Honfleur: The Old Port

The French port of Honfleur is located on the coast of Normandy where the Seine River flows into the English Channel. Samuel de Champlain set sail from the port to New France (now Canada) and founded the city of Quebec. Centuries later, Honfleur became the "birthplace of Impressionism" when artists like Eugène Boudin and Claude Monet set up their easels outdoors to paint the picturesque town.

The Old Port of Honfleur, France

My evening visit to Honfleur began with a pre-dinner stroll around the Vieux Bassin (Old Port).

Normandy Liquors Calvados and Pommeau, Made from Apples

Samuel de Champlain Memorial

Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) and Carrousel

Historic Houses along the Quay

St. Catherine's Church is a wooden structure with two naves that was erected by shipbuilders in the 15th century. The bell tower was built separately to ease the load on the roof.

St. Catherine's Church

Church Bell Tower

Church Interior

From the church we returned to the other side of the Vieux Bassin for dinner.

Honfleur's Vieux Bassin (Old Port)

Since we were dining on the coast, I decided to try the mussels, a specialty of the region. They didn't really appeal to me. I preferred my main course of rabbit in a lemon sauce, which tasted much like chicken.

Mussels

Rabbit and Potatoes

Next:  The D-Day Landing Beaches of Normandy