… when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I’m thirsty. - Madame Lilly Bollinger.

I recently embarked on one of the most spontaneous weekends away I have ever taken, and, after initial scepticism, and writing to share my pearls of wisdom…

Relying on my friend’s ability to be late to everything, I snoozed through my alarm, and was shocked to be dragged from my flat in a mixture of panic and excitement only 20 minutes later! My eagerness to escape the autumn drizzle of London was more than enough motivation, and despite having little idea of where we were heading or how long we would be gone, I packed efficiently; bringing the essential passport, corkscrew and credit card!

As we purred through the city I was thrust a map, and told to navigate south! With surprising ease (ignoring the punctured tyre!) we arrived in Dover in little under 3 hours, and jumped straight onto the ferry! No five hour pre-departure check in here! Whilst avoiding the questionable refreshments, a quick and brisk walk around the deck saw the white cliffs of Dover disappear and before long the welcomed site of the Northern French coast arrive.

Dunkirk is often second due to the Calais ‘booze cruise’ culture, but within 20 minutes of docking we were cruising through the beautiful French countryside on our way to the Champagne region. I know few people who would critise the French highways, and I can confirm the scenery was breathtaking. Rolling farmlands and French châteaux lit up by the gradually setting sun - a million miles from London!

With “Alistair Sawday’s - Special places to stay in France” as our guide (which I would highly recommend, as it features only French owned accommodation) we found ourselves in Fisme in the heart of the Champagne region. After an incredibly good nights sleep, a beautifully presented French breakfast, we set off to explore the region. On our travels we met a host of welcoming local farmers, tried a variety of Champagnes, and even learnt a few things along the way! How do you find artisanal champagne? Look for a bottle marked “R.M.” (Recoltant-Manipulant) or “S.R.” (Societé-Manipulant). Those initials signify that the grower vinifies, bottles, and markets Champagne from grapes he grows.

After parking back at the B&B and really enjoying our recent purchases, we enjoyed an incredible home cooked three course meal for less than £10! The following day continued in a similar vein, but this time we headed into the city of Reims where we visited the Taittinger caves, and learnt about the process of producing Champagne! And yes, I admit, leaving the 4km of caves filled with the finest bubbles was almost heartbreaking!

Then we poodled back to the ferry, and made it back into central London in six hours from vineyard to bed.

I would whole heartedly recommend such an adventure to anyone who fancies getting out of the big smoke, enjoys beautiful food, or enjoys a few glasses of bubbles from time to time… I will be retuning!