The morning of Monday the 17th was a real stress because of a massive traffic jam we got stuck in on the way to the airport.  We had given ourselves plenty of time but there had been an accident somewhere nearby and traffic was reduced to a crawl. At one point we thought there was no way we were going to make our flight and we were trying to resign ourselves to it.  In the end though we got there okay.  We were lucky there wasn’t any delay in returning our car, and that the short bus ride to the airport terminal from the hire car place was timed well and went smoothly.  But then, when we got there to check in, we were told we had to go see the service desk, which usually means you’ve been bumped, so once more we were resigned to having a long delay, but again, it was some glitch and we got our boarding passes.  All in all it was a bit more excitement than we really would have preferred.  The flight was okay, but we weren’t sitting together which always sucks.  

Anyway we made it, and went to get our car, expecting what we booked, which was a Ford Focus or similar, and we got a C-class Merc! The lady said ‘It’s a nice car’ as she handed me the key, and I noticed the symbol on the key and almost woohoo’d right there and then. Brilliant.  There were some interesting times to come in that car, but we drove off in it very happy indeed. We made our way south from Brussels Airport, making straight for Reims.  We didn’t stop anywhere in Belgium that day.  As we got closer to France, it started to rain.  Then it rained harder and harder, until it was a blinding deluge that slowed us to a crawl. I don’t remember ever driving in such heavy rain.  It was getting downright dangerous to be on the road.  At one point we went through a very deep and long puddle that produced such a giant wave of water, and so nearly caused a loss of control, that we decided that that was it and we’d better get off.  So we found the next turn and cooled our heels in some industrial carpark for 20 minutes until the worst of it had passed.  A bit more excitement, again, than we really were looking for. Later it became very sunny and it was a lovely afternoon drive through long, straight, wide, almost deserted freeway conditions.  Eventually we came to Reims and made our way into the centre.  

We managed on the second try to find a park next to the cathedral.  We were absolutely gobsmacked by Reims Cathedral.  No wonder the kings of France were crowned there for many centuries.  It’s just so much bigger, more lavish and more extravagantly adorned with sculpture than anything else we’ve seen anywhere.  The interior was amazing. You can just imagine some young farm girl or boy in ages past coming to see it for the first time, without ever having seen any building bigger than a church-tower, and what kind of impression it would have made on them.  It’s simply awesome.  We walked all around inside, and then went and had a Coke in the cafe in the square in the front of the cathedral.  It was a super-hot day, especially after all the cool days we’d had recently, so that Coke went down a treat.  Eventually we made our way back to the car, but stopped to admire a statue of Joan of Arc and also to look in a souvenir shop.  

Then it was off to Chateau de Fere, a beautiful chateau deep in the French countryside, which is built next to the ruins of a Norman-era motte-and-bailey style castle.  We were so taken with it. Stunning place.  We got another upgrade (:D) and our room had a bottle of champagne waiting for us, by virtue of our Small Luxury Hotels membership. Very nice!  We had a wander around the grounds for a few minutes before showering up and going in to dinner. The dining room had these fantastic whimsical murals of animals on the walls, and interesting furniture. We loved the slate plates. What was also interesting was that every one of the nine couples there, one may have been a foursome, were speaking English. There was an Asian looking guy by himself, so we weren’t sure about him, but everyone else was from the Anglosphere. Co-incidence? Probably in part, possibly something to do with the Small Luxury Hotels thing. Anyway the food was absolutely to die for.  Possibly the best of the trip so far, though there were plenty of contestants for that accolade. We loved it. After dinner we had a bit of a stroll in the grounds over to the old castle, and it was off to bed.  It had been a big day, and we slept like a couple of logs.

Reims Cathedral   Chateau de Fere