Champagne

A Friday afternoon off, and time to visit some tourist locations.
The Trois Puits Abbey (3 wells Abbey) is a very peaceful and ancient garden area. You can't visit the house or the old ruins, but the garden is large, with very old statues, and a lovely place to relax. It is a sun-trap and we started to overheat!
Close by is the town of Bar de Duc. We turned in at the "high town" and discovered this part was built on a cliff. The houses are ancient. There are loads of them designated as "heritage sites", and loads of views over the valley and the rest of the town, as long as you have no fear of heights!
Saturday was a visit to Champagne country. To see the old towns and the abundant "Champagne Houses" which you can visit and discover the brewing process. We contented ourselves with a glass of champagne outside a bar in the shade. And as the tourist office informed us that Don Perignon lived further up the hill, off we went to find him.
The Abbey at Hautvillers is not open to the public, nor visible over the high walls. But then is was mostly destroyed in the revolution, as was a lot of France's heritage. What we did find was a lovely old hillside village with superb views and a very pretty church; in which was laid the man himself.
The sun shone. The pace was slow. The champagne was cold. A perfect day.