Rain, Cathedral, & Champagne

---

After our leisurely stroll through Verdun, off to Reims we went, in the heart of Champagne country, amidst what seemed like the downpour of the century.

Reims played a very important role in French history, as it was the place where the kings of France were crowned. The most famous and cherished of these events was the coronation of Charles VII in the company of Joan of Arc.

Thus, the Cathedral of Reims (damaged by the Germans during the First World War but restored since) played the same role in France as Westminister Abbey did in England. It was there that they kept the Holy Ampulla containing the Saint Chreme (chrism) which was said to have been brought by a white dove (the Holy Spirit) at the baptism of Clovis in 496, and was used for the anointing, the most important part of the coronation of French kings.

Reims is often considered the capital of Champagne, an old province of France, world-famous for its sparkling wine. Today it's just the largest city in the province.

In the cathedral, known for its spectacular splendor and High Gothic style, all 24 kings of France were crowned. As I stood in the cathedral admiring the ridiculously high ceilings and unimaginably intricate windows, I knew exactly why it would be easy to believe that God himself was bestowing his power in the crowned king. For if this was the house of God, and I have no education, clearly the majestic king must be the chosen one!

As all students gave presentations during the trip, mine was the baptism of Clovis and the Myth of Saint Remy.

Clovis, the first King of the Franks, was baptized by Bishop Remy in Reims in 496, in effect baptizing the country of France into the Catholic Church. The bishop was so immortalized for the act that this myth began to spread: Once when needing to baptize a peasant he was out of the necessary oils to do so. Magically he was able to fill the vials with the oil and baptize the peasant. Several hundred years later his crypt was exhumed and two vials were found with his body...reigniting the myth. The story remains a part of French folklore.

After a spectacular visit to the cathedral, we had a delicious, French, four course meal. 'Nuff said.

Onto the Champagne Caves of Taittinger! These caves were the original caves used by the monks who discovered Champagne before the French revolution. The caves were originally carved out of the limestone during Roman times, but at the monks time, they were located under their monastery / Cathedral. The monks used the temperature constant caves to let their champagne mature.

During the French Revolution, the French people were distraught. Therefore they thought it necessary to burn down and destroy the cathedral and murder the monks. Afterwards, a well-to-do French family bought the land and continued production, the Taittingers.


Champagne undergoes a much more complicated process than simple red or white wine. After it's first maturation process, yeast is added for a second process, and a complex and slight turning process occurs to remove sediment to the top where it is frozen and expelled from the bottle by a machine.

As you will see in the pictures, about 96,000 bottles are stored in one of these bays for about ten years. Much longer doesn't really achieve any more desired flavor so 10 years is about all it takes. A ready bottle of Champagne shouldn't sit long at all...it will actually go bad with time.

The evening brought me to the largest open air market I've ever seen! I got several good deals from body soap for a euro to cheap keffiyahs. The best part was dinner with my friends. Because I was one of two people who could speak French in our group, I ordered the wine for our table. I was presented the bottle to inspect its authenticity, sampled a little to make sure it would do, and then okayed the distribution of it to the guests! So cool haha. And more great, French food...obviously.

---