Châlons-en-Champagne
I had long heard of the town, Châlons-en-Champagne. It must be good for wine walking and Champagne tasting, I figured. But it was not to be.
A friendly local explained to me that Châlons-en-Champagne used to be surrounded by vineyards. But they were struck by the phylloxera Insect in the 19th century.
The viticulteurs then ripped the vines out of the ground, but never replaced them. This was not uncommon at the time. With the Industrial Revolution, France was urbanising and land was necessary for housing.
Today, Joseph Perrier is the only Champagne House in Châlons-en-Champagne. But reportedly, they source their grapes from elsewhere in Champagne, notably La Côte des Blancs.
Someone even told me that Châlons-en-Champagne used to be known as Châlons-sur-Marne, but that its name was changed for “marketing purposes”!
I also heard that it would be possible to taste some Champagne in Châlons. But I could not see any spot. But I did notice a “boutique de rhums”, which might attract anyone looking for a drink.
There was another notable feature, something which is becoming common in France. The few French restaurants in Châlons were well outnumbered by non-French restaurants — like Chinese, Japanese, Lebanese, North African, Tacos and Pizza.
I have the distinct feeling that French cuisine is dying a slow death. When I first came to France to live in 1986, I was excited about Paris, the gastronomic capital of the world. But this is changing.
Although the French may not like the growing numbers of migrants, they certainly seem to like their restaurants, which have sprung up with the growing numbers of migrants.
These ethnic cuisines are tasty, good value and fun. At the same time, French cuisine seems to be suffering from an air of complacency and arrogance, which means the quality is rarely excellent.
This is just another aspect of the rise and fall of great powers. And France is most certainly a fading great power.
All that said, Châlons-en-Champagne is a fairly beautiful town, with lovely churches and many maison à colombages (houses with exposed beams).