There are times when it’s nice to get out of town, even when you’re living in Paris.

About a week ago we needed a break from the hustle and bustle and took the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse, or high-speed train) to the town of Reims, in the middle of the Champagne region in northeast France.

I love the TGV. The train ride was all of 40 minutes. Making the trip by car would have taken almost two hours.

We went on a tour of the caves at Veuve-Cliquot, a well-known brand of champagne that’s been around since the late 1700s. But their caves were dug-out centuries ago. The ground around the town of Reims is mostly chalk. So the walls of the caves were cold, damp and soft. After the caves we were led to the tasting room and offered a generous pour of their 2004 La Grande Dame.

Delish.

By the time the tour and tasting were done we were hungry for lunch and on a champagne kick. We found a fun restaurant in the center of town, ordered lunch and a bottle of champagne.

After lunch we walked through the center of town, visited the cathedral (one of the world’s largest), then caught the train home. All in all a great day!