Reims, France, boasts of its architecture, Champagne

By Rick Steves Tribune Media Services Imagine that happy day around 1700, when the monk Dom Perignon, after much fiddling with the double fermentation of his grape juice, stumbled onto a bubbly delight. Having tasted the very first glass of Champagne, he ran through the abbey shouting, "Brothers, come quickly ... I'm drinking stars!" The drink he invented ultimately put the region of Champagne in northeastern France on the map. And thanks to a new TGV bullet train that lets you connect nearly hourly from Paris (in 45 minutes), the region and its delightful capital Reims (pronounced "rahnce" in France) are more accessible than ever. You can tour a handful of interesting Champagne caves right in Reims. Most include a walk through the caulky cellars, where literally millions of bottles are stored; a tour of a museum featuring... [read full story]