Day 135 – Honfleur, France

Viking Sky docked this morning in Honfleur, France, where the Seine River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Honfleur is the closest port to Paris, and many of our fellow passengers took an included excursion to the City of Light. Tim and I had just spent a week in Paris in 2023, so we nixed the idea of a three-hour drive to get there just to spend three hours in the city.

Instead, since I had heard so many good things about Honfleur, Tim and I selected the other included excursion, “Explore the Medieval Town of Honfleur,” to check it out. This was the description:

Explore the charming seaside city of Honfleur, a once-thriving trading hub near the mouth of the Seine River. The city now attracts artists and romantics with its lovely quays lined with colorful slate-fronted houses. A local guide shows you around this medieval gem during a walking tour along the boat-filled harbor front. Its quaint narrow houses were a favorite subject of impressionist painters, including Claude Monet. Cobblestone streets lead you to the fascinating and unique Saint-Catherine’s Church. The largest wooden church in France, St. Catherine’s dates from the 15th century. The roof is covered with chestnut shingles while the bell tower stands apart from the main church building to protect one or the other building from fire. Enjoy some free time in town before returning to your ship.

As we left the ship, we were offered a cup of hot chocolate before passing through a sea of red Viking umbrellas held by our smiling crew members. What a nice send-off.

A Colorful Send-Off

Honfleur is a charming town in Normandy with a rich maritime history and a picturesque port. Founded by the Vikings, Honfleur developed into a small fishing village and later, a vital seaport for trade due to its strategic location on the southern bank of the Seine estuary. The city flourished during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as trade expanded. Honfleur has long attracted artists, and the city prides itself on its Impressionist roots. Claude Monet and his contemporaries frequented the town, attracted by the beautiful light and atmosphere here.

As we began our walking tour, one of the first things I noticed was the beautiful spring flowers. Their bright colors made me smile on a gloomy day.

I Love Spring Flowers

We walked through the picturesque, cobblestone streets of Honfleur, past many houses built in the sixteenth century.

Picturesque Honfleur

Ancient Houses and Cobblestone Streets

We soon arrived at the Vieux Bassin, the old harbor in the heart of the city. This beautiful old harbor is lined with high, narrow and colorful timber-frame houses that are a distinctive feature of Honfleur and reflect its history as a port town.

Vieux Bassin

We walked past the Hotel de Ville, or City Hall, and the Lieutenancy, which sits at the entrance to the Vieux Bassin and is the last vestige of the fortifications that surrounded the entire port until the end of the seventeenth century.

Vieux Bassin, City Hall, and the Lieutenancy

More Views of Vieux Bassin from the Bridge

By this time, the sprinkles had turned into rain, and our guide led us through the archway of the Lieutenancy to the Church of Saint Catherine to try and keep us dry.

Walking Through the Lieutenancy, with a Bronze Bust and Memorial to Samuel de Champlain,
Who Sailed from Honfleur to Found Quebec

Dating from the second half of the fifteenth century, the Church of Saint Catherine was built entirely of wood and is clad in timber shingles. It is the largest wooden church in France. The church was constructed by shipwrights, who incorporated many nautical details, including curved roof beams in the ceiling that resemble the hull of a ship.

Church of Saint Catherine

Church of Saint Catherine

Although our guide had hoped the rain would lessen, it was not to be. Instead, the rain only increased, and she reluctantly cancelled the remainder of the walking tour. Tim and I decided to call it a day, so we braved the rain on the way to the shuttle bus. We couldn’t even enjoy the market day, with its many interesting stalls. I did manage to take a photo of a vendor selling the most beautiful strawberries.

These Beautiful Strawberries Caught My Eye

We tried to dry out once we returned to the ship, and I believe we may have taken a nap. We have had such amazing weather on the World Cruise (except for the brutal heat in the tropics), so the rain was quite a surprise.

Executive Chef Alastair had been busy today procuring local cheese and wine for a special event this evening. I enjoyed every cheese I sampled, although the baked brie with cranberries may have been my favorite.

Local Cheese and Wine Special Event, with Sommelier Made Pouring the Wine

While we were eating, I noticed one of the bar waiters twisting a napkin. When we finished, I stopped by to meet him. Junjun had just recently boarded Viking Sky and presented me with the rose that he had fashioned from the napkin. What a nice surprise!

Thank You, Junjun, for the Rose

Although two days remain before many of our friends disembark in London, the Viking Farewell Reception took place this evening. The Viking Guest Choir performed for us, as did Cruise Director Cornelia and Assistant Cruise Director Patricia. It was then time to toast the end of this chapter and welcome the crew on stage for a standing ovation for making this journey so special.

Viking Farewell Reception - Viking Guest Choir; Patricia and Cornelia; and Hotel GM Marcel, Cornelia,
and Captain Frederik Toasting the End of This Segment of the World Cruise

A Well-Deserved Standing Ovation for the Viking Sky Crew