Spain 2026-08

Spain 28,

Oct. 18, 2026,

Hi Everyone,

After breakfast, P and G and I made our way to the Reims Cathedral to hear a mass at 11:00. I have never been to a church specifically to hear a mass although many times I have entered into a church and listened to an ongoing service. I have done the same in Hindu temples, Japanese temples and mosques. The only place in the world that I know of where you can not enter a mosque if you are not Muslim is in Jerusalem. The service was wonderful. The acoustics present in the cathedral with high stone ceilings surpasses the imagination. There were at least 300 to 500 persons present. I took many pictures and videos. While listening to the service, I consulted Chat. The organ has 6000 pipes.The biggest organ in the world is in Atlantic City, New Jersey which has 33,000 pipes. Pipe organs were 1st invented 300 BC with much improvement in the 16th century. My friend Remi, who plays the organ, worked very hard and raised a lot of money to renovate the organ in the Reims Basilica which was built in the 11th century.

We had chou crout for lunch and then took the Route de Champagne to Epernay where we visited the Champagne Museum. Reims and Epernay are the capitals or Champagne where all the champagne comes from. The museum explained the origins of champagne and the process of making champagne. There are 250 km of tunnels (caves) where champagne is stored beneath Reims. That amounts to 1 billion bottles of champagne. All of the major champagne companies are represented in both cities. There are hundreds of small companies in the small towns on the hills between Epernay and Reims. The grapes must be stored for 5 years to make champagne, so in order to have yearly cash the smaller companies sell a large amount of their produce to the major champagne companies.

Love,

Brian