European Road Trip - Fairytale Castles and Fantastic Adventures

Part One

There are few experiences quite like setting off on a long road trip and venturing somewhere you’ve never been before. It’s one of the few forms of travel where the journey is as important as the destination: the people, the stories and the moments that are hard to describe to anyone who wasn’t there.  In fact, without the journey, there is no destination!

This is actually the second European road trip we’ve done as a family, and our third overall if you include last year’s foray into California, from San Diego to LA. It’s a little different this time around, though, because on our first European road trip, S was but a teeny, tiny bump. This time, he is fully sprouted, which means we’ve had to add a few more child-friendly experiences into the mix.

Stop 1: Folkestone

Not to be repeated.

Last time, we got up early and made our first stop just outside Calais, at an exquisite hotel complete with a vineyard and boutique rooms.

This time, we thought that drive might be a bit too long for S, so we spent our first night in what can only be described as a sub-par motel, complete with stained carpets, a view of a rusty lorry container and no bed made up for S.

The barman/receptionist/housekeeper, however, was more than happy to come and sort it out. It turns out he started his hotel career in housekeeping, so he was good at making up sofa beds in a jiffy. This was just as well, because housekeeping itself seemed to have failed to make up any of the children’s beds on our floor.

I think housekeeping might be in for a bit of a rollicking…

Stop 2: Épernay, France

Things are looking up.

The tunnel journey went reasonably smoothly, although we missed our actual train because of security (actually security was fine, it was queue management that failed us).

S wasn’t so sure about the tunnel. I don’t know how many of you have watched the latest instalment of Clarkson’s Farm, but there’s an episode where Jeremy takes Kaleb through the Channel Tunnel. Kaleb has several interesting questions and concerns, which Jeremy almost manages to answer with a straight face.

As it turns out, we had much the same conversation with S. Whether Kaleb has the inner workings of an eight-year-old, or S those of a 26-year-old, I’ll leave you to decide.

We stayed at the cheap and cheerful B&B Épernay. The view had definitely improved (see photo). Not rusty at all, and just the right shade of ‘off-white’ to contrast nicely with the black tarmac. Beautiful.

The room was great, though: huge and air-conditioned, with everything you could need for a one-night stay, unlike the night before. It was also about £100 less. Excellent value.

When in Épernay, there is clearly only one thing to do: algebra.

No, sorry, I mean drink Champagne, obviously.

Fun fact: the town’s famous Avenue de Champagne might only be about a mile long above ground, but underneath it runs more than 100km of chalk cellars, holding somewhere north of 200 million bottles ageing away in the dark.

It was a good day.

Stop 3: Riquewihr, Alsace

Another great wine region, and home to what I consider to be one of the most underrated wines of all time: Riesling.

We drove through some very colourful little towns and arrived at our hotel, the Best Western Plus Hotel and Spa. I’m not sure why it’s a ‘Plus’, but it was a reasonably nice hotel, with a considerably better view this time, over a vineyard. It also had lots of parking, a little swimming pool and was only a hop, skip and a jump from the main part of town.

And what a town.

Not only is its wine underrated, but the whole place is underrated. Why does no one from the UK come here more often on holiday? Literally out of this world, postcard pretty... and yet, I’d never heard of Riquewihr and have only just learnt how to spell it!

It turns out it is one of two neighbouring Alsace villages, (the other being Ribeauvillé), said to have inspired the animators behind Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. You can see why once you’re standing in it. It’s a very traditional French town, complete with a cheese cave, a charcuterie, a boulangerie… and a Christmas shop. All the essentials in one place.

We even managed to arrive on parade day! It only happens once a year, so we planned that well.

The only downside was the realisation that we had lost Fluffy Hen, Hen II - we don't know where, let's just hope he has found a new home.  Poor Hen.   We also lost a maths book, although I think that might be in the Moët & Chandon boutique, now more tourists can enjoy a little algebra with their champagne.  You're welcome. :-)

Next stop - Europa Park, Germany!