Irresistible france
 

BACKGROUND:

As the fall colors of 2018 were fading in our Midwest area, we began our discussions of what has come to be our annual European trip. Even though we’ve visited France a few times, we have never been to Normandy. Tom, especially, expressed an interest in visiting the D-Day beaches. We considered whether we might encounter larger than normal crowds, since it was the 75th Anniversary, but decided to take the chance. While we would be on the coast of Normandy, Margie was eager to explore the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey. And, of course, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend a few days in our favorite city, Paris.

We considered different options for travel to the Normandy coast, and, in the end, decided to join a tour for a week-long excursion. Cost and convenience, plus having knowledgeable guides, were factors we considered.

This trip would be one of contrasts: land and seashore, city and countryside, flat lands and heights, beauty and sadness, perfect weather and rainy days.

Between the time of locking in our plans, using our FF miles to help defer the cost, booking our hotel in Paris and the one-week tour of Normandy and the Loire Valley, a favorite cousin of ours was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His gradual decline cast a cloud over our travel plans.



Wednesday, Thursday: September 18, 19, 2019:

Travel Day/Arrival in Paris

We awoke to a beautiful, but hot, 90+ degree sunny day. In addition to the normal pressures of travel preparation, we had concerns about keeping our landscaping watered. Thankfully, a neighbor would give us an assist.

We left with heavy hearts as our cousin was admitted to Hospice Care. Our last visit with him had to be cancelled. And we knew that his days were numbered. We feared that he would pass away while we were traveling.

Our Executive Shuttle driver was early, so we arrived at CVG well-ahead of the now required 3-hour check-in before our Delta departure time. Soon we would be on our non-stop flight to Paris where our plan was to spend a few days on our own, then join a tour to Normandy, Mont St. Michel, and the Loire Valley, where we again would have a few days in Paris on our own.

Having gone through security, where being pulled aside for a search has become a new normal for Margie and not unusual for Tom, we identified our Delta Gate B5 and had ample time to enjoy a coffee and McD’s sandwich. The boarding began early, and we got situated in our seats 28 F and G for the almost ten-hour trek from CVG to CDG. A weather situation along the regular flight path caused a re-routing, lengthening the flight time..

As usual these days, when traveling in Economy, the seats are tight, with scarce room to place reading material or other items, store water or food etc. Our seats were comfortable enough, but narrow, and only allowed for a straight-up seating position. There was little leg room, and it became a problem, especially at mealtime, when the person in front had his seat in reclining mode. We caught a few intermittent segments of restless sleep amid so many people and distractions. But the flight inconvenience is the price of European travel!

The next day blurred into the previous one as France is 6 hours ahead of USA time. The arrival time was around 8 AM, but the walk and waiting time to have the “Border Police” at Immigration stamp the passports took another hour. USA citizens are directed to a specific line and then the cattle lines continue for many meters. The baggage area search begins with more walking; and more standing. At 9 AM Paris time, we were ready to search for the “Sortie/Exit” out of the airport security zone and blend into the line of waiting people for the “official authorized taxi service”.

The taxi que moved quickly. Our 55€ taxi ride took another hour. Our driver Yamasee is originally from Haiti and lives in the Fontaine Bleu area, near Napoleon’s palace. Fontainebleau, a competitor to Versailles, is about an hour from Paris; 38 miles. Since the driver spoke English, he provided some interesting information during our trip. Reaching the outskirts of the city, we drove past homeless people living under a bridge and on the sides of the freeway. We had a short discussion about the plight of the homeless.

Arriving at 10:00 AM, we knew that we were early to check into the Le Regent Hotel, where we had stayed on a few past trips. We were able to store our bags and use the lower level restroom before taking off toward Boulevard St. Germain. The street is lined with bistros and cafes, and we settled at Le Neo Café where Tom had a croque madame and Margie an omelette, plus a beer and wine. (33€). We were both feeling draggy, normal for us the day of arrival!

We headed back to Le Regent and, indeed, our nice room was ready on the 3rd floor (#31). Following a slight pause, we went were off again. This time we headed up Rue Dauphine to the Seine River, our usual first-day activity. We were preparing ourselves for the sight of Notre Dame, extensively damaged in the recent fire.
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Walking along the Seine, the damage to Notre Dame Cathedral becomes visible. Very sad!!!
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From the front, the extent of the damage is not immediately noticeable.

