We spent most of May 14th in Honfleur, which is a lovely town located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine, across from Le Havre. Honfleur was occupied by the English at various times in the 14th and 15th centuries and when occupied by the French, raiding parties often left from Honfluer to pillage towns on the coast of England. After the D-Day landings, Honfluer was liberated by the British and Canadian armies without any combat. We went to the Eugene-Boudin Museum, where we viewed various Boudin and Monet paintings (both of whom were inspired by the beauty of Honfleur), as well as religious sculptures. We then spent a few hours walking around Honfleur, visiting various historic sites and shops. One of the places we visited was Saint Catherine Church, which is one of the largest wooden churches in France. The first nave is the oldest part of the church, constructed right after the Hundred Years War and additions were made in the 15th and 16th centuries. The bell tower was then built a distance away, so that the church would not catch fire in case of a lightning strike. The church is partially covered in essentes, or chestnut shingles. When we were in Honfleur, there was actually a First Communion taking place in the church.
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