Bob and Diane come to stay - Honfleur

A week with Bob and Diane - Honfleur September 3rd to 9th.

Honfleur Harbour

2011 was rather a significant birthday year for Diane and over a rather drunken Christmas Dinner in Australia in 2010 it was decided that  we should meet up and celebrate the event.

As Willy and I were going to be somewhere in Northern Europe and Bob and Diane were going to be in the UK we decided to meet up in France.  Adrian was happy to let us use his cottage in Honfleur so the location was set.

Rouen Cathedral

Saturday 3^rd  September - (B&D day). If you have been following this blog you would know that we spent the previous night in Rouen after our marathon trip back from Norway. We left the hotel in  Rouen at about 09.00 but because of the pedestrianisation it took quite a while to actually get out of the Old Town and on the road to Honfleur.

Many of the streets look as if they are pedestrian only but can be used by cars for access. This isn't always obvious and this was probably one of the times when the Satnav was as confused as we were. Anyway eventually made it out of town and were on our way.

Honfleur Harbour

As it was Saturday, the Honfleur weekly market was happening - this is a  weekly farmers market with some great produce especially meats and cheeses. We did some shopping there including the sausage man and then went off to the supermarket - 'E leclerc', has a 'allo 'allo ring about it n'est pas?

We then dropped the shopping off at the cottage and emptied the car after our 4 days on the road from Norway. Then off to the Ferry terminal in Le Havre to pick up birthday girl. The birthday had actually happened at the end of August whilst they were en-route from Australia - still better late then never.

The Ferry was on time but it took ages for the foot passengers to get off, anyway greetings all round and back to the cottage to unpack and settle in.

Honfleur by Night - Thats's a Carousel

We then had this rather 'ab fab' like incident when there was a knock at the door and we were confronted by this very animated lady speaking French. I explained that my French was 'pas bon' but that didn't seem to matter to her  - apparently she was the cleaning lady, I use the term 'cleaning' loosely as she was obviously far too elegant to get into the nitty gritty of actually cleaning anything and certainly not 'Apres les Anglais'.

Apparently the problem was that we had moved in too early so when she came to "clean" we had already moved in and made up the beds etc and then gone to Le Harve to collect B&D. So she thought that the previous visitors hadn't left but were missing from the house.  When we explained that we were the new visitors it got even more problematic as there was no dirty laundry from the previous visitors!  Anyway we assured her that everything was OK and that we would tell Monsieur Adrian about the missing laundry at which point she said 'au revoir' and got back in her car and tootled off never to be seen by us again  - money for old rope if you ask me.

We decided to go into Honfleur to have dinner, unfortunately it was pissing down, never mind had a good meal and back to the cottage to finish of some red wine and an early night - it's Trouville market day tomorrow.

Marché aux Poissons

Sunday 4^th - Early start as we are off to Trouville which has a daily  fish market (marché aux poissons) and twice weekly more general market on Sundays - today and Wednesday. Shopped for ages and bought seafood, chicken and various other bits and pieces. Then a look around Trouville and Deauville and home to Honfleur and a look around the Brocant - bric-a-brac market which happened to be that Sunday in Honfleur.
 Dinner was the wonderful seafood bought at Trouville prepared by Diane and Willy. All washed down with some nice French Wines.

The Bayeux Tapestry

Monday 5^th September  Decided to go to Bayeux (famous for the tapestry) which is about 100Kms from Honfleur.  Looked around the town had some lunch which as always in France was really good and great value.
We then went to the Tapestry exhibition. Very interested and fortunately also in English.

House in Bayeux

The Tapestry itself is quite fascinating which together with a good commentary made the whole thing come alive. It was started in 1067 immediately after the Battle of Hasting and describes, in it's 70 metres, the events leading up to the battle. At the same exhibition is a very interesting section on the Normans in Britain - we are after all in Normandy.

Willy gave this all a miss and wandered around the town which, like most large French cities, has a grand cathedral.

Bayeux Cathedral 

Returned home for wonderful roast chicken which we had purchased at the market in Trouville on Sunday. Diane did the cooking and being as ambidextrous as ever did quite a bit of wine sampling at the same time. Fortunately she managed to complete the chicken before it all got too much. WRK left me asleep on the settee not sure what time I got to bed.

Monet's Garden (look familar?)

Tuesday 6^th September - went to Monet's garden and house at Griveny. Unfortunately we were a bit too late in early September to see it at it's best. However it's still a wonderful place and the Japanese garden is particularly beautiful. The only problem was the number of tourist, for Willy taking photographs it was an absolute nightmare people everywhere. Hope they weren't around when Monet was trying to paint!

The house has been left as it was in Monet's time and worth a visit, there is the most magnificent kitchen plus copies of all his paintings and the usual tourist shop.

B&D Monet's Village

From the house we walked through the village had a coffee at the boarding house that was used by Monet contempraries when they came to visit the master.

Drove back through Rouen which we had previously visited and did another round of the cathedral. Encountered some foul weather on the way back to Honfleur - looks like autumn has come early to France.

Off out tonight to the "ladies restaurant" which Willy and I had previously been to with Adrian on our previsous stay in Honfleur.

The Aisle Bayeux Cathedral

Wednesday 7^th September -Dropped Bob and Diane Honfleur for some shopping on their own. Met up for lunch at the Albatros which is right on the harbour then went next door for moules which were OK, not great.

That night ate at home, Oysters for all except me who had to make do with a tomato salad. We then got Adrian's raclette set out and had raclette, which for the uninitiated is a chesse called raclette which is grilled and then eaten with a variety of accompaniments usually gerkins, potatoes, silverskinned onions and then sprinkled with paprika.

Bathing Huts at Deauville

Thursday 8^th September - Weather still not good, in fact all the time we were in the cottage we didn't manage to eat outside once which was a great pity as the garden is really lovely. In spite of the weather went to Deauville for lunch. William managed to loose the car but not to worry, guess who found it - Moi. Willy seems to have lost his sense of direction, I suspect it's something to do with having either myself or the Satnav to do the navigation.

He doesn't have to think any more.

B&D Deauville Beach
 (nice jacket Diane!)

Hope it comes back as the Satnav belongs to Judith and I have to return it.
Back to the cottage for dinner, chicken bought from a charcutrie in Deauville, melon with ham and a nice tarte poire followed later by a nice cheese plate - brie and the local Pont l'evece.

Friday 9^th September - Bob and Diane's last day. We go down to the harbour for lunch and then drive to Le Havre to catch the Ferry.
Came home and then went into town for a pizza - not particularly good.

Tomorrow the trip continues - Western France, Spain and Portugal.