Leaving Deauville we drove further east along the coast to Honfleur, another town on the coast. Unlike Deauville it doesn’t ooze money but rather wins you over with its historic port. We had booked a stay at the Hotel L’Ecrin, which was a sprawling estate that included a parking spot in front and a pool.
Hôtel l’Écrin @Honfleur
On the way to the sea I got already enchanted with Honfleur. The houses were old, most of them timber-framed. Despite the grey bustling clouds I fell in love right away with Honfleur.
timber-framed houses in Honfleur @Normandy
But it is the old port with its bridge opening to the sea for which Honfleur is best known. The harbor was full of boats and when I took the picture the bridge had just opened to let a boat in.
old port and open bridge in the back @Honfleur
The whole port area was full of restaurants and coffee shops, one after the other. While it might not be as glamorous as Deauville, it is certainly as popular. The port area emptied out a bit in the evening, so I guess there were a lot of day tourists. We circled the port first and then went in search of a restaurant. Unfortunately most of the recommended places were closed on Tuesday. So we settled on one that looked great in passing and got a reservation.
circling the port @Honfleur
Amazingly Honfleur is home to the oldest and biggest wooden church, St. Catherine. It dates from the 15th century. The clock tower of the church stands separate, right beside it.
St. Catherine church @Honfleur
Clock tower of St. Catherine @Honfleur
Despite the wooden structure candles were lit inside. Overall the church reminded me a lot of a ship and not just because there were all kinds of boats upfront next to the altar.
the altar of St. Catherine church @Honfleur
inside the church St. Catherine @Honfleur
The bustling town of Honfleur is beautiful with all its timber framed houses. The cobbled streets and alleys do much for the overall flair of this place. It’s perfectly enchanting and you cannot escape its magnetism.
more timber-framed houses @Honfleur
The weather was changing from sunshine to rain and back again, all within an afternoon. So some of the pictures show more blue sky than others. Honfleur really had the most amazing timber-framed houses.
timber-framed houses everywhere @Honfleur
a lot of red timbers @Honfleur
But of course the town boasted some other beautiful buildings as well. Like the one below, which has the most amazing oriel window. Although window might be too much, it looks more like a porthole. Yours, Pollybert
passage through a beautiful building @Honfleur
