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| French countryside |
We had an easy 2 hour train ride from Brugge to Brussels to pick up our car rental. We had planned to drive only 3 hours the first day, passing through Reims on our way to Epernay, in the Champagne region of France.
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| Our trunk post-search |
It was a nice drive through Belgium and France, passing small cities and villages dotting the countryside. We were about an hour outside of Reims when we were pulled over. The policeman motioned for us to follow him to an exit and we pulled off to greet 5 other waiting police officers. The officer realized fairly quickly that we didn't speak french very well. He asked for Matt's license and passport, then came back to ask for mine. They scrutinized the stamps in our both of our passports heavily and asked about our travel to and from Thailand. Then, they asked if we had any drugs in the car. The officers requested to check our trunk and all of our bags inside. During the search, another 3 officers arrived along with a big police van.
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| Our contraband |
They scrutinized our loose tea with Matt trying to explain what it was. Then, they found our thyme and rosemary that we use for cooking and our ground coffee. We had a bit of a language barrier but explained that we tried to stay in places with kitchens. Thankfully the french appreciate good drink and food. About 2 hours later, they apologized for the inconvenience and we were back on our way.
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| Cook'In (thai french restaurant) |
We had planned to stop in Reims to sightsee but by that time we were ready to find our hotel and get some food. Shortly after we found parking and checked in, we went out to get some dinner.
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| St Pauls in Troyes |
We walked around but nearly every store, restaurant, cafe was closed. I know that french business owners keep convenient hours but this was a Tuesday at 7pm and it looked like a ghost town! The only place with their lights on was this small Thai-French fusion restaurant named "Cook'In". We weren't sure what to expect but the Massaman duck was great. After dinner, we walked back to our hotel and called it a day.
We woke up to a traditional french breakfast of bread, butter, croissants, chocolate, tea, juice, and coffee. The french understand me when it comes to the first meal of the day. I think Matt could have used some "oeufs" (eggs). We passed through the old town of Troyes, where Joan of Arc led French troops in 1429 and secured the cities allegiance to King Charles VII. It's a beautiful medieval city with timbered houses. We also visited St Paul's Cathedral, where the Treaty of Troyes was signed in 1420. We continued our drive through France leaving the Champagne region and entering Burgundy, known for their wine. The country-side started changing to beautiful rolling green hills, pastures with the white Charolais cattle, endless miles of vineyards and single lane roads winding throughout, crossing through quaint stone villages.
We rented an old stone cottage in a small village named "Corsaint". It was in close proximity to the many towns and villages that we wanted to visit in Burgundy including Dijon, Chablis, Beaune, and Semur-en-Auxois. We found our small cottage directly next to an old stone church. The owner left the keys behind the flower box for us so we could settle in. The cottage was beautiful, everything you would think a french home would look like. It had antiques on the mantle, a cozy living and eating room, a well-equipped but simple kitchen, and charm coming out of every angle. We immediately felt at home. The owner came by to greet us and deliver firewood. He gave us a nice overview of the area and some nearby stores and restaurants.
We had stopped at the grocery store and picked up some great cheese, wine, and food and relaxed in what would be our home for the next couple of weeks!
We woke up to a traditional french breakfast of bread, butter, croissants, chocolate, tea, juice, and coffee. The french understand me when it comes to the first meal of the day. I think Matt could have used some "oeufs" (eggs). We passed through the old town of Troyes, where Joan of Arc led French troops in 1429 and secured the cities allegiance to King Charles VII. It's a beautiful medieval city with timbered houses. We also visited St Paul's Cathedral, where the Treaty of Troyes was signed in 1420. We continued our drive through France leaving the Champagne region and entering Burgundy, known for their wine. The country-side started changing to beautiful rolling green hills, pastures with the white Charolais cattle, endless miles of vineyards and single lane roads winding throughout, crossing through quaint stone villages.
We rented an old stone cottage in a small village named "Corsaint". It was in close proximity to the many towns and villages that we wanted to visit in Burgundy including Dijon, Chablis, Beaune, and Semur-en-Auxois. We found our small cottage directly next to an old stone church. The owner left the keys behind the flower box for us so we could settle in. The cottage was beautiful, everything you would think a french home would look like. It had antiques on the mantle, a cozy living and eating room, a well-equipped but simple kitchen, and charm coming out of every angle. We immediately felt at home. The owner came by to greet us and deliver firewood. He gave us a nice overview of the area and some nearby stores and restaurants.
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