Traveling Lens

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Cannot get over the beautiful private breakfast garden at my hotel in Reims, France.

Hotel Azur is listed as a very affordable 2 star hotel in the center of Reims very close to the covered market and Reims Cathedral.

But really, the owner takes such great care with hospitality and his hotel that it really feels more like a 4 star or even 5 star bed and breakfast! (seriously)

He serves homemade cakes personally at breakfast as well as a never-ending selection of fruits and cheeses.

I felt like I was part of their family.

This was a pleasant surprise for me, for sure.

❤️

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72,000 bottles of Champagne in one area and Roman caves turned into Benedictine monk’s wine cellars in the 11th & 12th centuries that also served as a hideout for WWI soldiers 😳

It almost seems like a juicy plot to an epic miniseries. But it’s the real stories behind the Champagne caves at Taittinger in Reims, France.

In the early 1700s the Taittinger Champagne House was founded and currently it resides and stores its vintage Champagnes in caves 20-30 meters underground.

The caves were initially Roman and then the site was a Benedictine abbey in the 11th and 12th centuries. The monks were skilled winemakers.

The caves were the perfect constant temperature and humidity for aging wines. Go figure.

During WW I the Chateau served as a command post and soldiers would hide out in the in the vast Champagne caves (what a spot for a hideout!).

You can still not only see parts of the 11th century abbey underground but you can also see graffiti done during WWI by soldiers.

So awesome. 🏰

Reims, France.

This is one of the city’s oldest streets dating back to the Middle Ages. Most of Reims was destroyed in World War I but some historic remnants persist.

☔️