Honfleur is a beautiful, cobblestone village southwest of Etretat, in the lower Normandy region called "Calvados". It sits in the estuary where the Seine meets the English Channel. The term "fleur" does not refer to "flower" in this case, but to a river flowing into the sea, coming from the Old Norse word, "
flóð".
This was our second stop on the trip. Albeit a bit touristy, especially around the popular Vieux Basin (old port) section, I still fell in love with its winding medieval streets and tudor-style buildings. My favorite part was seeing the artist ateliers on the ground floors, showcasing each artist's work in the window. Highlights of Honfleur were the Sainte-Catherine church, the biggest made of wood in France with its old bell tower; the
musée Eugene Boudin, housing Impressionist art; and mon préféré...the
Erik Satie museum, a real surrealist treat, feeling more like chez Magritte with a giant flying pear and various Magritte-esque umbrellas on display when you first enter. I love playing Satie's piano pieces and various ones were featured on the self-playing baby grand at the end of the tour.
Du dessins d'Honfleur.
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| Le Vieux Basin, the charming "main drag" of Honfleur |
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| I sat at a lovely cafe drinking my coffee and drawing. Life can be very simple. |
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I really love these old Anglo-Norse houses. The upper parts of France are heavily influenced by
both these cultures, and especially by the Celts, in Brittany. Oh yes, and dogs everywhere :) |
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| Cloche Ste. Catherine |
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| An overview from the bell tower |
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