring to be had here and great 360' views as the old town is all squashed in and fortified on a hilltop. At just over two hours from Calais it's a good stop on the way back. There's a nice quiet ACSI campsite on the outskirts, Camping La Chenaie. We're now on the ferry heading back to Dover.

Wim - gold medal for organising such a great event, and thanks for sharing Champagne Nowack.

Everyone - It was great to meet you all, looking forward to more meet-ups next year

We'll definitely remember the hailstorm and marauding chickens...

- Ian and Kristin

 

[Hotel California]

@mylifeinpixels , love the picture whith the chickens, they mostly stayed in the rear of the field where you where , on monday when almost everyone had gone off they cleaned up the place and searched everywhere for breadcrumbles!

 

[Jabberwocky]

@Kmann
@Jabberwocky

Don't know who "Alice" is but KATHY (my wife) is now thinkin i got in to a affair on the meet ....
You guys have put me in trouble now!

Alice
Who the f#ck is Alice...

Note: name of a song , nothing against Alice

OMG, I am so sorry. There is nothing wrong with Alice but Kathy is far nicer though . It's my mistake. Unlimited apologies to both you and Kathy. I am so embarrassed.. I am going to hide away now!
Edit: Terri just told me that I had told her that your wife's name was Kathy and she had "corrected" me! So now the plot thickens!

 

[Jabberwocky]

@Jabberwocky !!!

HAHAHA … Who is Alice? Please tell Kathy that I am very sorry, and I still like her (whats wrong with Alice anyway?). We must have got really confused about all those names …

PS: I had a fever! Whats your excuse @Jabberwocky? Champagne?

Maybe but not entirely clear as you will see.....

 

[Jabberwocky]

@Kmann , at least you didn't need to scrub to get it cleaned !

@Jabberwocky and @Amarillo , you mentiont mpg . Well i filled up the first time today afther leaving my doorstep with a full tank , the warning light came on by 900km and at the gasstation it had 915km and i poured 80,5 liter in it + 1,18€/liter .
The first time ever i done this much km before filling up and also never poured more than 80l in it?
Or maybe anyone emptyed some botlles champagne in my tank or i drove exellent

I'm sure you drove excellent! 900km from one tank! Impressive. Oh! I've just realised you must have the 80 lt option tank. Not so good then!! At 80.5 litres? You must have breathing fumes.

 

[Hotel California]

The T5 had only the 80l tank no other option , no ad-blue...

 

[Jabberwocky]

The T5 had only the 80l tank no other option , no ad-blue...

More knowledge, now tucked away for future ref. Thx.

 

[Amarillo]

Some of you know the feeling when the skies are all light and the sun is coming thru. And you have a wet driveavay awning in the car.

I just went out and put it up in the naive expectation that i would dry. Meanwhile it was pretty covered in mud (or clay) from the meet, so I went back in for a bucket, brush and cloth.

In the second that took the sky changed to black just about our house (!). It was still blue on both sides. And i started pooring down. And has continued for 4 hours now.

Well it just stopped and at least the awning is clean. Wonder how many days it takes before it is dry?

Drive away awning life

View attachment 25948

My drive away was filthy and wet after the meet, but I'm testing a theory that my drive away can only get so dirty before the grime just falls off.

Now enjoying the sun on Ile d'Oleron: Tours was grim so we moved on after 1 night. ACSI price here is 17 Euros, no extra for the boys.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Amarillo]

I'm sure you drove excellent! 900km from one tank! Impressive. Oh! I've just realised you must have the 80 lt option tank. Not so good then!! At 80.5 litres? You must have breathing fumes.

I've managed over 600 miles, if I recall correctly 629 miles = 1012 km, on one 80 litre tank.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[S1andS2]

S1ANDS2 now back home after a couple of nights at ASCI site at Misnel-Saint-Pére Lac de Orient Camping. Super site, clean, warm showers and NO MUD! We thought to stay over at Besançon but did not fancy the City Camping Site. Van now emptied and cleaned for next trip out. What a great event you organised Wim. Thanks to you and to all the new friends we made over an excellent long weekend. Hoping for Denmark next year?

 

[Hotel California]

Thankx again for the nice comments about the meet guys , love you all !

Those who would like to see how my trip went further afther the meet , see here...
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/post-champagne-meet-france-trip-september-2017.21109/

 

[Amarillo]

I think that we might be the last to return home after the meet, and also drive the longest distance.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Claudia tomlin]

Hello All
Now in Spain after a wonderful trip down through France.
Really enjoyed the champagne weekend and hope to meet you all again on another meet.
Thanks Wim.

 

[Celia and Edward]

Dear Wim,

Edward and I enjoyed the preparations for the French meet and appreciated your communications and organising of the event and were gutted when we did not make it, but we had a “virtual trip”, enjoying all the photos and posts, so thank you again.


Celia and Edward

 

[Hotel California]

I'm pretty sure we will arrange this meet again ....maybe even in 2018 !

 

[Hotel California]

Just want to share this with all champage meet attenders.....
New years wishes from the owners came with the mail today.

 

[steve and lisa]

Are you doing another one this year?

 

[Hotel California]

Are you doing another one this year?

Hoping to , yes .

Need to poll when people would prefer ....
Not july or august as the owner don't want to give us the whole site just for us in the high season , witch is normal as he has a clientel that comes back every year on the way south.
Maybe before the summerholliday .

 

[Amarillo]

Maybe before the summerholliday .

Weekend 9/10 June - then we would start and end the second phase of our European Tour with the Champagne Meet.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[leightonjthomas]

Just want to share this with all champage meet attenders.....
New years wishes from the owners came with the mail today.
View attachment 28804
View attachment 28805

We had one in the post this morning as well.
Really nice touch.

 

[Hantshog]

We polished off the bottles we bought at Nowack in September over Christmas and very nice they were too. We'd love to do a similar trip again.

 

[El Greco]

Oh yes, count us in!

 

[S1andS2]

S1AND S2 enjoyed a bottle of the Belle Note on Christmas day...as well as the standard Brut the day after....

There was talk of a meet in Denmark maybe in 2018...hope that comes about. June currently free..could be tempted also back to Champagne region.

Happy New Year to all

 

[Ady77]

June works well for us as well.

 

[Jabberwocky]

We had the same card. Nice of them to do this.

HC, will you set up a poll or shall we just post preference here?