Day 7 REIMS 12.08.2022

So, now the transition from wealthy Luxembourg to France. So, to better understand the prices, Luxembourg was like Switzerland for people with a lot of money until some time ago! In addition, many global players (Ebay, Amazon, Google, etc.) have their European headquarters in Luxembourg. This is very attractive for companies from a tax perspective, but it also brings a managerial class with high salaries here. And of course, corresponding jobs. The average monthly net income is €2200! A minimum net hourly wage of about €22 is guaranteed! So, let's go to France!

And again, the time-saving error in navigation. We wanted to relax and drive through the countryside and therefore entered a toll-free route. But when the navigation system offered us a 16-minute time saving and we agreed, we ended up on the French toll highway. The approximately 240 kilometers cost €15.10. I can understand anyone who says that toll fees in France can quickly add up to a big pile!

In Reims, we found our 'Hotel Arcades' without any problems. Right in the center and therefore without a parking lot. But the young lady at the reception gave us very good tips and so we ended up in a nearby parking garage. Here we struggled with the very unusual ticket machine and actually found the setting for 48 hours for €19. Great, let's pay right away and take our luggage back to the hotel, which is only two minutes away. In the center of the arcade, there was actually a very, very old carousel. Gold-plated and with few visitors, it was still running at night, as we found out a day later!

In general, the old town and the surroundings of the cathedral had a unique charisma, which was also reflected in the countless brasseries and restaurants. The tourist streams were unmistakable and populated everything. With the help of the tourism office, we were able to break away a bit and explore the city with two tour plans. One was about the traces of the past (Romans, French Middle Ages) and the other was about Art Deco. But on the first day, the cathedral, which is almost always called 'Notre Dame' here, was important to us and we immersed ourselves in it. It is worth noting that none of the sights we visited charged any admission fees! When we think about other countries..... it always surprises us how people back then were able to build such buildings! What tools, materials, and structural calculations were available to the builders and architects? Was there already something like material testing procedures? And if it still impresses us today, how did the average person in the Middle Ages feel? It is clear that this is how the church could grow towards the sky and people bowed their heads and accepted everything! Back in the room, we finished off the food and drink leftovers from Esch and found peace in the French bed with a mattress and air conditioning in the room. It reminds us: It was over 32°C again!!!