11th September 2023
This morning we entered the port of Honfleur, in Normandy France. Our initial itinerary had us berthing at Le Havre, also at the mouth of the Seine River, but on the Northern side.
It is an overcast day, but maximum temperatures in the high 20's are expected and some rainfall this afternoon. We are secure at the dock by 7.30am and passengers who planned to take the long bus ride to Paris soon go ashore to meet up with their bus. A 10 to 11 hr excursion had little appeal to us, and we look forward to embarking on a local tour at the civilised time of 9.30am.
A guided walking tour of Honfleurf is included in our package, so we set out in a bus into town which is really only a short distance away.
Honfleur is apparently famous for seafood, salted caramel and hard liquor made from fruit, in particular Calvados Apple Brandy. Also Claude Monet is said to have obtained most of his inspiration for his paintings from Honfleur, something the locals are keen to relate.
The cruise terminal is at the top of the map and the old town of Honfleur encircled in red.
Our bus drops us out the front of the fish market (which we will investigate later)
It seems the fairground atmosphere is following us wherever we go
A short walk takes us to the harbour in the centre of town. On the way we walk along the edge of the outer harbour, where the fishing vessels and river cruise vessels operate from.
A large Seine River Cruise ship in the outer harbour
Fishing vessels in the outer harbour
Walking towards the Old Town
Surrounded by restaurants, touristy shops and some interesting old buildings and museums, the inner harbour is the centre of activity. Lots of small boats are moored around the perimeter of the harbour and access in and out to the sea requires a bridge to open.
The bridge in the background displaying a red light is the only exit to the outer harbour and sea
Our guide takes us through the narrow cobblestone backstreets telling us of Honfleur's maritime heritage. Much of Honfleur is built from timber as with a large fishing population, woodworking skills were widespread. Honfleur boasts the largest wooden church in the World, largely built by Shipwrights.
St Catherines Church built from timber
The Bell Tower, also built from timber, was built to be separate from the church to reduce fire risk
Inside the Church
The small cobbled streets are full of captivating streetscapes and unique buildings.
House clad not only with slate on the roof, but also on the external walls
After a good look around the back streets we found our way back to the harbour, where our guide left us to our own resources for an hour or so, before catching the bus back to the ship. Here are a few shots of the inner harbour area.
It was time for a cup of coffee and we found a patisserie that we could not walk past, purchased some pastries and coffee and sat on the harbour side to enjoy them.
John and I at the harbour side
The usual tourist pursuits were available
On our way back towards the bus we passed the Maritime Museum.
Maritime Museum
Next was the fish market, which was quite close tour bus pick up point. We saw it from the outside on arrival in town, but are keen to see what they sell. It is both a market and a restaurant with some very nice produce.
6 oysters and a glass of wine for 11 Euro is a good deal
Lunch was back on board the ship and it had started to rain as we left the town.
Dinner tonight was at the Chef's Table restaurant for another very pleasant degustation menu with matched wines.
A creative Viking dessert
Tomorrow we will berth at Portsmouth, UK at 5.30 am.
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