Honfleur, Etretat and Giverny, France - 11-13 April 2009

Above left: Honfleur Town Center; Above right: The old harbor at Honfleur

Two hours drive northwest of Paris was the beautiful port town of Honfleur located in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France. My imagination was jump-started when I saw the medieval town-homes and old harbor as our car drove into the compact town center. The town managed to retain her old medieval charm without the feel of having "sold out". Still, with the long Easter weekend in place, the narrow streets were crowded with cars and weekend-ers from other cities.

Above right: In addition to these (seen) local delights, I also sampled mussels with fries and the apple brandy, Calvados - an aperitif or digestif alcoholic drink that instantly warmed my body from the cold

Above left: Notre Dame de Grace chapel (1615) on the hill Cote de Grace in Honfleur

Above left: Honfleur with the Pont de Normandie bridge in the background

Above right: Honfleur's old harbor at night

Less than an hour's drive north of Honfleur was the small coastal town of Etretat, famous for her stunning cliffs and three natural arches. I was impressed by the long and modern Pont de Normandie bridge that we crossed (over the Seine river) on our way to Etretat.

Above left: The Pont de Normandie bridge; Above right: A serene backyard of a home in Etretat

Above left: Etretat's natural beauty was also the inspiration of famous painters like Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet


Above: The White Bird monument in Etretat

Above right: The pebble beach of Etretat

Above left: The sandy beach stretch of Etretat; Above right: A house-boat :)

On our return to Paris, we detoured to Giverny to see Monet's hometown. Alas, we arrived too late to see his home and garden in a proper tour but still managed a few glimpses of them from the outside. The surrounding gardens of the American Art Museum were serenely beautiful to the senses all the same. :-)

Above right: Giverny blooms in Monet's Garden