Page 66 - Cork & Tee Sample Program Flipbook, 2018

sprawling cathedral, you will learn about the generations of French Kings who were coronated
on this site between 816 and 1825.
Along the way, you will see cathedral
treasures including the great rose
window over the main portal, fine
tapestries and modern stained
glasswork by Russian painter Marc
Chagall. With your guide, you also
will visit Tau Palace, the palace of the
Archbishop or Reims that is adjacent
to the cathedral and was the king’s
residence prior to the coronation and
site of the royal banquet following the
coronation. The oldest part of the structure is the chapel, which dates to 1207. Much of the
current structure was built in the early fifteenth century, with additional Baroque modifications
in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The palace houses a museum highlighting the
coronation of the kings. Priceless artifacts displayed there include Charlemagne's talisman (ninth
century) and Saint Remi's chalice (twelfth century). You will also see the Sainte-Ampoule, or
"holy flask," which contained the holy oil with which new kings were anointed during the
coronation ceremony. After your walking tour, enjoy the evening at leisure.

Proposed Accommodations for 2 nights: Chateau Les Crayères, a gorgeous, Belle Epoque
mansion built in 1904 as the private residence of the owners of Champagne Pommery.

Day 2: A Day in Champagne. Today, meet Gonzague, your expert guide for the day, to explore
the Champagne region via a private,
full-day excursion. The day will consist
of private visits to two producers and
time for lunch on your own. For an
example of what the day may look like,
this morning you might visit
Champagne Billecart-Salmon, which is
a medium-sized champagne house in
Mareuil-sur-Ay, France. The Billecart
family has been living in Mareuil-sur-
Ay since the sixteenth century. When
Nicolas Francois Billecart married
Elisabeth Salmon in the early 1800s, the two families' long-held vineyards were married as well.
This led to Nicolas's decision to leave his law practice and take over the family wine estate. In
1818 he founded the house of Billecart-Salmon, which now stands as the oldest continuously

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