Honfleur is a working port in Normandy – it’s also one of the prettiest ports I know of in France.

What to see in Honfleur

Wandering around the harbour and up and down the wiggly cobble stone streets of Honfleur is one of life’s great pleasures. It’s one of the finest places in France for simply sitting and watching at a terrace café with a steaming bowl of moules mariniere and a glass of chilled wine. It’s a buzzing, vibrant, colourful and truly enchanting little place that is quaintly charming and full of character despite the high number of tourists.

It was an important port 600 years ago, and it was from here that Samuel de Champlain was sent to colonise Canada, founding Quebec in 1608.

The Vieux Bassin, the inner harbour which was first created for Louis XIV, is lined with cafés, bars, restaurants and art galleries. It’s one of the best places in town to sit and watch boats going in and out, listen to the bells chime in the town’s church and enjoy the wonderful light of Honfleur.

The clear light here has long drawn artists and it was here that the birth of impressionism was conceived. Artist Eugene Boudin was born in Honfleur and painted it often, as did artists such as Monet who went to the town at the tender age of 18 to meet Boudin and learn from him. Cezanne, Pissaro, Sisley and many of the greats of the 19^th century painted Honfleur and the Eugene Boudin Museum in the town has a fine collection of paintings by many celebrated artists.

Away from the harbour little streets hide more lovely restaurants, 17^th century rustic Norman buildings, galleries, gift and gourmet shops such as the Maison du Caramel (35 rue Haut) with 17 different flavours of caramel including violet or Maison La Goulue where master chocolate makers create incredible chocolate deliciousness. The cobbled squares tempt modern day artists – photographers – to capture the beauty of this timeless town.

Two restaurants that get praised over and over are Au P’tit Mareyeur (4 rue Haut) which is a bit pricier than some but the food is always great and at L’Absinthe restaurant on the quayside and the Bistro du Port run by the same company where you get great views, great food and its well-priced and Au Vieux Honfleur (13 Quai St Etitenne) which has several menus of varying prices and which consistently gets top reviews.

At night the harbour sparkles, music floats across the water from lively restaurants, people promenade around the vieux basin, shops are open until late and the whole place has a festive air.

Parisians flock here at the weekends and it’s not hard to see why – Honfleur is an absolute gem.

How to go from Paris to Honfleur

By train to Honfleur. There is no train station in Honfleur so you’ll need to take a train to a town nearby and then hop on a bus. Trains Saint-Lazare station in Paris go to Deauville and from here you can take a bus which takes around 25 minutes (Bus line 20).

The cheapest way to go to Honfleur from Paris is via coach such as Oui Bus, a service run by SNCF (French railways) or Flixibus to Le Havre and then continue by bus. Available from several locations in Paris to Le Havre and from there it is a 35 minute bus journey from outside the train station. Details on the https://www.commentjyvais.fr/en website which is an interactive map for public transport users in Normandy.

More on Normandy
Mont st Michel – wiggly wobbly and wonderful
Veules-les-Roses, the pretty town that looks like it should be on the lid of a chocolate box
Normandy – Jazz under the apple trees

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Brittany has 2,800km of coastline and 800 islands or islets, choosing where to go is the hardest part of the trip! We take a look at Brittany in photos to show you just how lovely it is…

Postcard from Brittany

This is Ile de Groix, great discovered by bike…

You have to have a crepe in Brittany, it’s the law! Just kidding but the Breton pancakes are traditional and delicious… (here’s a recipe for a traditional French pancake that’s absolutely failproof: How to make the perfect French crepe)

Everywhere you go the colours are wonderful like at this gorgeous boulangerie in Finistere, couldn’t you just sit and look at this for hours?!

Brittany is a “blue place” – so many wonderful shades of blue, from the sea and the sky to the doors and lovely shutters…

Walking up the chets thumping hills certainly keeps you fit and builds up an appetite…

.. Which is good because the food is fantastic!

Pontrieux, famous for its wash houses and flowers…

J’adore Brittany… wish you were here.

