We
checked out of the Marriott hotel and went to Hertz to get a
rental car. Despite our reservation, they "gave" our car
away. Luckily, they gave us a better car, although not
large enough for all our luggage. We did manage to make it
fit and headed out in our diesel BMW 530 toward Van Gogh's
residence. From there we headed to Caen. The
following morning, we explored the Farmer's Market and then went
to Honfluer on the coast.
The photos below are what we saw.
Van
Gogh's town.
The restaurant
across the street from where Van Gogh lived at the end of his
life.
Van
Gogh's quarters were in the attic of this building, now a
museum.
The flowers
on the street were in bloom. Note the bee hard at work.
Van
Gogh's room was like this, but next door. No photos were
allowed there and it was OK since the room was totally
bare. This one at least had some furniture in it.
When we
finished at the Van Gogh museum, we allowed the GPS to guide us
across country roads to the Caen area. From one of the
hillsides, we could see the fields used for growing hay to feed
their cattle during the long winters.
The backroads
were narrow and scenic. Note that the edge of the hand-cut
stone buildings are right up against the road.
Our path
took us along the Seine and a narrow tributary that had American
ski boats.
The
harbor at Caen. We checked into the hotel and then headed
out searching for a nice place for dinner. And we found
just what we were looking for in La Napoli restaurant. Talking
with the owner, it turned out that he lived in San Diego, so he
gave us a bottle of Champagne. Cool.
Next
morning we slept in and the went exploring the Farmer's Market
that was setup right outside the door of the hotel.
These
frying potatoes (aka pomme de ter) were so fragrant.
Sadly, we just finished breakfast.
The
roasted chickens looked excellent.
Farm
fresh eggs, sold individually or by the dozen.
Something
a little different: Venus Flytrap flowers for bug control.
The
French are very particular about food. Notice that there
are seven (7) varieties of potatoes being sold here. And
at least as many kind of garlic were available. The fresh
fish selection was off the chart, but not being able to cook
rendered that undoable.
When we
finished at the Farmer's Market, we loaded into the car and
headed to Honfluer on the coast. Honfluer has a nice
harbor and has been a seagoing town for many hundreds of
years. Today it is a tourist town attracting not only 4
wayward Americans but a large number of Parisians on Sunday. Above, Kathleen
poses by one of the old anchors used as monuments.
L'Absinthe
Hotel had my attention, but we already had a place for the
night.
The
French children loved the merry-go-round.
Honfluer
is not far from the D-Day beaches at Normandy. These
fellows were here to entertain tourists in their WWII regalia.
The
inner harbor at Honfluer.
This
structure served various purposes over the years and had been
repeatedly expanded resulting in a pleasing old world haphazard
look. The structure was stone and brick.
Space
was limited, so houses and shops were crammed against each other
and 4-6 stories high. Not all walls turned out vertical.
The
Ferris wheel is a nice contrast to the storm clouds that finally
rained on us while we ate.
The
clouds provided a dramatic effect on the Honfluer harbor waters.
Another
large anchor used as a monument to those lost at sea.
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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2013,
all rights reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.