Champagne and Cuisses de Grenouille

 We stayed overnight in an little old hotel in Chalons that claimed to be the location where Jeanne d'Arc stayed when she came through the area with her troops.  We didn't see any writing on the wall of our room that said "Jeanne d'Arc slept here" though.  The room was tiny but charming and we had a view of the red tile roofs and the cathedral peeking above them.  The bed was comfortable and had a soft downy comforter that I could sink down into.

 When we went to the Tourist Office, we saw a poster there for an exhibit about "Dogs of War."  Mom had heard a little bit about the dogs that had had a place in World War I on both sides of the fighting.  Even the poster was sad to see and Mom knew she wouldn't be able to go to the exhibit.  She just gave me an extra tight hug and said she was glad I didn't have to be a soldier.




















 After we left the pretty canals and dog-friendly parks of Chalons-en-Champagne, we rode in the car to Epernay, in the middle of Champagne country with its rolling hills of vineyards and chalky soil.  In this area are chalk caves that served as cellars for the Champagne, but we were too late for a tour.  The town had elegant chateau-like buildings that lined the avenue into town.  These were the great Champagne houses like Moet-Chandon, Mercier and Comtesse LaFond.  Mom and her friends decided to drink Champagne instead of taking a tour so they found a restaurant that served it by the glass.  They sat on the tiny terrace but there was no room for me.  We tried moving some chairs around, but the owner came out and fussed around so we put them back and I went on the sidewalk. She did lower the awning, though, to shade me and brought me a bowl of water, so my attitude toward her softened a bit. I was zipped up in my poussette but was sitting close enough to see and smell what Mom was eating.  She ordered - FROGS LEGS !  Have you ever SEEN a frog?  Have you ever SMELLED a frog?  Does that seem like something YOU would want to eat?  Yet she raved over the flavor of the sauce and the tenderness of the meat.  I do have to say the aroma was mouthwatering, but she said No, Patch, this sauce would be too rich for you, and gave me kibble instead.

As we drove out of town, we stopped at one of the vineyards so we could get a close-up look at the grapes which were just starting to show.  They were about the size of b.b.'s but held a lot of promise.
Then back in the car again for the long drive back to Aulnay-sous-Bois to return the car and take the RER home to Paris.