We reach the station well ahead of time only to find there is a strike in Reims and trains have been delayed and a bit of a chaos in the station. The train is 10 minutes late and we reach Reims after 2 hours at 11.30 am. We visit the Notre-Dame Cathedral and town square and lunch nearby. The town is very quiet due to, maybe, the weather, the strike or it's Sunday. We take a taxi to Pommery Champagne House for a tour to the caves 30 metres down which remains 10 C and 80-90% humidity and darkness to preserve the champagne bottles. Very interesting. 
We enjoy our champagne tasting after walking up 115 steps from the cave to the surface. We walk back to the station at 4.30 pm passing Taittinger and Piper-Heidsieck houses. It is a pity we are out of time and cannot goto the memorial where Germany officially surrendered to the Americans at the WWII.Our train is scheduled at 5.19 pm. We arrive at 5 pm to find mayhem in the station with passengers flocking to different carriages to try to find a seat. Just when we think we will have to stand 2 hours back to Paris when suddenly 3 seats are available right in front of us. Lucky break, other passengers resort to sitting in the aisles.
We return to Gare d’Est at 7.15 pm and follow the crowds to the metro and change 3 trains to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant which specializes in Szechuen dishes, Aux Delices de Szechuen. We order all the typical Szechuenese cuisine and although a little skeptical we are delighted to taste the genuine flavour and we all totally enjoy our Chinese cuisine. Comfort food for the ladies.
We walk past Les Invalides and home by 9.30 pm.
