Fontainebleau

My last school holiday had its ups and downs.  It started with a trip to the hospital where I discovered that the reason why my face had gotten so swollen in a couple days was due to a salivary gland infection... doesn't that sound gross?  Well thankfully that just required some antibiotics, plenty of mouthwash, good food and rest for a little while.  

Once I was feeling a little back on my feet again, I joined a group of friends in a place about 30 minutes south of Paris called Fontainebleau.  They had gone for a whole week, rented a gîte (holiday cottage), and planned on bouldering everyday.  While Fontainebleau is partly known for its large and impressive castle, it is also highly regarded for its bouldering opportunities.  The nearby, incredibly diverse forest is recognized as a national park and supposedly the site where the French climbing team trains, according to a friend.  It's quite a unique place, with many different options and opportunities. 

My first boulder.  Photo courtesy of K. Heidrich

For the two days that I was there, we went to two different, exciting locations.  The first is famously known as the Elephant Rock.  There is a large boulder resembling an elephant (sorry no picture of the elephant!), but this was also a really interesting place because there was sand, just like a beach!  This gave me my first taste of outdoor bouldering.  It was fun and scary!  Even climbing a few feet off the ground seemed nerve-wracking to me.  However, I'm pretty proud with what I accomplished.

Rockin' it. Photo courtesy of K. Heidrich

The second day was in more of an actual forest setting and had a route, rather than individual boulders like the first day.  The idea was to continue through the route of boulders, climbing up and down, without hanging out on the ground.  I'll admit, that I was already tired from the first day and wasn't pushing myself too hard, but it was fun to try something new and hang out with some good people.  

Hey foot! Photo courtesy of K. Heidrich

Besides climbing, it was great to get a bit into nature.  Our group would pack up for a day and hang out at a boulder site, have a picnic, slackline, and chat.  I felt encouraged and slightly pushed with what I was doing, but never overly stressed to complete something I wasn't comfortable with... which was a perfect compromise.  There were also a couple real good climbers who went, so it was fun to watch.  I definitely hope to return to this place.  It was so easy to fall in love with.

Friends. Photo courtesy of K. Heidrich

Visite en Champagne

A few weeks ago I took a short trip to Champagne country to taste some delicious bubbly and enjoy the sunshine.

I picked up my covoiturage (carpool) from Grenoble and in five hours arrived in the city of Reims (pronounced more like "ranse").  I lucked out with a few days of sunshine, which allowed me plenty of time for strolling the streets and discovering this small town.  I did a little shopping, sat on a terrace for a tea and dessert, and visited some of the local landmarks such as their beautiful cathedral. 

The highlight, however, was all about the champagne.  I tasted my first champagne with dinner the first night, but I was most excited about touring one of their famous champagne houses or caves on the second day in Reims.  Among all the local options including Taittinger, Lanson, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, and so many more, I decided to tour the Pommery estate. 

A short 20 minute walk from the very center of town,  we arrived at the gates of the Pommery estate.  After walking up the long driveway, we checked in for our tour.  Our tour quickly began and we descended into a labyrinth of tunnels devoted to the perfection and storage of champagne.  In all, we were told that there were 18 kilometers of tunnels devoted to Pommery.  We could see an old pully system on the ceiling used many years ago for transportation of their sought-after bottles, stacks of champagne bottles, and different types of storage areas.  A particular characteristic of this region is in fact that below ground, there are old dug out chalk pits.  That is where most of the champagne is stored and properly aged because it maintains a consistently cool temperature, perfect for creating a consistent product.  

Our tour completed, we had to taste some delicious bubbly.  While I may not know all about the different varieties of champagne and so forth, I do have to say that the one I tried at Pommery was pretty delicious!  It was a pretty perfect moment.

xo
Danielle