France travel: Bubbling along in french cruise paradise

Epernay is regarded as the capital of the Champagne region and familiar names of Champagne houses such as Pol Roger, Moet et Chandon and Perrier- Jouet, have their grand houses located cheek by jowl here on the aptly named Avenue de Champagne.

However, it was Jack Demiere, one of the smaller Champagne producers in the nearby town of Fleury-la-Rivière, who revealed the secrets that go into the production of Champagne.

His musty cellar was intoxicating in itself with rows upon rows of bottles of bubbly in different stages of production.

He added sugar and yeast to his bottles to create Champagne, while giving me tastings of the different stages of the process.

Returning to the boat, I dreamt of floating on a river of bubbles towards my next destination: the historic Castle Thierry and the centre of falconry, built on an imposing hilltop overlooking the town of the same name.

Not much of the original buildings exists as, over centuries, the town’s buildings and dwellings were erected using stones from the inner castle’s buildings.

It was here, swooping over my head, that a bald eagle disappeared over the medieval battlement into a valley below.

It suddenly re-emerged, eyes trained upon the morsel of meat draped over the falconer’s glove.

Landing majestically, it folded its feathers and chewed upon its reward.