More on Brittany
5 great gardens to visit in Finistere
Onion Johnnies from Brittany
Auray – the picture perfect port of Brittany with an astonishing history

www.brittanytourism.com

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Sarlat is a town that has retained its ancient good looks to a quite astounding level.

Sarlat, or to give it its full name – Sarlat-la-Canéda, is a little bit off the beaten-track and all the better for it. In fact it was very much off the beaten track for almost two centuries from the 1700’s when a lack of road access meant that hardly anyone ever went there. So, cut off from the rest of the world, people simply went about their business and nothing much changed. Building styles in particular stayed as they were and you get the feeling that if the inhabitants of two centuries ago were to return – they’d recognise the place straight away.

This is no fusty museum town though, it’s very much alive and thriving. Of course now it’s a bit of a tourist magnet – especially in the summer season, but outside of the peak visiting times, Sarlat reverts to being a rather tranquil place that looks like a time warp town.

Don’t miss the Saturday morning market if you go – it’s got a great atmosphere and fabulous products.

Do go for a wander – it’s a hilly town and once you get off the main drag you’ll find yourself climbing steep steps and meandering down medieval streets until you come to the top of a hill and discover unexpectedly spectacular views over the rooftops of Sarlat. If being up high doesn’t bother you, take the glass lift you’ll find inside the church of Sainte-Marie in town for a hair raising ride and a fabulous show stopping outlook, though you have to have the weather on your side to be able to take the lift, it closes in bad weather.

Sarlat has the feel of a fairy-tale about it, even the hair dressers looks like Rapunzel has her hair cut there!

There are loads of places to enjoy a glass of wine, a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and watch the world go by and as for the restaurants with fresh cooked local food – you’re spoiled for choice.

Sarlat Tourist Office

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Brantôme is pretty enough to be pictured on the lid of a chocolate box. There’s something about its lush green good looks and romantic streets that makes all who visit fall in love with it…

What to see and do in Brantome

You’ll find Brantome in Dordogne, in the north west of Périgord Vert, and it’s one of the most visited towns in the area. Set on the banks of the gentle river Dronne, Brantome boasts some wonderful architecture, Romanesque nods to Renaissance in this town.

The most well-known attraction of the town is the magnificent Benedictine Abbey. The original was built by Charlemagne in the 8^th century; rebuilt in the 11^th century it is now the location of the town’s mairie and art museum.

Behind the Abbey are caves which go back to the 8^th century and one of them contains a depiction of the “Last Judgement” from the 15^th century  – well worth a look.

The Abbey’s Church belfry, built into the rock, is said to be the oldest in France dating to the 11^th century.

Wandering through Brantome’s picturesque streets, you can’t help but notice the smooth cobbles of the streets. Brantome is on the famous pilgrim route to Santiago, Spain and over the centuries, the many pilgrims who’ve walked this route have worn it down.

While you’re there, enjoy a canoe ride on the river from which you can admire chateaux and the stunning landscape (or take it easy on a pleasure cruise). You can also hire a bike and enjoy the local scenery. If you’re lucky enough to visit on a Friday, all roads lead to the weekly market, an exuberant affair.

Close by – Sarlat La Caneda
The amazing topiary gardens of Marqueyssac

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I love Paris in the Springtime sang the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. And, if you’ve ever visited on a typical spring day when the sun bursts through the clouds to be followed by a downpour you truly get why though it’s certainly a cliché, Paris in the spring really is quite wonderful.

It’s a time to stroll in a park and enjoy the flowers in colourful bloom. Wipe a chair clear of rain drops and survey the sight of Parisians enjoying a spring day. And take some Paris in spring pictures.

Sip a hot chocolate, coffee or a glass of wine at a quaint café and watch the world go by.

Monuments seem cleansed after the seasonal rain and almost glow when the sky is covered with dark spring clouds, and yet somehow a beam of sunlight manages to get through.

Flower beds surround many of the Paris landmarks and in spring they burst forth into brilliant blossom managing to highlight the beauty of the architecture.

