What a breathtakingly beautiful town Reims is, cut from golden sandstone that gleamed like a beach in the sunshine. Walking into the centre and looking skyward the Gothic towers of the cathedral loomed over the houses. When you first saw the cathedral down the avenue, the size, height and intricate facade is just astonishing.
Epernay itself is a beautiful wee town, very compact and picturesque in the old area, Rosie couldnt be bothered visiting any more Champagne houses so The Operator led her to a merchant tasting house that sold on behalf all brands and we bought our crate of mixed bottles to take away…Rosie was dead serious when she said were going to be drinking champagne only when in France.
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Down the path Rosie and The Operator went toward the sacred well. The sight of the devout praying and the quietness of the grotto under the watchful eye of a life size statue of The Virgin Mary gave me goosebumps. It was very moving, Rosie put her hands in the sacred well, the water was cold and clear and just felt plain ole miracle inducing, Rosie filled up her bottle of take away Holy water from the many taps near the well….and limped off.
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Standing in the shadow of the Cologne Cathedral it was hard not to start there. It is the largest Cathedral in Europe, the Mt Everest of churches dwarfing everything around it. You tilt your head back to look skyward to the top and you can see the sky moving making you feel dizzy. Its huge black carbon encrusted edifice was the only thing not destroyed in totality by the Allies during the Second World War….everything around it was flattened.
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Cologne is a great city, easily navigable, compact and explored on foot. It has so much history from every era in time and many stories to tell. As Rosie was writing this….she heard a Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang….loud and exactly like gunfire….Rosie and The Operator rushed to the balcony for a look….and our hearts stopped….
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