Cities of Beer and Champagne

So on my last night in London I still hadn’t planned where I was going next. I know that it’s a huge first world problem to have and can hear you all sarcastically saying ‘Oh poor Sam - doesn’t know where to go next in Europe...’ And you’re right! however, as much as the freedom is exhilarating, the amount of choice can sometimes be a little crippling. Right or wrong I definitely feel pressure to make the most of an opportunity that I am well aware will probably never be repeated. On top of that, you have to be practical (geographically) and of course budget conscious. So after much deliberation I ended up settling on Amsterdam followed by a weekend in Reims (Champagne country) as my two stops before arriving in Paris.

Amsterdam was great but probably not the big party you guys would expect! When I left London I had one hell of a flu and it followed me all the way to Paris. In saying that I drank a healthy cup of concrete and made the most of my few days.

I stayed in a place called The Student Hotel Amsterdam City and it was great enough to be worth a mention! Part hotel, part student residence, it has a vibe that is creative and youthful but not ‘hostel’ kind of youthful. There is a common area with games and communal spaces that people actually used. They were hosting some TED talks in the foyer. The whole thing made me want to pick Bachelor degree and stay there and attend uni for the next 3 years!

The city itself was really easy to get around and very pretty. The smell of their ‘greener’ activities is definitely present but it just adds to the quirky vibe of the place! I ate frites with pepper mayo as I strolled the canals, spent a day at the Van Gough museum (which was incredible! The collection is so big I am surprised that there are any Van Gough paintings in other museums!) and practiced restraint in the cute shops around Jordaan. For those of you who do follow my Instagram you already know about my experience cruising the canals. (a very kind hearted lady questioned why I was all alone. It made more sense when I got on the boat and realised it was called ‘Lovers Cruises’!)

The visit was lovely but unfortunately I didn’t get to do as much as I would have liked as I was pretty wrecked from the flu. I almost extended my stay through the weekend but some event in Amsterdam made the price of hotels astronomical (my little single room in the Student Hotel went up to $700AUD a night!) so I jumped on a train to France.

Reims is lovely but small and surprisingly quiet. I stayed in between the city centre and the Champagne Houses. The Cathedral Notre Dame de Reims is absolutely gorgeous - particularly if you love gothic architecture. But what appealed to me most about Reims (other than the champagne) was the abundant presence of Art Deco and Art Nouveau architecture. Its creation was born of necessity - 80% of the town was destroyed during the first World War - but the place certainly took lemons and made lemons and made lemonade! I particularly love the light in the entrance of the Carnegie Library.

Finally no visit to Reims would be complete without a visit to a champagne house! I visited Taittinger - mostly because I had not booked in advance and it was one of the few that don’t require bookings - I am unsure of why as it’s definitely impressive. The cellars are built on the site where the Abbey of Saint Nicaise once stood (destroyed during the French Revolution). While the abbey itself no longer exists - underground it’s a different story. The caves where the champagne matures don’t need much assistance in staying at the perfect 12degrees celsius as before the site was a monastery it was mined for chalk and limestone (back in the 4th century)! This creates cool and humid conditions perfect for champagne. 18 metres underground you also see some old doors that were hand crafted by the monks prior when the abbey still existed. The process of the creation of the champagne itself is also amazing! The same group of people taste the champagne every year to ensure a consistent taste. The daughter of the house is the face of the brand. And the process of removing the sediment (not just here but generally) sounds like a scientific experiment that would have made schools science class much more fun!​

Sunday morning saw my introduction to Sunday in France - a real honest to god day of rest. Almost nothing was open! I grabbed a McDonalds coffee (really!), did a quick lap of the almost deserted Museum of Fine Arts and made my way to my new home for the next four weeks - Paris.