Early in Spring, some trees are just showing green tips, others are in full gorgeous spring bloom. Later Paris is awash with colourful flower beds, window boxes and tubs outside homes, shops and businesses.

Rain, sun, rain – it washes and cleanses and makes everything seem to sparkle, Paris in Spring is simply sublime…

More Paris
5 Of the most romantic places to kiss in Paris
The second-hand book sellers of Paris
The oldest public clock in Paris
10 Incredible facts about Paris – and we bet you didn’t know them all!
The Vineyards of Paris

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L’Isle sur la Sorgue is a vivacious and pretty market town in Provence, much loved for its antiques stores and twice weekly markets.

Isle sur la Sorgue

Once an important fishing town, with an abundance of crayfish in the River Sorgue, this place is now firmly on the tourist route thanks to its prettiness and refreshing riverside ambience. In fact L’Isle sur la Sorgue is known as the “Venice of Provence”.

The River Sorgue has influenced the development of the town, providing for thriving crafts and industries, flour mills, wool and silk workshops. Many of the waterwheels remain from the days when mills churned the water to fuel businesses, adding to the picturesque look of the town.

The old town, once surrounded by walls, is very charming. On market days and in peak season it can get very busy with tourists and visitors but out of season and in the evenings it is much quieter.

What to see and do in L’Isle sur la Sorgue

One of the biggest draws for visitors are the antique stores of which there are many in the town and for the annual antiques market that takes place.  There are over 500 exhibitors at major events such as the Foire Internationale à la Brocante et à l’Antiquité.

Each Sunday you’ll find the Flea Market on the Avenue des 4 Otages, there’s usually quite a carnival atmosphere and this has got to be one of the best antique markets in France.

Thursday is normal market day, which can create a lot of traffic and make parking difficult. There are plenty of restaurants and bars to sit and watch the world go by.

The waterwheels left behind from the days of industry now draw admiring glances from visitors. There is 12^th century church that is well worth a look and plenty of shops selling typically Provencal goodies like olive oil and herbs, plus a sprinkling of art galleries. Wander to the eastern edge of the town for a fabulous view over the river.

Antiques and flea markets of L’Isle sur la Sorgue

Old book market: The last Sunday of each month, 8 am to 6 pm on the esplanade Robert Vasse.
International antique and flea market fair: Easter and August (check tourist office website for details and confirmation).
Flea market, all year round: Every Sunday morning from 8 am to 6 pm (additional markets Pentecost and All Saints Day (see tourist office for details).

How to get to L’Isle sur la Sorgue

By train: from Paris to Avignon (from 2.5 hours) and take local train to SNCF Gare de L’Isle – Fontaine de Vaucluse (on the Avignon to Marseille line, takes about 35 minutes). From London to Avignon (approximately 6.5 hours, direct service in summer months) and change trains to L’Isle sur la Sorgue.
By Air: Avignon Airport is closest to L’Isle sur la Sorgue; Marseille Airport, from where there are good train connections.
If you drive, leave your car in one of several car parks and walk – it’s definitely the best way to see it and not get caught up in traffic jams (in the peak season they can be rife).

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180 kilometres north of Paris, on the Alabaster Coast of the Pays de Caux, nestles one of the “Plus Beaux”, Most Beautiful Villages of France. The tiny town of Veules-les-Roses Normandy looks like it was plucked from a story-book. If you like fairy tales, you will love it here!  After parking your car in the public lot, you set off on foot to explore this pretty place, and this is the first sight you see…

…as you stroll along the Veules, the smallest river in France, at only a bit over a kilometre and admire the beds of water-cress, old moulins and cottages…

…dwellings so sweet, they appear to be paintings on an old fashioned chocolate box.  This one is called Le Moulin des Cressonnières, ( Mill of the Water-cress) and that is water-cress growing in the shallow water.

Indeed, all of the architecture in this town pleases the eye, from the traditional thatched roof cottages with their iconic Normand colombage (half-timbering)…

…to the more formal, highly ornamental Anglo-Normand style or rustic looking lodges.

