Only about three weeks remained of our year-long France adventure and by going east — to the Grand-Est and into the Champagne region, Alsace-Lorraine along the eastern border, and the mountains and plains of the Vosges — we will have satisfied our urge to visit every corner. We were grateful that the journey on the fast train from Paris to Rheims (“Reims” in French) is perfectly timed to allow for a café au lait and a buttery croissant en route. Upon arriving in the capital of the Champagne region, we claimed our rented car and began to check off the three sights that we most wanted to visit.