The weather was delightful, a perfect day for enjoying all stalls of vendors set up along the Seine walkway, displaying a variety of classic books, posters and postcards. On past visits, we witnessed artists selling their paintings and have, in fact, purchased one which hangs in our front hallway.

Walking down the Quai de Montebello directly across the river from the Notre Dame Cathedral, the extensive destruction was evident. We hung out along the wall near the river, taking in much of the side of the Cathedral. It was painful to witness that so much was burned! But we did have a hint of relief and hope that, with time and funds, there was enough preserved to be rebuilt. But it would be an arduous and prolonged project!

We paused at the nearby corner Soleil D’or Café for 2 scoops, or boules, of the famous Bertillon ice cream…delicious! Margie said that the chocolate ranks up there with the best she had ever had. (18€).

Finally, we checked out the boat rides on the Seine, which we enjoy on each trip to Paris, but opted to save that for a later time. Instead, we made one final stop across the street from Notre Dame, Le Notre Dame Café, where we have often stopped in the past. Cappuccinos and a shared crepe fit our needs. (16.50€).

We had a nice discussion with an Iranian lady living in Vancouver. She had left Iran, given the unrest, fifteen years ago. She visits with her family in Turkey because she and her family do not feel comfortable in Iran. We always find it interesting to interact with people from different countries to expand our world view. We learn that all peoples seem to have the same values, hopes and dreams as we do. It makes us grateful for what we have.

At that point, jet lag was still catching up! Margie fell asleep at the table several times, to Tom’s amusement. As we were leaving, our waitress told us that Madonna and Johnny Depp donated 400,000€ for restoring Notre Dame.

In planning for this time in Paris, we had decided to experience some things which we had never done. From the Saint-Michel area, we dragged up the gradual grade of Rue St. Andres des Art to our hotel on Rue Dauphine. We requested whether Sandrine, the desk hostess, whom we had gotten to know, could book us a reservation for lunch the following day at the Restaurant Maison Fournaise at 12:30, with a taxi pick-up at 11:45, as it would be at least a half-hour drive.

Maison Fournaise is a restaurant along the Seine, outside of Paris proper, in the small town of Chatou. This restaurant is famous because of its history as a stopping point by Renoir and other Impressionist painters as they enjoyed time along the Seine. In fact, we’ve had a print of Renoir’s “Boating Party” painting in this setting hanging in our home.

Once reservations were locked in for 12:30 PM, Margie snuck in a few winks while Tom recorded some notes. Then we were off to dinner at L’Atlas Restaurant, located on a nearby side street. The atmosphere of the street was enlivened with street musicians. Fortunately, we had no wait for an outside table, and were quickly enjoying our Bordeaux wine and a draft beer. Each of us chose an entrée of “Fondant de boeuf” (81€). It was good that we had gotten there a bit early, because it became busy after 7 and even busier at 9 PM. The meal was great. . .wonderful, tender beef! Outdoor heaters took off the evening chill, and we were quite comfortable.

After that delightful meal, we returned to the hotel, anticipating a good sleep to recoup from our usual first day “jet lag”. We had re-introduced ourselves to a few familiar places, and had begun to deal with the sight of damaged Notre Dame which we would pass a number of times during our stay in Paris. By 11 PM we were in bed, with the alarm set for 7 AM, eager for our visit to Maison Fournaise.

More soon please!

Thanks for the encouraging comment, TDudette! I'm a bit inept at using the Fodor's site for posting, and have errors which I can't figure out how to edit, like the lower case on France in my TR title. But I will continue to forge on.

Yes, keep on!

Wonderful start, Tom!
Jealous of a 10 hour flight, though ;)

Friday, September 20, 2019

Maison Fournaise; Musee’ D’Orsay

7 AM came too fast! So, we ignored that alarm and slept in until 8:30. Wow! We showered and went down to breakfast at 10:45 AM, enjoying fresh French croissants, which are the best, and cappuccinos. Soon after returning to our room, we received a phone call from Angelique at the desk that the taxi pick-up was waiting at the front door.

