THE LOUVOIS & HOT TUBE HUT / CHAMPAGNE
Staying for a few nights in the remote and rurally placed caravan in Val de Livre, in the mountains of Reims, is unlike anything else in the otherwise comfortable and chic region of Champagne.
The caravan is situated in the middle of a forest, so far from the nearest road that the surrounding silence is almost tangible.
It offers an off-the-grid stay in the most authentic way: even though the carefully planned interiors are very Instagram-friendly, there is no wi-fi connection in or even close to the caravan.
Electricity is made available by a large, nearby generator, and the toilet is an outhouse.
It is possible to cook simpler dinners (there is a small stove and a system of reserve and manual pumps provide water), but otherwise you mostly spend your time in the hammock looking up in the sky, or taking a hot bath, heated by wood fire.
Only five minutes from the famous Champenois vineyard, and merely ten kilometres from Reims, the caravan is perfectly positioned for those wanting to explore the area but who also wish to try a more alternative way of living.
The strong allure of Champagne, both as a destination and as a type of wine, has led to an ever-increasing, worldwide interest and demand.
The name holds a promise of glamour and extravagance, and so the production of wine in this part of France has been maximized to its fullest.
Only two percent of all wine produced in Champagne is organically produced, which may also affect the general experience of visiting places like Epernay and Reims, where most things of interest have been made easily accessible for the large stream of tourists passing through on any given day.
Regardless of this adaption to mass tourism, the landscape of Champagne is still both beautiful and elegant, with its gently sloping hills, small forests and quaint villages.
The region is an integral part of European history, easily reached by car or train from Paris.
On the caravan’s patio, it is possible to enjoy a glass of champagne (or any kind of drink, of course), sitting in Adirondack armchairs. Invented in the early 20th century by Thomas Lee, this chair model was later adjusted by Harry C. Bunnell to make it suitable for convalescents, popularized by patients in tuberculosis sanatoria, who enjoyed the way that the armrests help open up the sitter’s chest.
Relaxing in these armchairs, in the middle of the deep Champagne-forest, allows for particularly deep breaths of clean, fresh country air, which makes the champagne taste even better.
