Exploring the communities of the Seine

On the second day of a Seine cruise with CroisiEurope and Transat Discoveries, travellers explored the streets and docks of Honfleur on foot and in the afternoon, participated in a tour through Deauville, Trouville and the Auge. In the evening, the Botticelli began its journey along the Seine to Rouen.

I was unaware that the history and topography of Honfleur were closely linked to relations with Canada, or more precisely, with New France. To support the fur trade and fishing for cod, Louis XIV ordered the enlargement of the Vieux Bassin, a small inland port lined with houses dating back to the 17th century. At the time, there were three salt barns in Honfleur, storing salt that was used to preserve the cod caught on the banks of Newfoundland. Two of these structures remain to this day. With its bell tower and arched stained glass, you might think it was a chapel. Today, it houses exhibitions and in the basin, sailboats and pleasure yachts have replaced fishing boats returning from Newfoundland.

While Le Havre, located on the other side of the Seine estuary, has become the largest trade port of the Normandy coast, Honfleur has welcomed a thriving tourism industry. Today, three million visitors come to stroll through the winding streets. Behind the scenes, the church of St Catherine is one of the most curious buildings that I have ever seen. Constructed from wood, it burned several times and in the early nineteenth century, it was rebuilt – still in wood – but the contractors have been careful to separate the bell tower from the main building. Thus, if it were struck by lightning (as was the case several times in previous centuries) the naves, located on the other side of the square, would have been saved from the fire. The idea must have proved successful, as the building still stands.

In the afternoon, I joined the passengers who opted for an excursion to the Côte Fleurie. We took small roads through the Pays d'Auge, where we visited the area of ​​Breuil Castle, which distills one of the best Calvados in the region. We then travelled to Deauville, where I walked the famous planks of azobé wood that festoon the wide beach, made a brief foray into the gaming rooms of the famous casino, and went down in the streets lined with luxury shops and sumptuous villas with their Norman timbered gables.

We returned to the boat late in the afternoon and later, the Botticelli cast off to travel up the Seine. As we sailed, nature seemed to mimic a canvas by Monet: the setting sun peaked through a drape of clouds over Le Havre’s port facilities, which faded near the horizon. It was nearly 9 p.m. when we passed under the Normandy Bridge. At 2,143-metres, it is one of the most elegant engineering structures in Europe.