We were off in heavy Paris traffic for a “sightseeing” ride to the northeast toward the Chatou area. The Chinese taxi driver knew no English, but he did point to the map wanting to make sure that we knew where the area was; that it was a longer journey. It proved to be an interesting trip through areas where we had never been. Paris does a masterful job of lining so many of its streets with trees and has many flowers displayed. A very pleasant ride! Chatou was a lovely residential area. Upon arrival at the restaurant, the driver wouldn’t accept a credit card, so we paid cash.

We walked down the gravel path with a peaceful stretch of the Seine on our left. There was a large, framed print of Renoir's "Boating Party" displayed along the path. As we entered the Maison Fournaise house on the ground floor, learning that there was a small museum dedicated to Renoir in one section, we were immediately led to the second floor balcony where it was an interesting feeling to be sitting in the same location as these famous Impressionists.

Restaurant Fournaise was a great experience! We enjoyed a Seine River view as we sat on the edge table with an unobstructed view of both sides of the River. There was a slight breeze with the warm sun. Price Fixe meal was 38,50€.

We began with a refreshing glass of rose’. Our waiter did not know one word of English. He did summon another waiter who had a very limited knowledge, and with our basic knowledge of French, we felt comfortable choosing our three items which were part of their Prix Fixe lunch. Our choices included two different entrees of fish, potato sides, and wonderful chocolate/strawberry cake desserts with cappuccinos. We took our time, enjoying our delicious food with the pleasant view on that perfect weather day.

Before leaving, one of the waiters snapped a photo of us in front of the “Boating Party” painting in the restaurant entry.

We strolled the grounds a bit and, because of time constraints, decided not to visit their small museum. Our goal was to visit the Musee’ d’Orsay to view their phenomenal Impressionist collection, mostly wanting to view works of Renoir and Monet. We asked a restaurant employee to call for a taxi…no easy task, even for the person knowing French. We did eventually connect with the driver who arrived in a new Mercedes. At 3:30, the traffic was considerably less than the morning drive in the Paris rush hour.

We asked the driver to take us to the Musee’ d’Orsay. It was only two hours until closing, which was about our limit for museum visits. We visited the Impressionists’ paintings on the 5th floor. We especially enjoyed the Renoir works, after having just had lunch at the Maison Fournaise.

Having visited the Musee’ d’Orsay several times in the past, we enjoyed re-visiting the impressive first floor hall with its outstanding sculptures and paintings. We had a chance meeting with a couple from Lacrosse, Wisconsin with whom we discussed travel and a little football.

As we exited the Musee’ d’Orsay, we spotted a nearby café and decided to relax with a beer and wine. We sat next to a couple who live just outside of Paris in Montreuil. They knew a little English and we knew a little French, so we could enjoy some conversation. They thought that Macron was OK, and we all agreed that Trump was becoming more and more unpopular the world over.

Told by our waiter of a taxi stand 50 meters from the café, we headed in that direction. We found it, but it was more like a half-mile. However, no taxis were stopping there. We walked up to the corner of Boulevard St. Germain, thinking that on that busy street we would easily find a taxi. So, we walked and walked, nearly a mile. But no luck! As we passed the interesting stores along the boulevard, we made use of a couple of benches along the way. Finally, we arrived nearer to St. Germain des Pres Eglise’, the hub of activity. Being a beautiful Saturday evening, restaurants were buzzing.

Hoping to have dinner around this area, we stopped at the storied Café Flore’. There was very limited seating, but Margie could, at least, use the restroom. We walked another half-block to Les Deux Magots, expecting to find a pleasant meal. But it, too, was extremely crowded and seemed short-staffed. We then spotted Le Bonaparte Bistro, brightly lit, on a side street by St. Germain des Pres Church. We got immediate service and had wine with Margie’s cannelloni and Tom’s croque madame; and capped off the evening with two cappuccinos..

We finished our walk back to Le Regent Hotel via Rue de Seine, a lively, convenient short-cut, with lots of interesting restaurants lining the street. By 10 PM, we were back in our room, physically and psychologically spent, but, overall happy with our day’s experiences. At 11 PM, Tom finished our notes of the day's activities while Margie packed and readied our luggage for the following move day to meet up with the tour group.

With a continuation of the beautiful weather predicted, we planned on our traditional boat ride along the Seine.
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Interior of Maison Fournaise patio restaurant
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Path along the Seine leading to the restaurant.
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Musee' d'Orsay: one of many paintings by Renoir
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Lunch along the Seine; Maison Fournaise a favorite of some of the Impressionists, especially Renoir.

