Champagne and Moulin Rouge

On friday the 24th of November, 8 of us (Jacks, myself, Eugene, Heidi, Shaun, Robyn, Ben, Michelle) made our way to Paris on the Eurostar. In no time at all (possibly because we'd had a few drinks), our train pulled into Gare du Nord, and we jumped into a taxi off to our hotel. Half an hour later,we were standing in line, outside Moulin Rouge, waiting to get in for the 11pm show. After a brief reminder of classic french hospitality, we were escourted to our table, a few metres from the stage, and there we sat, waiting and watching. The theatre has a very different feel to it, with tables arranged on different levels. The decor is wonderful, very french (surprisingly?) and possibly a bit over the top. We had no idea what to expect from the show, but after getting a few free bottles of champagne, we were all set to enjoy the proceedings. It began with lots of singing, dancing and boobs, but there were also other fantastic entertainers who wowed the crowd with all sorts of weird and wonderful performances, from swimming in a huge tank of water with pythons, to playing the drums by juggling balls onto them. The highlight though was Eugene being taken up onto the stage for a small performance with 3 co-star's. Very amusing indeed, and a great climax to a superb show. We better all keep a look out for Eugene on the stage some time in the future, possibly not in Moulin Rouge (he hasn't got the boobs for it), but surely in some other form of theatrical production.

We walked out of the theatre, and straight into 'Quick burger', where we grabbed a quick bite, and then it was off to bed. After breakfast the next morning we walked to Gare de l'Est station, where we just made our train to Epernay. Epernay is an hour and a quarter east of Paris, and besides being the 2nd biggest town in the Champagne region, it is home to some of the most famous Champagne Houses, like Moet and Chandon, and Pol Roger. After arriving, we rushed into the closest restaurant and all satisfied our hungers with a pizza. We had booked a tour, and accomodation with Nathalie, a wine grower from just outside Epernay. She picked us up from the station, and drove us to Mancy, where her B&B, and cellars are. We then ventured off on a 'day in the life of a champagne maker' tour, which was really interesting. She drove us up to some of her parcels (rows of vines), and explained in detail what needs to be done in order to make the most of the vines. After a tour of the cellar, and a bit of a chemistry lesson, we got the chance to taste some of the produce, and it was fantastic. We all bought a few bottles, and decided to continue the tasting in the comfort of our lounge. A little later on, with all of us feeling a bit more festive, we got a ride with Max (Nathalie's non-english speaking husband and chief champagne maker) back into Epernay. We had booked at a restaurant in town, and were all looking forward to taking in some of the local fare.

Problem: French Menu + French Waitress with attitude

= us not knowing what we where ordering.

Now, most people know that I love my food, and don't mind trying some strange dishes. There is probably only 1 thing I don't like, and that is kidney's. After ordering what I thought was veal, I received a big bowl of kidneys and pasta. I managed to get through it, but would put the experience right up there with my root canal treatment from earlier in the year. Our Maxi-taxi picked us up a bit later, and we continued the festivities at the house, with some of the boys even taking part in a traditional south african late night jog.

We woke up late the next morning to find that we were all feeling surprisingly strong. Nathalie's promise that her champagne wouldn't give us a hangover was accurate. After breakfast and a walk through the vineyards, we caught a lift back into Epernay. Unfortunately Moet and Chandon was closed, but we could still visit 1 or 2 others. We ended up at Mercier, one of the biggest, and did the 45 minute tour. This was supremely cheesy, and included a train ride through their cellars. We got to taste some of their champagne at the end, but didn't learn anywhere near as much as the day before.

A great weekend in France, the highlights for me being Moulin Rouge, and Champagne Domi-Moreau. Sante!