We’d been looking forward to breakfast in the garden since it had been suggested yesterday evening.  It started off wonderfully, with typically delicious fresh croissants, baguette, fruit and chocolate brownies.  Unfortunately, 10 minutes in, the heavens opened and there was a mad dash to rush everything inside!  This was hardly a chore though, as the shuttered dining room, with views of the garden, was just as lovely.

After a lazy morning in our hotel room (I think being on holiday had finally hit us and it was nice to avoid the rain – it was beautiful by the time we left!), we pottered back into Honfleur, this time via Tourist Information to pick up a local map.  Tom had been desperate to buy some fresh seafood on the harbour, but had been distracted yesterday by the boat trip on offer, so we headed there first, only to find that all the stalls had shut for lunch!

Instead we visited the Boudin Museum, which contained a really interesting collection of paintings, drawings and random artefacts.  Boudin was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement and it was fascinating to see how his quite precise early style softened throughout his working life.  The views from the upper levels of the museum were also well worth the 7 euros entry fee!

After a break in a cider bar (where Tom drank delicious local cider out of a bowl!), we set off up the slightly daunting hill towards the Chapelle De La Grace, with more stunning views promised.  The walk up the tree lined road was actually not that tough, and the panoramic views across the Seine estuary from the top were definitely worth getting a little bit out of puff for! The chapel was also very pretty.  We chose a different route back down, which offered more amazing scenery, this time looking out over Honfleur.  A friendly English bloke stopped to take our photo and to chat.  He had an apartment up near the chapel (which he rented out) and travelled over from Chichester once a week to clean, as they’d struggled to find a good local cleaner!!  It seemed a little extreme to us and goodness knows how much he had to charge in rent for the place to subsidise his trips over!

Back down in Honfleur, Tom invested in some cider to take to our next stop, then we found another lovely restaurant by the harbour so that he could finally enjoy an ENORMOUS Assiette de Fruits de Mer.  He was provided with various tools for extracting the crustaceans, but it still took him over half an hour to devour them all 🙂  I think I’ll stick with salad and chips!

After that, we headed back to the B&B via the supermarket, where we picked up some yummy looking fruit, scrummy macaroons and some of my favourite french cheese for lunch tomorrow.  In the morning we’ll be packing up and driving to Auxerre, where the adventure continues…

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