"Hasta la vista" is a Spanish expression that literally translates to "until seeing you". It is used as a farewell greeting and means something like "see you later", "see you later" or "farewell". The routes under the umbrella Hasta la Vista have in common that they all head towards the Spanish sun and along the way you will encounter the (almost) forgotten sights again, refresh your memories and revive the fun.

This route runs from Epernay to La Ferté-Loupière.
When you say Epernay, you think of Champagne. This historic capital of Champagne is home to the imposing and luxurious mansions of the internationally renowned Champagne houses. Before you start the route, you should have explored Avenue de Champagne, because this is where all the big Champagne houses are located. Moreover, the Champagne Museum is also located here and what better way to start. The route runs along the flanks of the hills and offers magnificent viewpoints over the vineyards and the plain. The vineyards extend to Vertus, a town where you can still find many medieval remains.
In former times, the castle of Mont-Aimé stood on a hill. The castle was destroyed during the Hundred Years' War and finally demolished in the 1800s. It is now a beautiful viewpoint of the surrounding vineyards.

Sézanne is a beautiful town located in the southwest of the Marne. It is a medieval town where you can enjoy picturesque streets, old half-timbered houses and local shops. The town is surrounded by green forests and hills and is therefore the perfect base for exploring the Marne. One of the highlights of Sézanne is the beautiful Gothic church. The church is located in the middle of the old center of Sézanne and can be explored from the inside and outside.

You will soon pass the interesting Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church in Villenauxe-la-Grande. The building has an elongated plan with a nave and aisles of eight bays, and a choir of three bays, also with three naves, ending in a rotunda with ambulatory. On the north side of the west facade stands the imposing bell tower. The building has a pointed arch vault, with the exception of the choir, which is covered with a streamlined ceiling dating from the end of the Middle Ages.

You now cross the marshland to one of the highlights of fortification in France. The fortified medieval town of Provins lies on the former territory of the powerful Counts of Champagne. The urban structure of Provins, which was specially built to accommodate markets, fairs and related activities, has remained well intact. The town bears witness to early developments in the organisation of international trade fairs and the wool industry. A characteristic of all the old buildings in the trading town is the system of vaulted cellars, which dates from between the 12th and 14th centuries. They all have a stone staircase leading to the doorway on the street. In the upper town they are completely underground, in the lower town they are above ground.

A detour for a beautiful view leads to the church on the hill of Saint-Loup de Naud. The column statues and the west portal are among the earliest examples of Gothic sculpture in the Île-de-France region.

Then it goes south to the city of Sens, which is situated on the Yonne river, at the confluence with the Vanne, and is a city with a very long history. The city is known for its cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Gothic style. This is therefore the mother of all the great French Gothic cathedrals; Reims, Paris, Chartres and Bourg, but also of Canterbury Cathedral. The façade of Saint-Etienne is imposing and at the same time elegant.
While everywhere else was still built in the Romanesque style, Sens was the first to experiment with a revolutionary new concept for vaulting: the ribbed vault. In the 13th century, the windows of the cathedral were enlarged and chapels were added. The transept in the flamboyant Gothic style dates from the end of the 15th century. The central nave is light and very wide (15.25 metres).
The oldest stained glass windows date from the 12th century and the youngest from the 19th century. They show the development of stained glass windows throughout history. The windows in the transept, especially the Last Judgement (south side) and the Heavenly Concert (north side) form a special whole. They were made in the early 16th century. Another window tells the story of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, who fled to Sens and was killed by the English king upon his return to England.
The Dauphin, the son of King Louis XV who died in 1765, and his wife wanted to be buried here. Their tomb can be seen in the Chapelle Sainte-Colombe. The tombstone is in the choir of the church. Many works of art connected to the archbishops have also been preserved in the cathedral.
The archbishops lived next to the Saint-Etienne Cathedral from the beginning of the Middle Ages until the 19th century. Their palace is an extension of the cathedral. The palace for the synods (church meetings), with its coloured roof tiles, was built in the 13th century. The whole bears witness to the glorious religious past and the enormous influence that Sens had.

In Villeneive-sur-Yonne, you can take a walk along the former city walls that now serve as promenades, over the quays of the Yonne or through the charming streets, past magnificent facades such as that of the Seven-Heads House (Maison des Sept-Têtes), decorated with seven mythological figures, and the remains of the royal keep. Take a look at the Saint-Nicolas bridge, which with a length of 210 meters rests on the island île d'Amour, but also the Briard fountain, or the watchtowers. The church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption is built in Gothic style but has a facade in Renaissance style. Parts of the former city wall have been preserved, including two city gates: Porte de Sens and Porte de Joigny. There are also remains of the royal keep.

In Saint-Julien-de-Sault, the renovated organ of the Église Saint-Pierre is interesting, but this church hides many more treasures. Its architecture and unfinished style were already the result of work that was not completed in 1557/1566. The stained glass windows date from the 13th century (the remaining ones... their repair is a long history since 1784 and their deterioration during a storm! Graffiti! Some date from the beginning of the current church (1525), and the more legible ones from 1719. Unfortunately, the habit has continued and the graffiti from the last 40 years are less pleasant in my eyes!

The next town you will visit for a drink is Joigny. Of the medieval city wall with four gates, only the Porte du Bois has been preserved. The city was largely rebuilt in Renaissance style after the city fire of 1530. There are several half-timbered houses from the 16th century (Maison de l'arbre de Jessé, Maison du Bailli and Maison du Pilori). At the highest point of the city are the Château des Gondi (1569-1613, this castle replaced the medieval fortress) and the church of Saint-Jean (16th century).

The village of Champvallon, which you then pass through, has two interesting sights: a very special wine press, stored in the Rue Vincent, but if the barn door can be opened, very interesting and in the church very large shells as holy water basins. Just have a look.

La Ferté-Loupière, your final destination for this trip, is definitely worth a visit for the remarkable murals in the village church of Saint-Germain. They date from the 15th century and depict the Danse Macabre (dance of death). This shows that death is inevitable and makes no distinction between people. Over a length of almost 25 metres, characters from all walks of life are painted together with death. The images, made of ochre from Puisaye, are of remarkable quality.