Nice report and photos. Looking forward to more.

To us, Sept. is the best time to be in Paris. I’ve always wanted to go to Maison Fournaise but just haven’t
been there yet. Loved your photos, just makes it higher on my “go to” list. The weather looks lovely.

Keep it coming.....love all the details of your TR.

John 183, TPAYT,& Lrice, thanks for coming along and for your encouraging comments.

Adelaidean, each time we travel I think of you Aussies and your long travel hours, and am almost embarrassed to mention our paltry 10 hours.
Also, we've thought of you so much in recent weeks with all the fires. Has your area, or an area where your family lives, been directly affected? I pray not.I know Australia has a lot of territory, and I'm not sure of all the areas. I think we were mostly in New South Wales and Queensland. Lots of thoughts are sent your way! Many US charities are collecting to help out, but I know there is so much devastation! Everyone feels so ill-equipped to help. I hope memories of your beautiful travels, especially to Switzerland, provide somewhat of an escape from the terrible destruction going on in your country.

Love Cafe De Flore and Les deux Magots but Cafe Bonaparte has been a welcoming beacon for us as well. I am anxious to go to Maison Fournaise someday— it looks gorgeous!

lrice, we're not foodies. We kind of like our style of returning to our hotel to freshen up before dinner and finding one of the many restaurants nearby. We always seem to find something appealing on the menu. Maison Fournaise is special! It's an experience!

I have been visiting the Maison de Fournaise on almost every Paris trip for 30+ years, though not in the past 5. I love that place and love taking people there to experience it. The food is just OK, but the setting is incomparable.

tomarkot, I suppose you know it's easily accessible by public transportation, but maybe the strikes made that impossible. Glad you found it, though!

St Cirq, thanks for reading. Glad our assessment of Maison Fournaise is simpatico with yours. You're certainly well-traveled in France, as well as other European areas. We're in the beginning stages of planning a fall trip to Milan and the Italian Lakes. We think you've been there and we'll be alert to any experiences you've posted of that area.

Lovely TR and photos, tomarkot!

Thanks, TDudette! I'm encouraged to push on with additional posts.

I’m enjoying your TR and photos, too! The weather looks delightful! Looking forward to reading more and seeing more of your pix!

Saturday, September 21, 2019

AM Boat Trip on Seine; PM Transfer to Tour Hotel

We awakened spontaneously at 8:15 as we were getting adjusted to Paris time. Shower and breakfast went easily enough. It is a short walk to the Seine from Le Regent. Being another idyllic weather day, we decided on the 11:45 boat ride with Vendettes de Paris which takes off below the Pont Neuf Bridge, an almost daily walk from our hotel.

To reach this boat launch, there were quite a few steps to descend and ascend again later. 12€ each given the 2€ discount given us by Le Regent Hotel. The ride was an hour, with a tour guide speaking in French and English. Lots of sunshine and photos of many emblematic monuments and bridges in Paris…a relaxing experience on a picture-perfect day! We find it enjoyable to view all the sights of the city from the boat. However, seeing the destruction of Notre Dame injected a twinge of sadness into the experience.

We took advantage of the perfect weather to enjoy the boat cruise, unsure of what weather we might encounter the following week when we returned to Paris after our Normandy tour.

Following that little cruise, we enjoyed a half-hour in the small garden located at the end of the Ile de la Cite: flowers and lots of picnickers eating lunch on this gorgeous day. Even swans were looking for a handout. Whenever we visit Paris and stay on the Il de la Cite’, it amazes us to realize that we’re staying in the original medieval city.

It was now noon and time for lunch. We found an attractive, recently remodeled,Italian restaurant, Pizza Marinara, on Rue Dauphine. Both of us had a refreshing glass of rose’. Margie ordered ravioli ricotta spinach, while Tom had linguine Piemonte with mushrooms. Very clean interior, tasty food, and nicely managed.

A pharmacy and Le Regent are almost directly across the street from the Pizza Marinara. We picked up some cold meds at the pharmacy not knowing what chances we might have while in small towns on the tour. We then returned to Le Regent to check out, gather our luggage, and finally have Angelique order a taxi for us. As we prepared to leave, we were happy that we would have four extra days in Paris following the tour.

