Walking in the light of Honfleur, birthplace of Impressionism

The tall, skinny houses of Honfleur were built by fishermen circa 1700

They say Honfleur has a luminous light all its own. Eugène Boudin, one of the first artists to paint outdoors, was born here. Later, Claude Monet came, to meet Boudin and paint. Visit Honfleur, and you will understand. The composition of the harbor setting is exquisite and its architecture very different from the rest of Normandy. The palette of colors, overhanging stories, slate shingles, and individuality of each home make a walk along the Vieux Bassin (Old Port) delightful.

Crossing the Pont de Normandie from Le Havre to Honfleur at the mouth of the Seine, where the river widens to meet the English Channel

Honfleur is a working harbor, too, with a lighthouse on the Seine estuary

Children were riding this carousel at the entrance to the Vieux Bassin, the Old Port

Calvados tasting, where we learned that the younger vintages are added to coffee

Partway through lunch, it dawned on me what “ailes de raie aux câpres” might be…skate wing with capers…tasty and definitely in the category of new regional cuisine!

Honfleur is renowned for seafood. I chose lunch from among the fish selections at the pretty outdoor restaurant right on the Vieux Bassin. I couldn’t read all of the French, but knew I wanted something different – not salmon, not tuna. The piece of fish arrived topped with butter and capers and accompanied by potato wedges, pasta, and vegetables. The texture of the white meat was unusual. It looked stringy but tasted delicious, and inside there were bones or cartilage, like thin fingers. Without doubt, I was having a culinary adventure!

Imagine being moored here in your own sailboat!

We couldn’t stop admiring all the tiny details

Let us know which is your favorite, please. We can’t choose just one!

Honoring Samuel de Champlain, who set sail from Honfleur to explore the New World

We were back at the hotel before four and had the place to ourselves for a while. With our busy pace lately, it was a joy to claim one of the outdoor canopy tables, have a drink, and absorb the ambiance of flowers, bird song, and simply being here in France. Up in our room, with the window swung wide, we shared a bottle of pear cider I’d gotten in Honfleur. We’ve done this several evenings. Gotten salads at a local grocery, along with cheese, butter, and a baguette rustique, a whole grain version of the usual.