The metro is pretty crowded so we have to stand. Fortunately it's not a far trip and it's only one stop after the train change. We make it to Gare de l'est. We get downstairs and find left luggage. Another security check - oops my cellphone is in my pocket. Great our luggage fits in the small locker. It's 5.50 euro deposit. Ugh I don't have a .50 euro coin. I should have charged the hotel tax(listen to the wife but noš). I break a 10 euro note.
Up the stairs to the high speed train. Aparna is rushing. We have almost 15 minutes. I stop for coffee, croissant and pain au chocolate. Of course I don't get a picture of these but I think you can imagine. The train hits almost 300 km/hr! It's a fast smooth ride.
The hotel is right around the corner from the train station. This is the first hotel we can't check in early. We drop our bags and the hotel arranges a tasting with Mumm at 11. It's supposed to be an hour or so and we have Veuve Cliquot scheduled at 1:30 so that should work out.
It's a short walk from the hotel. We pass part of the old city wall and a war memorial. 
Mumm was the first to put the presses in the field to reduce transportation time.
The cave portion of the tour is interesting from the history standpoint and the shear size of it. They have 25 km of cellar which is the most in town. As for the champagne process we are quite familiar with that. We do two different tastings so we can compare. The blanc de blanc is feminine (small tight bubbles) which is normally what I like but it's not overly complex. It's well past noon by the time we finish our drinks. We schedule a taxi, no Uber in Reims at least during the day. We split the last Clif bar. Our taxi picks us up. It's a Mercedes. It's 12.30 euro. That's almost what we paid each to get here. The second class TGV was 17 each. Apparently Veuve Cliquot was run by a woman early on which is why the signature champagne is le grande dame. Also veuve is widow. Their cave is not their original cave. It's actually the quarry for the town from back in the day. It also served as shelter during the war. 
This is from WWII.
Apparently they hid some of their champagne during the WWII and so they have a library. Some other champagne houses were not so luck and the Germans drank it. Aparna assisting in opening champagne.
We are pretty hungry by this so we wander the town and find somewhere that's open. This is not a tourist restaurant. I thought I ordered white wine (vin blanc). Two beers show up. I ask April if she wants to keeps the beers. She says no. The woman who drops off the beers disappeared so I wait a bit and finally I get another persons attention. In my broken French I try to explain I wanted white wine and not beer. It takes awhile but he figures it out. The lady who took our orders and drops off the beers chastises me (at least I think so) in French and I try to apologize. We get some Chardonnay and all is good. At least I hope. She was smiling at least. I feel like an ignorant American traveler. 
The croque meissures were good. I order dessert as I feel bad over the beer incident and it's really good. 
We wander towards our hotel to get a lay of the land. We buy some yogurt and fruit for breakfast. We pass a small carnival on the way back. We get checked in and are in the penthouse. 
The view from our top floor window. As noted we are around the corner from the train station. The rooms are fairly well insulated. 
It's an extended stay type of hotel with a kitchen.
After settling in and resting we head back to the main area for dinner. It's around nine the carnival is shutdown. We pick some random restaurant on the main drag. I decide to order a beer and pick "picon biere". It turns out it is flavored with bitters. It's slightly sweet. 
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