It was a challenge to arrange a taxi as this was the 45th weekend that the gilets jaunes or “yellow jackets”, so called because the protesters wear those yellow vests, were scheduled to protest and cause major traffic snarls. Initially, the thousands of yellow jackets who came to Paris from all over France were protesting the high gas prices. In general, we were told, that they had the support of the citizens. But, as the weeks dragged on, not only was the Paris traffic clogged, but property destruction occurred causing the closing of many major streets. Many people were, at this point, totally frustrated with the fact that the complaints had widened to a myriad of causes. Public support had waned. The protests, involving the closure of many streets, made it harder for businesses and taxis to do their work. There has been dwindling support; even anger, at the “yellow jackets.”

Our taxi ride led us through a maze of streets which eventually got us to the incorrect Marriott Hotel. We got in line to register before realizing that this was the hotel we would stay in at the end of our tour. We had given the taxi driver the wrong Marriott address! So, we were off in another taxi for a long ride to the Marriott Le Meridien Hotel. We had certainly seen a lot of unfamiliar streets of Paris! Once checking in to the hotel, we needed to find our room and get ready to meet at 5:45 PM to join the group for our introductory meal.

We met our Irish tour director, Matt, and learned that we would have a total of 36 people in our tour group. The initial meal of the tour was a short walk to Le Sud Restaurant in the building next to the Marriott. The meal began with wine. The meal of a salad, chicken and mashed potatoes was OK…nothing great. But we had a nice three-couple table consisting of Cynthia and Daniel from Vancouver, Canada; Peter and Gail from Sydney, Australia, and ourselves. This group would quickly become our buddies and we would have several more nice encounters with them throughout the week.

We were in our room 1101 by 8:15 PM. The room was a quite a walk along those long hallways. Why do we so often get the room which seems farthest away???

In the morning, after enjoying a full breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we would off for a visit to Rouen, a lunch stop in Honfleur, with the destination of Deauville for the evening.



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Perfect day for a Seine cruise
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Passing under Pont Alexandre
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Scaffolding around Notre Dame Cathedral
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A delightful park so close and yet so far from the activity of the city

"We had given the taxi driver the wrong Marriott address!"

(: Been looking forward to your trip recap. Always makes for a better trip report when you make a mistake like that (trust me). I'd never heard of Maison Fournaise. On my list now! Can hardly wait for more.

Maitaitom, glad to have you on board. We agree that faux pas in travels often make for better stories.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Off to Normandy: Stops in Rouen & Honfleur

Up early to be dressed and have luggage in the hallway, as well to have breakfast at 7:30 AM. The coach was off promptly at 8:30.

Rouen, the city where Joan of Arc in 1431 was burned at the stake as a heretic, was our first stop. Rouen is pedestrian-friendly, with most of its main sights easily visited within a couple of hours.

Strolling through the quaint old streets of Rouen, in Upper Normandy, feels like a walk back in time, from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The city has more than fifty religious buildings, with many of its churches being gems of Gothic architecture. Winding through the medieval lanes, with half-timbered homes, we passed several of the city’s highlights.

In the heart of the old town, the Cathedral Notre-Dame is one of the largest and most impressive Gothic cathedrals in France and boasts France’s highest spire. The main structure was built in the 13th century, but the building was not completed until the 16th century. The elaborate façade inspired the Impressionist painter Claude Monet’s famous painting series. He painted the cathedral’s central doorway at different times of day to capture the effects of various lighting and weather. The original paintings are displayed in the Musee’ Orsay in Paris.

As we proceeded through the city, we came upon the Tour du Gros-Horloge or Big Clock Tower. This impressive clock from about 1528 and decorates the former City Hall. Originally, the clock had only an hour hand, but no minute hand. Apparently, in the 16th century, that offered enough precision! As life became “faster-paced”, minute hands became necessary. A silver orb above the clock makes one revolution in twenty-nine days. In this seaport town of Rouen, the cycle of the moon let people know the tides, of great practical value to them.

There is a climb of about one hundred steps which leads to an area offering an audio guide, explaining the life in Rouen when the tower was built, and a panoramic view of the city and its cathedral. But during this short visit no one took this opportunity.

Next, we arrived at another high point of interest to us, the church dedicated to St. Joan of Arc. It is a surprisingly modern church which allows visitors to appreciate the invincible spirit of Joan of Arc, who spent the last days of her life in Rouen.

