Some stops on a road trip are carefully planned cultural highlights.
Some are bucket‑list destinations.

And then there’s Chouilly — the place you stop because the journey was too long, your legs were numb, and the van was starting to make that “I need a rest” noise.

But here’s the twist:
Chouilly turned out to be glorious.

Not only is it peaceful and pretty, but it also sits right in the heart of the Champagne region — the land of bubbles, vineyards, and people who can pronounce “terroir” without sounding like they’re clearing their throat.

Welcome to Chouilly

A Quiet Village in the Heart of Champagne

Chouilly sits just outside Épernay, the unofficial capital of Champagne. This is the kind of place where:

• the air smells faintly of grapes
• tractors look suspiciously expensive

It’s surrounded by endless rows of vines marching neatly across the hills like well‑behaved soldiers. Perfect for a peaceful overnight stop.

The Great Thetford Toilet Cassette Incident

A Three‑Hour Saga of Tools, Tension & Triumph

Every campervan owner knows the toilet cassette is a simple, reliable system…
until it isn’t.

Upon arrival, we attempted the usual ritual:
Open hatch.
Slide out cassette.
Empty.
Move on with life.

Except this time, the cassette refused to budge.

It was stuck.
Properly stuck.
Stuck like it had taken out a long‑term lease and wasn’t planning to leave.

Cue the next three hours of our lives:

• gentle persuasion
• less gentle persuasion
• Googling “Thetford cassette stuck help”
• trying to look calm while quietly panicking
• and finally, the hero of the day: one long‑handled screwdriver

With the precision of a bomb‑disposal technician and the patience of a saint, and some carefully manipulated the locking mechanism from the outside.

There was clicking.
There was creaking.
There was at least one moment where we considered abandoning the cassette and starting a new life in rural France.

But then — freedom!

The cassette slid out like it had never been a problem at all.

We celebrated like we’d just won a minor engineering award. Honestly, we deserved one.

Jardin Humide

A Peaceful Walk Through Chouilly’s Wetland Garden

With the toilet drama resolved and our emotional stability restored, we set off to explore the Jardin Humide — Chouilly’s peaceful wetland garden.

It’s a beautiful, quiet place full of:

• wooden walkways
• reeds swaying in the breeze
• ponds that look like they were designed by a very relaxed watercolour artist
• and birds who clearly think they own the place

Walking through it feels like stepping into a nature documentary, except without David Attenborough narrating your every move (missed opportunity, honestly).

It’s calm, green, and exactly what you need after spending three hours negotiating with a toilet.

Jardin de Vignes

Where the Grapes Live Their Best Lives

Next up the Jardin de Vignes, a vineyard‑themed garden that explains how Champagne grapes are grown, pruned, pampered, and generally treated better than most houseplants.

It’s a lovely wander:

• rows of vines
• educational signs
• sweeping views over the Champagne countryside
• and the constant temptation to shout “I understand terroir now!” even though you absolutely do not

The whole place feels like a gentle introduction to the region’s wine culture — without the pressure of pretending you can taste “notes of brioche” in anything.

The Champagne House Photo Challenge

A Game We Absolutely Did Not Win

On the walk back through the village, we decided — in a moment of misplaced ambition — to try and photograph every Champagne house we passed.

There are hundreds.
They’re everywhere.
Every second building has a sign that looks like it belongs on a premium bottle.

We started strong, snapping away like over‑enthusiastic tourists…
and then slowly realised we were on a fool’s errand.

Eventually we gave up, accepted defeat, and walked back to the van with pictures full of half‑framed doorways and blurry vineyard logos.

Back at the Van

A Quiet Evening in Champagne Country

After a day of wetlands, vineyards, and toilet‑related heroism, we settled back into the van for a peaceful night.

The air was still.
The vines glowed in the evening light.
And the toilet cassette sat quietly in its compartment, pretending it had never caused any trouble.

Chouilly may have been a stop to break up a long drive…
but it turned out to be one of those unexpectedly brilliant places that make road trips magical.