Day 25. Chalons en Champagne to Boursault

Day 25. Chalons en Champagne to Boursault. 58km. 3h56.

As our hotel was on the outskirts of Chalons we found our way easily down to the Marne canal. The cycle path hugged the canal; an easy flat cycle mostly on asphalt, but with a long section of muddy single track. I had to concentrate quite hard with the canal a meter to my right.

We stopped a a few quiet villages along the way. As we approached Epernay, the vineyards appeared to our right, planted on the famous limestone hills of Champagne. We arrived in Epernay at lunch time for a good plat de jour, before Kerry arrived after her overnight flight from Cape Town and then train from Paris to join us. After catching up over a cup of coffee, we said goodbye to Pat and Andrew after 10 days of most enjoyable cycling together. We will certainly miss their easy companionship and interesting conversation. 

On our somewhat confused way out of Epernay, we stopped at Charles Mignon Champagne House, a small winery making a very ordinary Champagne for which they charged us a lot for a small glass. We then had a straight cycle along the busy D3 through a few small villages, before a steep ascent to the charming village of Boursault, where we are staying at a small winery / Chambre d'Hote, Les Imperiales. We struggled to raise anybody on our arrival, eventually getting through to the back of the property where the owner was building a deck around his pool. 

While there are roses growing in most gardens and on many walls, this village was not the origin of the Boursault Rose. It was named after a breeder by the same name of dubious character - he

We had a relaxed evening picnic in their garden with a very enjoyable bottle of Les Imperiales Brut. (WWS 7). Our first mosquitoes of the trip.

On the Canal de Lateral du Marne.

We left Pat and Andrew in Epernay after 10 days of good cycling and good fun.

We had to show the Mmes Dawes the home of Moët et Chandon.

Looking back as we climbed to Boursault.