Grandmere,
If you can manage the time in Honfleur, I'd suggest a visit to the Maisons Erik Satie, a fascinating and unique "museum" which was established to rescue this composer/artist's birthplace. I can guarantee an experience unlike any you've had before, looking at the installations and listening to the music played throughout.
http://www.ville-honfleur.fr/Culture...sonsSatie.html

And by the way, I loved our dinner at L'Absinthe. Honfleur is charming, and I was most impressed to find art galleries that actually show art, as opposed to tourist shlock, even in the center of town.

I confess we haven't visited the Satie museum yet, though we go right by it every time we're in town. But you'll surely like it if you like his music. I believe you proceed from room to room with headphones on.

You're absolutely right about the Absinthe restaurant. It's an excellent place to dine and on our short list. So is the Ancrage, at the front of the Old Harbor, it's much more informal than the Absinthe, but has fine food, including the "Menu Marche," and the the staff there is very, very friendly. If there are scallops with beurre Nantaise on the Ancrage menu, grab them!

Such rich and wonderful information that you are all providing! Malheureusement, we will be in Honfleur on a Tuesday, and I see that Au P'tit Mayereur is closed MOn. and Tues. I hope that they are open for lunch on Wed.; I will call them when the time draws nearer. Or maybe worth a trip back from Bayeux some night? Or dinner at L'Absinthe and lunch at Au P M, and a crepe at the Ciderie before we leave town?!

Satie museum sounds like something I'd like to do. Also I appreciate the atelier recommendations. I would love to purchase a not-too-expensive piece of art to take home.

Your (collective) enthusiasm for this town is having a "synergistic" effect; I can't wait to go there!

grandmere, near the Boudin museum is a small art gallery, don't remember the name. There should be a standing sculptur outside. I'm an avid fan of the late César and the couple the LesLannes. Both were represented there to my pleasant surprise and was thrilled when the lady there placed one of claude Leslannes small piece of art in my hand, a bronze waterlilly with fingers . Sounds weird but it's not.
It cost $5000.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...250319-9558329

Mimi, I'm unable to get that site, but I'll try again later. I'd like to see this piece, but it sounds a bit "cher" for what I can afford!

I stand corrected by myself. To view samples of the work of contemporary Honfleur and vicinity artists, you need to click on the artists' names in the MIDDLE of the Web site page at http://www.comhonfleur.com/ateliers_artistes.htm

I figured that out, Dave; no problem. I enjoyed looking at the site and look forward to being there in person!

This is such a great thread that I hate to start a new one but has anyone Heard of Les Maisons de Lea on Place Ste Catherine in Honfleur? It is listed in an Alastair Sawday's Special Places to Stay book. Thanks.

Well, should have googled it first:

http://www.lesmaisonsdelea.com/GB_lesmaisonsdelea.asp

It is reasonable but doesn't look like they have a triple room so we would need 2 rooms. That makes it over budget.

Ronda, I don't know if Bayeux is on your itinerary, but the Hotel d'Argouges there has a triple; the couple traveling with us got it b/c there weren't any more doubles available for our stay in May.

Thanks grandmere. I will check it out.

Les Maisons de Leah is the recently redone Hotel Le Chat. Great location! Dead center of the historic district. We have not stayed there since the redo by it looks good from a walk-by. In Le Chat, the rooms were quite small. Did they change this? Don't know. My only other reservation would concern a Friday night stay, since there is a fabulous Saturday market in Honfleur, and the trucks do roll into Place St. Catherine at 6 or 7 in the morning.

Hello Grandmere:

If you have an opportunity, check out the mussels in cream at Saint Etienne, a small restaurant on the walkway bordering the harbor.

driving to honflrur by way of etretat would make for a rather long day, especially if you want to walk out to the cliffs. we considered it in sept. but concluded that le havre was as far as we could reasonably manage on our routre from rouen to honfleur.

Driving to honfleur by way of etretat would make for rather a long day, especially if you want to walk out to the cliffs. We considered etretat in sept. but concluded that le havre was the best we could manage in order to have sufficient time in honfleur.

back to the disappearing post that magically reappears after i do another...

Grandmere, we stayed at the Hotel de la Tour and really liked it. It was modern, meaning it had an elevator (something we look for); it was right on a public parking square (parking not a problem at all); the breakfast was good (meaning I think hardboiled eggs, some protein to see you through the day). We paid 290 FF in 2001.

Here's a quote from my journal: We were delighted to discover that there was free parking across the street from Hotel de la Tour in the public parking lot. ... Honfleur is sort of a French Disneyland or Laguna Beach. Full of kitsch. Chock-a-block people and precious restaurants.

We had dinner near the hotel at the Cafe de l'Hotel de Ville, warm, informal, meals only OK, but the charlotte au chocolat was sumptuous. ... Had a great little breakfast in the hotel--finally good coffee and croissants! ... Lunched at Bisquine on the old harbor (soup and omelets). A really nice place, and Bob, the big Lab, is friendly. (We also had had tea there the day before.)

Just so you know, my priorities are practical rather than folklorique.

By the way--I loved the Satie museum! And the Boudin.

We have reservations at the Giaglis' B and B, at Dave in Paris' recommendation. Thanks for your recommendation, also, LVSue.

Yes, Underhill, I fear you are correct about driving from Les Andelys to Honfleur via Etretat. Any recommendations as to what to stop and see if we take a more direct route? I don't necessarily want to stop in Rouen, since I have been there before. I'd prefer some quaint little villages; Lyons-la-Foret is near, but it is northeast, right? Do you know if there's anywhere around there that produces typical hand painted Norman faience?