We are woken briefly by the milk lorry going up the lane at 04:00 and again at 06:30 by machinery in the barn but soon sleep again after the new noise has registered. Ali arranged to see the animals at 09:00 so we are up and ready before then. At 08:45 all the machinery stops and it is peaceful while we eat breakfast, using the milk that was delivered last night. What a taste! It's as thick and rich as what we would usually have as single cream, by the time it has soaked into the Weetabix it could be used to plaster a wall.

Ali visits the alpacas and Madame shows her how they make the wool and knit it into the 'pulls' or pullovers they sell. Handmade alpaca 'pulls' run to 3 figures [not to mention that the slightest bit of damp and you end up smelling like Swampy and his eco-warrior mates], but Ali does buy a nice beret and a dozen eggs for €20.

We search out tonight's stop then set off at 11:10 back through the same lovely countryside to the main road towards Nancy to get fuel. Halfway into our journey we turn north into the Champagne region and the landscape changes dramatically; vast undulating plains with almost-white soil stretch for miles, with patches of pale green which we think is beet, or massive vineyards. In contrast to the many other vines we've seen in our travels, these are looking sparse and turning brown, the grapes having all been picked 2-4 weeks ago. In places there are large woodland areas with more lovely autumn colours on show.

We arrive at Champagne Blondel at 16:00 but miss the entrance, and turn around a few yards further on in a Moet & Chandon warehouse car-park. Slowing down we turn in and find the France Passion parking. There is no-one around, then a workman arrives and confirms we are in the right place. We sit opposite a massive vineyard with the TGV running past every now and then in the distance. A little later the Owner arrives and takes us down for degustation. We try some of the champagne produced here and buy three bottles @ €17. [Good value compared to the €30/bottle Italian red we sampled a few weeks back].

We return to the van, have a nice walk beside the vines then watch the sky turn pink as the sun sets over Champagne.