About to land in Los Angeles on a clear day with Catalina Island visible in the distance
Just a side note – we have now returned safe and sound to Southern California. My normal M.O. is to blog in real-time as we go. This time three factors played heavily in my breaking with this tradition:
- The internet service on our second cruise ship, the SS Catherine was not up to speed, making it painfully difficult to get onto the Internet and next to impossible to upload pictures. I understand from a good source that this problem has been identified and corrected for future sailings.
- I came down with a respiratory infection which zapped my energy.
- I decided to just enjoy the journey, take it all in along with a ton of pictures and promised myself that I would get caught up when I got back home. Each post takes me several hours to do, so it was a nice break to conserve my energy, concentrate on healing, and in this case “take time to smell the lavender”.
I love sharing our adventures, pictures and bits of trivia we learn along the way, but first and foremost this is my travel journal to help me remember this amazing journey called life. There is much to share from our last 10 days in France, so hopefully with no further interruptions…
Thursday, July 23rd (continued) – Honfleur, northern France
Enclosed fishing harbor in Honfleur (did you see the dog on the boat?)
Tim and Joanne in Honfleur
We visited this charming fishing village just a year ago and loved it. Although we hoped at the time to be able to return some day to Honfleur, this treat came much sooner than anticipated. We did not have time to get another bucket of muscles cooked in cream, but still enjoyed a walk through town. There is something to catch your eye around every corner.
The harbor basin is lined with small sidewalk cafes.
Honfleur streets
Bell tower of the Church of Saint Catherine
Down an alley, walking toward the harbor
Peeking through a gate
Fresh seafood of many varieties on offer
Cute shops to browse through
Tinned treats (sorry not my thing, but Tim likes them)
And of course pastries galore
This is one of those cute small villages where you want to pull up a chair at a local sidewalk cafe, order a pint or a glass of wine and indulge in the local fresh seafood. I would definitely recommend adding Honfleur to any travel itinerary that brings you to Northern France.
Another thing France is noted for is of course their many varieties of wine. We were in the Calvados region however where they are famous for their cider brandy production. Our next stop was for an introductory tours of how the famous Calvados cider is made, followed by lunch and some tasting.
“The fruit is harvested and pressed into a juice that is fermented into a dry cider. It is then distilled into eau de vie. After two years of aging in oak casks, it can be sold as calvados. The longer it is aged, the smoother the drink may become. Typically, the maturation goes on for several years.” ~ Wikipedia
Most calvados is made from apples, however pears can also be used.
An explanation of the steps to make Calvados cider
Stored in large oak barrels, similar to the aging process for wine
The last stop of the day was to see the famous cliffs of Étretat. By the time we got here, I was tired and I was left feeling like all we got was a little nibble of what might be a lovely village to spend more time. I give our Uniworld guides and drivers high praise for being able to get us to each location on our itinerary using back country roads to avoid the farmers strike. It would have been nice to have been able to hike to the top of the cliffs for a better view, but sadly that was not possible under our time constraints.
With the cliffs of Etretat behind us
“Étretat is best known for its cliffs, including three natural arches and the pointed “needle”. These cliffs and the associated resort beach attracted artists including Eugène Boudin, Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet” ~ Wikipedia
The town of Etretat
Gratitude Moment: Today I am grateful that our wish to return to Honfleur someday came sooner rather than later. I also greatly appreciate all the extra work and effort that went into getting us past the farmer’s strike and to each destination on our itinerary.
A Note From Abroad 
Wow, another fun adventure..Sorry you have been under the weather.. Welcome home.. Get better soon.. Carl
Sent from my iPhone
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Thanks Carl. I’m definitely on the mend, but this time I was more than ready to be home. When you are not feeling 100% your own bed feels especially wonderful.
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Dear Tim and Joanne: Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with, it’s almost like we were there with you. Welcome home
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Thank you Jerry. It is our pleasure to share it.
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Wonderful photos. Years ago (like 1990?) I was in France visiting my ex-pat sister. She took us to Honfleur where not only did we enjoy the beautiful village and harbor, but we discovered “sauce Normand” at dinner. This delicious sauce is made with pan drippings, onions, cream and Calvados. I have tried to recreate it here at home with very limited success, sadly. The other momentous event that happened there was the free flowing parking meter! I went to refiull it while we did our exploring, and it was like hitting big on a slot machine. Every time I turned the handle, more francs poured out. I looked for an attendant and could find none, so went about jingling with my pockets bulging with franc coins. Happy memories indeed of a beautiful corner of the world. Thanks for sharing your trip and lovely photos, they bring back happy memories to me.
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Oh how yummy that sauce sounds. I can see why you have tried to recreate it! I would love to see the expression on your face while the parking meter spit coins at you. Priceless!
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It probably was pretty funny! I felt guilty about taking them, but didn’t know who to give them to, and feeding them back in did not work. So, we spent lavishly in the shops, giving it all back to the shop owners. 🙂
As for the sauce, I will just have to go back someday for another sample.
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PS – I hope that you not only arrived home safely but are feeling better. I am glad you got to just enjoy the trip, not worry about posting for all of us!
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Much improved thanks.
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Beautiful photos. I’ve never seen such yummy pastries.
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We did have some wonderful pastry in France, especially on board our river cruise.
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Thank you so much for your beautiful and well written blog. I appreciate the time involved to share with us your travel journey. I LOVE the descriptions, and of course the photo’s “say” so much.
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Thank you Brenda. It is time consuming, but it also brings me a great deal of joy sharing our pictures and experiences. I always appreciate your sweet words of encouragement!
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It’s lovely to catch up with your French travels. Thanks for sharing. Glad you are feeling better. It does take the edge off a holiday when feeling unwell. Sometimes it is nice to write after the event, rather than in real time. It’s like reliving the holiday all over again. I have had happy memories of a holiday just checking a credit card statement several weeks later, remembering certain restaurants or specific mini tours. Looking forward to your next post.
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Thank you Ruth. By the way, just wanted you to know that your “motto” on your blog of “Looking forward, looking back, enjoying now” is absolutely perfect!
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I just got back from France a few weeks ago, and spent a day in Honfleur during my trip! It was absolutely beautiful- almost like a fairytale. I’m hoping to make a post about it soon. Thanks for taking me back there with your beautiful photos!
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Wasn’t Honfleur special! I look forward to reading your post.
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