You might find me on the other side ... that's likeitis
You might find me on the other side ... that's likeitis
Member since:12.06.2002
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When Mrs P said, "Let's go Christmas shopping!", one day last year, REIMS was not the first place I had in mind. But it seems it was for her.
We took advantage of a cheap flight deal with Ryanair to have a short break and maybe do a little Christmas shopping. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express which had a view of the Cathedral and was centrally situated.
REIMS is situated in the Champagne-Ardennes region of France. It is around an hours drive east of Paris at the junction of the A4 and A26 motorways.
The most famous sight in Reims has to be the 13th century NOTRE-DAME Cathedral, one of the most important historical sites in France. Clovis, King of the Franks was christened by Bishop Saint Remi on this site in 496AD. Since then a further 32 Kings of France, in fact nearly all of them, have had their coronation here.
It is pretty amazing and deserves a review on it's own. Destroyed during WW1, it has been rebuilt although there is continual restoration work being undertaken. When we were there some of the front facade was hidden by scaffolding but it was still impressive. We visited the cathedral a few different times to catch the light on the stained glass windows as the sun moved throughout the day. The multi-coloured sunbeams illuminating the High Altar were spectacular, like a "stairway to heaven". (Actually it was more like a ramp to heaven.) Awe-inspiring - even for a confirmed atheist.
Adjacent to the Cathedral is The TAU PALACE. This houses statues and tapestries from the Cathedral and also coronation objects.
The MARS
GATE is the biggest triumphal arch of the Roman Empire at 33 metres long and was built around 200AD. The intricate decoration on the stonework is a testimony to the craftsmanship of the times. The gate stands at one end of a park with some lovely walks leading down through a fairground towards the canal.
We also went to POMPELLE FORT Museum which is just outside the city. The fort was captured by the Germans early in 1914 but was quickly recaptured and then held out for the remainder of the war. It is not the best WW1 museum I have been to, mostly having display cases of weapons etc. Their claim to fame is the massive collection(560) of German helmets. It was also where the French flying ace Rene Dorme was shot down and there is a display about him in the museum.
There are several other museums in REIMS including: the SAINT REMI Museum, FINE ARTS Museum and the MOTORCAR Museum. There is also The MUSEUM of the SURRENDER, in the room where the German Army surrendered to the Allies on the 7th May 1945.
This is also the heart of the Champagne producing region and there are many tours of the cellars. We had a late and rather large lunch the day we arrived in REIMS and so were only really looking for a snack that evening. Picture the scene, there we are in what some would say was the home of gastronomy, France, and what does Mrs P want to eat?....... Macdonalds Well bless her, the darling little epicurean.
Why do they call it fast food? We waited for ages, and we could see the burgers on the shelves, already cooked. All they have to do is put the "food" in a bag and take your money. It is so incredibly simple. I'm not a fan of Macdonalds I don't eat there unless I am in severe danger of passing out through malnutrition. I wasn't....so I didn't.
I had crepes from a street vendor....mmmm...crepes... and she got none of them.... served her right.
The next night, after I had gave her a good long tongue-lashing - a detailed lecture about the importance of eating French food while in France, we ate at a........German restaurant! This was my choice and to be fair to Mrs P, she didn't throw the fact in my face once.
No...it was more like 300 times! Having said that, the meal was excellent.
The restaurant was in the PLACE D'ERLON which is a wide marketplace style street lined with bars, cafes and restaurants. There is a vast choice of food with cuisines from all around the world represented, including French!
This street also hosted the CHRISTMAS VILLAGE, a collection of over 100 stalls selling a wide range of arts and crafts, Christmas novelties and food. They had an old fashioned carousel and some small rides for toddlers. Lots of lights, organ music and the aromas of roasting chestnuts, hot spiced wine and crepes made for a very seasonal atmosphere.
The shopping in REIMS was what you would expect in a provincial city, with a few department stores and chains, although not surprisingly, Champagne, and all things associated, were very much in evidence. There were also quite a few shops selling items connected to the Cathedral.
There are a surprising number of comic book shops selling sci-fi figures and such. These are located in small precincts located off the Place D'Erlon.
We managed to buy a few odds and ends that we could not have bought back home but our biggest purchase was a suitcase for my wife. Her old one finally gave up the ghost and disintegrated, fortunately in the hotel room and not at the airport. She took the security strap off it and as she opened the case it just fell apart. It had shattered, which was surprising considering the gentle handling it had always received by airport staff!
The hotel is on Blvd. Paul Dourmer on the banks of the Marne canal. It is very easy to find as it is only around 200m from junction 4 (Reims Cathedral), on the A4 motorway. It is signposted at the junction.
The cathedral, museums, theatres, parks and shopping are all within a 5 minute walk, as is the railway station. There was free parking on the streets around the hotel but it was quite hard to find a space so we chose to park in the secure courtyard for a charge of £4 per day.
The check in area is not too large but it was quick and efficient and the staff are multi-lingual. In the reception there were vending machines for drinks and snacks and also an ice machine.
* The Room *
The room was freshly decorated, very modern and was spotlessly clean. We had 2 twin beds which were firm and comfortable, 2 bedside cabinets and both beds had extendable spotlights. Cupboard space wasn't too great but it was adequate. There was a reasonable size workspace with modem connections and another extendable spotlight. We also had a couple of chairs. The T.V. had channels in several languages and also had pay per view movies in English and French. The cost was £8 per day for 4 movies. There was a coffee maker but no mini-bar. The bathroom was clean and had a large mirror but not a lot of space. There were plenty of towels but the toiletries were a bit on the basic side.
Our room overlooked the courtyard and we had a view of the Cathedral. It was very quiet with no street noise although some of the rooms overlook the motorway and possibly could be less peaceful.
* Amenities *
There was a small bar and also a restaurant on the ground floor which was closed on Sundays and Mondays, not too convenient. On a business side, there were several meeting rooms and a small office area with fax etc.
Breakfast (7.30-10.00), which was included in the price, was a cold buffet consisting of cereals, yoghurt, croissants, rolls, muffins, preserves, cheeses and ham. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and fruit juices completed the set up.
The price for the room was pretty good at £36 per night.REIMS is an easy city to walk around in with plenty of pedestrian streets and most of the attractions pretty central. As it was all but destroyed in WW1, a lot of rebuilding took place in the 20's and 30's. Many of the buildings were done in the art deco style and there are some fantastic examples interspersed with some grand 19th century edifices and modern apartment blocks. It's all a bit of a jumble but there are some architectural gems.
Considering the Cathedral and the Champagne tours it didn't seem all that touristy a place and certainly not tacky. All in all I thought it was a very clean and well heeled city, probably a very easy place to live. It was certainly a lovely place to visit.
There is more to Reims than just a fantastic Cathedral and champagne tours. It's great for a short break.
I love reims it's such a beautiful town. The country side surrounding Reims is great too
denise.parry 08.06.2003 08:54
Good opinion. We are travelling to Reims in 2 weeks courtesy of a Sainsburys (and one of the champagne houses)competition so only have an afternoon free but are really looking forward to it. We have never been there before and your article has been a good help. We have a private tour of the cathedral on our itinery Thank you for the write up.
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