Day 5 - Normandy Coast

Honfleur

Saint Catherine's Church

Saint Catherine's church is France's largest timber-built church with a separate bell tower.  It was built during the second half of the 15th century. It replaced the former stone-built church, destroyed the Hundred Years' War. 

With the limited resources available at the time, the local inhabitants used wood from the nearby Touques forest as the principal raw material and they applied their naval construction skills. This explains the church's remarkable architecture – entirely made of wood, it is in the shape of an overturned double hull.

The separate bell tower, located opposite the church, is a sturdy oak construction built above the bell-ringer's house

The front of the church.  Where's Carol?

The inside of the church.  Built like 2 upside-down hulls.

The side of the church.  Is that Carol?

The detached bell tower.

Port

Honfleur is known for its old, beautiful picturesque port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted many times by artists, including in particular Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind, forming the école de Honfleur (Honfleur school) which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement.

We ate lunch on the port.  Here is an iPhone panoramic.

Bucolic Normandy

Étretat 

Étretat is a town on the north coast of France. It’s known for the striking rock formations carved out of its white cliffs, including the Porte d'Aval arch and L'Aiguille (the Needle), a pillar rising up from the sea. To the north, the cliffside Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Garde has dramatic views.  Many of Claude Monet's painitng depict Étretat  (see examples below)