Discussion
Hi all,
I’m after some advice for a trip to Reims. Am heading there over the Easter weekend with a few friends, and have just booked the tunnel. Couldn’t wait any longer to start the driving season
However, as it’s a bit of a last minute spontaneous thing, that’s as far as the detailed planning has got!
I wondered if anyone knows if any good routes down there from the tunnel, any good places to visit, or any decent hotels / B&Bs? Any advice would be gratefully appreciated - I seem to remember some people on here drove there last year?
Cheers.
I’m after some advice for a trip to Reims. Am heading there over the Easter weekend with a few friends, and have just booked the tunnel. Couldn’t wait any longer to start the driving season
However, as it’s a bit of a last minute spontaneous thing, that’s as far as the detailed planning has got! I wondered if anyone knows if any good routes down there from the tunnel, any good places to visit, or any decent hotels / B&Bs? Any advice would be gratefully appreciated - I seem to remember some people on here drove there last year?
Cheers.
We stopped at Reims on the way back from Prague, took some pics by the old granstands etc. then took the shortest route back to Calais for a bit - pretty much all the roads were great from what I remember, it was only when we decided making some serious progress was called for that we cut back onto the autoroutes.
The holiday inn on the circuit side of the city did great steaks!
The holiday inn on the circuit side of the city did great steaks!
Just came back from that area last week. stayed further south in Tours-sur-marne....been there a few times but prob too far away from Reims for you.
http://www.touraine-champenoise.com
Cathedral is well worth a visit. If you are picking up Champagne I would expect saturday morning will be the only time any of the houses are going to be open. There are some great smaller houses....avoid anything you have heard of...Moet, Bolly Dom etc....although the tours are interesting, go for something a bit different would be my advice.
There are hundreds of champagne houses so it can be pot luck, we always pay these guys a visit for a couple of cases,
http://www.champagne-veuve-olivier.com
but as I say, if they are open over Easter it will only be Saturday morning, best
first....how's your French?
Enjoy your trip
Chris
http://www.touraine-champenoise.com
Cathedral is well worth a visit. If you are picking up Champagne I would expect saturday morning will be the only time any of the houses are going to be open. There are some great smaller houses....avoid anything you have heard of...Moet, Bolly Dom etc....although the tours are interesting, go for something a bit different would be my advice.
There are hundreds of champagne houses so it can be pot luck, we always pay these guys a visit for a couple of cases,
http://www.champagne-veuve-olivier.com
but as I say, if they are open over Easter it will only be Saturday morning, best
first....how's your French?Enjoy your trip
Chris
I've jut found the piece that was reported in Autosport magazine in the issue of July 10th 1953 after the French GP, which became known as the 'Race of the Century'. I think it was Hawthorn's fourth race for Ferrari, or his fourth race in a proper GP car. The last few laps were described thus:
“Mere words cannot describe the closing laps. Never before has such a desperate struggle been waged on a Grand Prix circuit. For the tenth time the leaders dead-heated over the line, and behind Gonzalez led Ascari by about a centimetre. Farina panted on behind, whilst Villoresi was practically exhausted.
Everyone was on his (or her) feet, and in the tribunes scores of field-glasses were leveled towards Thillois. "C'est Howtorn-Non, c'est Fangio" howled the P.A. announcer. Three more laps. Again Hawthorn and Fangio were dead-level past the timing box, as were those of Gonzalez and Ascari. Hardheaded journalists, veterans of dozens of grandes epreuves, threw nonchalance to the winds and became madly-excited onlookers. One gentleman even went so far as to tear up his notes, stand on his hat and finally fall over his desk.
"At Thillois, Hawthorn edged ahead of his rival, and the Ferrari held its slender lead all down the straight, with Fangio crouching down in his car to try to get every ounce of speed out of the Maserati. But Hawthorn's getaway at Thillois gave him that little bit of advantage. Down went the flag, with the Ferrari about 40 yards in front of the Maserati. Before everyone could collapse completely, there was another terrific thrill. Making a last-minute bid, Gonzalez left Ascari standing out of Thillois, and tore down the straight at such a pace, that he all but caught Fangio on the line.
"In this race of the century, only 7.6 secs. separated the first five cars. Mike Hawthorn emerged from this race as a real champion. He alone kept Ferrari from defeat, and proved to the racing world that he ranks with the best post-war drivers."
Great stuff. It would have been the equivalent of Button, when he was at Williams in his first season as a GP driver, taking on and beating Schumacher at the peak of his powers.
“Mere words cannot describe the closing laps. Never before has such a desperate struggle been waged on a Grand Prix circuit. For the tenth time the leaders dead-heated over the line, and behind Gonzalez led Ascari by about a centimetre. Farina panted on behind, whilst Villoresi was practically exhausted.
Everyone was on his (or her) feet, and in the tribunes scores of field-glasses were leveled towards Thillois. "C'est Howtorn-Non, c'est Fangio" howled the P.A. announcer. Three more laps. Again Hawthorn and Fangio were dead-level past the timing box, as were those of Gonzalez and Ascari. Hardheaded journalists, veterans of dozens of grandes epreuves, threw nonchalance to the winds and became madly-excited onlookers. One gentleman even went so far as to tear up his notes, stand on his hat and finally fall over his desk.
"At Thillois, Hawthorn edged ahead of his rival, and the Ferrari held its slender lead all down the straight, with Fangio crouching down in his car to try to get every ounce of speed out of the Maserati. But Hawthorn's getaway at Thillois gave him that little bit of advantage. Down went the flag, with the Ferrari about 40 yards in front of the Maserati. Before everyone could collapse completely, there was another terrific thrill. Making a last-minute bid, Gonzalez left Ascari standing out of Thillois, and tore down the straight at such a pace, that he all but caught Fangio on the line.
"In this race of the century, only 7.6 secs. separated the first five cars. Mike Hawthorn emerged from this race as a real champion. He alone kept Ferrari from defeat, and proved to the racing world that he ranks with the best post-war drivers."
Great stuff. It would have been the equivalent of Button, when he was at Williams in his first season as a GP driver, taking on and beating Schumacher at the peak of his powers.
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