France had accused Joan of rallying the troops during the 100 years’ war with England. The modern church was constructed at the Place du Vieux Marche’ on the site where Joan was burned at the stake in the center of the square. It wasn’t until 1920 that she was canonized. A cross in a garden near the church entrance marks the exact site of her execution.

Designed to commemorate the invincible spirit and actions of the saint, the church was given a radical design. The shape of the roof represents the flames of the stake. Inside the church are the spectacular Renaissance stained-glass windows that were rescued from the former Church of Saint-Vincent before it was destroyed in WWII. The church is liturgically well-done, probably because it wasn’t completed until 1979. It provides an inspiring place for worship.

Following our visit to the impressive interior, rain was threatening and our time to leave the city was nearing. We found a nice outdoor café, the Etienne Coffee Shop, for cappuccinos and croissants, making sure that we sat under an umbrella. We were in Rouen until noon, probably 2 hours, happy that the rain had held off, allowing us to walk through the city.

The seaside town of Honfleur was the next stop. Honfleur is a delightful small town along the Seine near its meeting with the English Channel. It was the harbor from which Samuel de Champlain set sail to North America in 1603 to eventually found Quebec City “New France” in 1608. Many consider it the prettiest port in France. We, especially Margie, were eagerly awaiting a visit to its port, with many boats docked in its harbor, and surrounded with shops and delightful restaurants.

The clear light of this charming town has long drawn artists and is considered the birthplace of Impressionism. It was the birthplace of the painter Eugene Boudin, who lived and painted here. Monet, at the young age of 18, was also drawn to Honfleur and was greatly influenced by Boudin. The beautiful location of Honfleur attracted other Impressionist painters such as Cezanne, Sisley, and Pissarro.

Fortunately, Honfleur had escaped the bombing of WWII. However, unfortunately for us on our visit, the weather was not cooperating. The heavy overcast and intermittent rain curtailed our walk along the waterfront and through the town.

We were in Honfleur only long enough for a cursory exploration and for lunch. We did walk a few of the streets, with umbrella in hand, and settled for lunch at Le Bistro Du Port, overlooking the harbor. A delightful find! Tom enjoyed his hundreds of their famous moules mariniere with cider and crème, along with the best French fries ever, while Margie’s chose a meal of sea bass with mashed potatoes. The rose’ wine was a good choice (46.60€). The ambience and experience were just what we needed on this dreary day.

Following lunch, we had time for a hurried walk to view St. Catherine’s Church and the village that is across the harbor. A nice city of 7000, mostly well-to-do folks, and three million visitors per year.

As we left Honfleur, our feeling was: we must return!

Just after 4 PM, after a 45-minute drive, we pulled into the long, twisting driveway of Hotel du Golf in Trouville, a 45-minute walk from Deauville. The facility was attractive, but there were few guests, since the resort which was in its “off-season”.

Many people in our group paid for an evening visit to the town of Deauville. We chose to relax in the atmosphere of the resort's nice screened-in patio, saving our energy for the following day when we would visit the D-Day beaches. There were only two restaurants which both opened at 7PM, satisfactory for us.

The overcast had lifted, and we enjoyed wine and beer on the comfortable patio which overlooked the golf course and the Bay of Trouville in the distance. After an hour of relaxation, we transitioned to the Green Bar for dinner. Margie ordered lasagnes vegetariennes while Tom had penne bolognaise, with two cappuccinos.

We were happy to return to our room by 10 PM. Tomorrow would be a full day of visiting the D-Day beaches of Normandy.



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Azaleas and many other flower varieties in bloom throughout Normandy.
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The Gros-Horloge or Big Clock Tower in Rouen
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The modern interior of the church dedicated to St. Jeanne d'Arc.
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A small sampling of the many stained-glass windows which brought brilliant light into the Church of St. Jeanne d'Arc.
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The Place du Vieux Marche' in central Rouen.
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St. Jeanne d'Arc, heroine of Rouen.
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Tom decided that being a harbor hand was not for him!
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Le Bistro Du Port drew us in.
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By the harbor, quiet today.
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What to do when it's drizzling? Have a nice meal, of course.
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Harbor of Honfleur
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Not many carousel riders on this inclement weather day
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Hotel du Golf Resort: nice facility in its "off season"
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View from Hotel du Golf patio to the Bay of Trouville