I left Reims and drove along the Champagne route to Epernay, then on to Vertus. Epernay was one of those places that didn't really stand out to me - maybe it was after coming from Reims - but as far as small places go, I was really impressed with Vertus. They even had a guided walking tour on a brochure in the pokey little church I went into. Even some larger places didn't have anything like this, so well done to whoever thought about doing this, I really appreciated being able to learn about the village!
After Vertus, I said goodbye to Champagne and drove to Metz, in the Alsace-Lorraine departement.