Champagne!

The May half-term holiday came at just the right moment this year. It is actually quite odd that it officially ends on 1 May. All schools are off this week, and some even add an extra week on either side—like Thijs’s school. It offered a welcome chance to unwind before the summer crowds we will soon be facing again. The start of the year was extremely busy, so a pause was more than welcome. Of course, it never really comes at a convenient time for the office. But seeing how much fitter I returned, it is clear that building regular breaks into our lives is not a luxury, but a necessity.

Klassiekers met Kleikers

Just before the holiday, we had an exciting performance with the band at the Toon Hermans Theatre in Sittard. For the fourth time, we were asked to provide the musical backdrop to Klassiekers met Kleikers. Playing for an audience of around 500 people always comes with a certain level of tension, but it turned into a wonderful evening. It was a pleasure to meet Jacco Verhaeren, who coached Pieter van den Hoogenband during his Olympic swimming successes and is now Head of Coaches at the Visma Lease a Bike cycling team. The Sunday after the performance, I went with Thijs to the Vaalserberg to watch the Amstel Gold Race peloton pass by. By pure coincidence, we ran into Jacco again, just after he had been handing out water bottles to the riders. Another guest at Classics with Kleikers was Michel Wuyts, the Flemish cycling commentator who is also well known in the Netherlands. He delivered a deeply emotional tribute to Jean Nelissen. With all that still fresh in our minds, we set off for France. At the last minute, we booked a hotel in Épernay, the capital of the Champagne region. Paris was still an option in the back of our minds, so we went ahead and bought online tickets for the Louvre as well. What a beautiful region Champagne is. You do not have to be a champagne lover to enjoy it—although, naturally, we did visit several houses. The experiences varied. Moët & Chandon felt warm and welcoming, despite the low temperatures in the cellars. Veuve Clicquot clearly caters mainly to American visitors and did not appeal to us. Pommery was disappointing, but we were pleasantly surprised by the elegant taste of Gobillard. We discovered it during a lovely lunch in Hautvillers, a charming village perched on a hill, home to the abbey church where Dom Pérignon is buried. Gobillard’s shop also turned out to be located in Hautvillers, so we loaded a box into the car, mainly to share at home with others.

Cultural differences at the breakfast buffet

More and more French people speak English these days, which makes real conversations possible. My French is reasonable, but not good enough for fluent discussion. Thanks to that improved communication, we learn much more about one another. The contrast between city and countryside is even greater than at home. Everything was well kept, the people calm and friendly, the food excellent. That is, until the Dutch arrive. We really are loud, and often rather ill-mannered. We see this as a sign of freedom, but I rarely notice French people responding to it positively. I find it uncomfortable myself—sometimes even embarrassing. When I watch a family with three children clearing out the breakfast buffet to get through the rest of the day, I have to restrain myself not to say anything. And that is probably wrong. I should say something. Because these same people are often the first to complain loudly when something does not suit them. I ran into them again at the Louvre. First, we stood in line with them for forty-five minutes, even though I had already bought tickets. Then another queue for the toilets. Well organised, Louvre! And then the hype around the Mona Lisa. Ribbons everywhere, keeping us at a distance, three security guards positioned around her—and still constant pushing. Paris was incredibly busy, especially with people in their twenties and thirties. Do they not have jobs, studies, futures to work on? Apparently not. They were enjoying themselves, ticking items off their bucket lists. We were quite happy to return quickly to the calm of Champagne. In Reims, for example, you can visit a cathedral that resembles Notre-Dame, but without the hype. All French kings were crowned there—so what does that say about its historical value compared to Notre-Dame in Paris? Don’t get me wrong: Paris has a lot to offer. But one can get used to the peace and quiet of the countryside surprisingly easily.