France /trip in the Champagne region

[Hotel California]

Few days off at work and away in the Cali ...
Head to France a few days , mainly to visit Nowack Champagne in Vandieres again as where the coming september meet wil take place want to make final deal with the owner as the meet now is sold out!
Leaving home on thursday 21h afther dinner , to drive just 100km to a nice spot just to overnight so not to be in Brussels traffic jam when leaving fridaymorning...

Very nice free spot with no facilyties in Thieux ( close to Mons/Bergen) near the canal witch has inclining elevators for boats .
Pretty amazing engeniering !
The camperspot is on the dockside and in a dead end street (heads to the yacht harbor)
Seems a very popular place , we arrived afther dark (22h) and there where at least 10 campers.
Roof up and bedtime !

In the morning it looked like this


the weather in Belgium was not all that good had some rainshowers during the evening but the night was dry and today (friday) we head in to France where the forecast is ok , half cloudy/sunny over 20cel.

 

[Hotel California]

The elevating system for boats is huge , been here before but it keeps amazing me how big the bassin is to lift the boats up!
They got a few a of these spread over distance on the canal to overcome some heightdiffrences and some other where they use a rail technic , a bassin on a railway going up the steep hill.
Maybe i post some links later for those intrested




Unfortunate there was no boat on it at the time we where there.

 

[Hotel California]

Headed in to France by 10am using the nationals as we planing to "slow travel"
The weather cleared out and arriving in the champage region sun and 24deg cel , but clouds once a while.
Heading to a free spot where we spend the night before once , arriving afther about 220km in Mutigny .
Free spot for about 8 campers , no facilyties only 3h electric/water for 5€ working with coins. We never use this .
Bins for litter and glas , no toilet.
We are allone for now but expect some neighbours showing up later , those free aires in France don't often stay unused special at this time of the year with many passing thru on the way home/south.
Funny as i am typing this a big white rolls in...


This would be our wake up view tomorrow if the sun's up !

 

[jts46]

Enjoy

 

[Velma's Dad]

Hope you have a great time in Champagne HC. We were there a couple of weeks ago. One night we stayed in the garden of one of the small champagne producers J-M Seleque, in Pierry just outside Epernay. They were very friendly. Basic facilities (toilet/shower in a cellar), 14 euros for the night but more expensive than that of course because I ended up buying a case of their lovely blanc de blancs!

Booked it through a website called www.homecamper.com.

 

[Hotel California]

Woke up at Mutigny aire ....full house 8 places sold out and even one more arrived late and drove further...
5 out of 8 campers where UK licence plates!

Anyway we planned to move to our champagne house/campsite anyway.
Leaving the free aire at 10am only three of us where left.
Did some touring in the area on the "route touristique du champagne" a nice and winding roadtour bringing you allong the wineyards.
Very litlle distance (about 50km) but a few hours slow driving/siteseeing.
Went to check out Dormans and seems a busy town with shops/restaurants and a nice (small)Castle with a '14-18 memorial on site. Seems the batlle was hard here (guess as every where else during war) .
The memorial is open (free) for public and the castle has a nice park to walk.
We had a rather lonesome lunch here , very quiet and peacefull.
Here is a picture taken from above the 52m high memorial tower, the castle in the background.

Spot the cali parked in front , we had lunch there




The weather been dry all day but clouds,
Current we are at Champage Nowack , where the september meet will be , started to rain lightly by 19h .
But what the hell , weather does not holds us back....

 

[Hotel California]

Some shots from today
Breakfast in Mutigny

Le route touristique de champagne



Castle in Dormas and a walk in the park

 

[Hotel California]

More shots....
Inside the Dormas war memorial also a small exibition with some war relics.
Nice collection of WW 1 helmets!



The chapel with lovely glas in lead windows showing the soldiers.

 

[Hotel California]

Waking up with the sun !
Check out what arrived yesterday and already leaving early (German plate)

 

[Hotel California]

Today no lazy sunday !
Went for a walk , a circuit starting 45min walk from where we are and said to be 12km /4h .
We spent 4,5h to do it all including 1,5 h head to the start and back to our Cali at Champagne Nowack in Vandieres.
The circuit started at Chatillon-sur-Marne , nice walk thru vineyards and small villages .
Did total of 17,5km in 4,5h
If your coming to the champage meet .....bring your hiking boots!

 

[Hotel California]

A wonderful mornig here , coffee for now ....some champagne later...


Luxuery to have a backery bring bread & crossiants at the site each morning at 9am , they ride from each (small) village and campsite stopping in the small van to sell bread out theire window

 

[Hotel California]

Spending the monday enjoying the sun at the site and emptying a botlle or three of the finest bubbles . The joy of not needing to drive ....

Today waking up by the sound of thunder , as i belive all over europe is was to expected rainshowers and thunder we did a short dogwalk and afther breakfast we packed up as it was planned ....due to work on tomorrow...

Purchased some botlles to take home and drove home (360km) , weather during the ride was ok , no rain at all but dark sky everywhere.

All in all a nice weekend away , i need to go out in the Cali more for short breaks !
4 nights away and only did 760km in total , very litlle compared to the trips i usually do.

No worries , we arrive back here the 15th september for the meet

 

[owen_h]

Just (this afternoon) booked a couple of nights there myself. A stop off on the way back from the Vosges & Black Forest.

 

[Hotel California]

Just (this afternoon) booked a couple of nights there myself. A stop off on the way back from the Vosges & Black Forest.

You will not be disappointed!
Ask for a botlle when you arrive , they serve it in a bucket of ice and two glasses!
The Brut is about 16€ ( the cheapest) but very nice tasting.

 

[Rich20]

You do go on some interesting stuff trips. Great to see these places and give me ideas for future travels.

 

[TwoDogs]

I can highly recommend the blanc de noirs