I love the French countryside! We traveled first class (Woo Hoo!) on the bullet train to Epernay, the heart of the world's most prestigious vineyards, and the Capital of Champagne. It is a little town out in the country where the Moet & Chandon Winery is located and is the main center for bottling, storing, and selling the wines of the Champagne region. The French countryside is gorgeous! It is true, you can't judge France by Paris. That would be like judging the US with NYC. There are too many beautiful towns, parks and cities to see that give totally different views of the country. 
After hearing a bit about the history, we took a guided tour down in the cellars of the Moet winery, a winery that has passed down from one generation to another. It was very interesting to hear about the process of wine making from start to finish. One thing I learned was how they get rid of the sediment from the bottles. They turn the bottles upside down, freeze the bottles, and then pop the sediment ice cube from the bottle. Turning the bottles is part of the maturation process and one person can rotate over 5000 bottles in one day. I was also surprised to learn that the bubbles were created through a mistake made by Dom Perignon himself! What a great flub, Dom!We finished our tour with a flute of Grand Vintage 2003 white and a flute of Grand Vintage 2003 Rose'. I won't say who chugged an extra glass of wine that someone did not drink after the sommeliers left the room! Too funny!It's good to be in Paris. It's great to be in Paris during Bastille! It's their Independence Day. It is officially tomorrow (7/14), but they've already started celebrating. We attended a dance festival this evening with music of various genres. There is a parade tomorrow morning and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower tomorrow night. We're planning to go see the fireworks. I mean, really! How can you be in Paris and not see fireworks at the Eiffel Tower on Independence Day? I can't wait!
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