As you make your way toward the center of the village, you are never far from the tiny, shallow river La Veules, or  le fleuve, as it is called in French.

While you’re in the village centre, couldn’t resist stopping at the lovely hotel Douce France for a cup of tea in their charming courtyard.

Veules-les-Roses is a very popular tourist attraction in the summer and can be quite crowded then.  But in spring it is just as quaint, and filled with so many flowers, they almost rival the roses for which the town is named.  So follow the flowers…

…until you arrive at a place that drew Parisian society, charmed the Impressionists, as well as the poets and writers of the 19th  century, and still seduces us today: the white cliffs of the Alabaster Coast and the seashore at Veules-les-Roses. Can you believe that this is only a 2 hour drive from the greatest city in the world?

By Dawne Polis an American artist living in the French countryside – her work has been published in several books and magazines and is available through her agent, McGawGraphics or RedBubble (all photos copyright Dawne Polis).

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Claude Monet, the great French artist, lived in Giverny, Normandy for forty-three years, from 1883 to 1926.

He had a passion for gardening as well as for colours, and conceived both his flower garden and water garden as true works of art.

As you walk though his house and gardens, you can still feel the atmosphere which reigned at the home of the Master of Impressionnism.

You can’t help but be moved by the incredibly beauty of the planting and colour.

The gardens are inspirational to those who visit.

Monet transformed what was an abandoned garden when he moved to the house, into a floral masterpiece.

His garden was the inspiration for many of his greatest works of art.

Monet was not only a painter of his own garden but also an artist whose painting trips took him away for lengthy periods of time. However, he was never really far from his garden. Through constant correspondence, he kept a close eye on his family and his flowers.

Frequent visits from his friends and admirers made Giverny the centre of his existence.

Until his death in 1926, the painter tended his garden at Giverny with the passion that is still evident today.

Visit Monet Garden Giverny

Monet’s Garden can be visited from the end of March to the end of October (check website for precise details as this is subject to change).

By train from Paris takes around 45 minutes from Gare st Lazare to Gare Vernon from where a shuttle bus to Giverny about 7km away is provided. You can also rent a bike from just in front of the station.

fondation-monet.com

All photos shared with The Good Life France on our Facebook page.

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The capital of Christmas in France, home to one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world, Strasbourg in Alsace is THE place to go if you love Christmas and a magical atmosphere.

2. Captivating Colmar

Not far from Strasbourg is the lovely historic city of Colmar. Fairy-tale pretty, it positively sparkles at Christmas.

3. Luscious Lille

The northern French city of Lille is a gastronomic delight and a shopper’s paradise. The fabulous architecture, the narrow winding streets and the incredible museums and art venues here make this one of the best places for a spot of Christmas shopping in Europe. (See our feature 10 of the most brilliant places to eat and drink in Lille).

4. Lovely Le Touquet

This little town on the Opal Coast of northern France in Pas de Calais is glamorous and packs a punch above its weight at Christmas. Thousands of twinkling lights, Parisian style shops and a sensational selfie spot – the bandstand in the park. (Read our feature on this unique French seaside resort with a British vibe).

5. Exquisite Eguisheim

Unbelievably pretty, Equisheim in Alsace is a romantic and perfect get away from the big city atmosphere town.

6. Ravishing Riquewihr

Irresistible, jaw-droppingly lovely, Riquewihr is a special place all year round but at Christmas its streets are lit up and it’s a truly captivating little town. There’s a special shop dedicated to Christmas, fabulous restaurants and gorgeous architecture.

7. Fascinating Reims

Champagne in Reims at Christmas – it doesn’t get much more glamorous than that does it?!  This is a town that knows how to put on a show and then toast it with festive fizz.

8. Chateau chic

Many chateaux in France dress up for Christmas but one of the best has to be the gorgeous Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte in France (it’s about an hour from the centre of Paris). Fake snow (if the real thing doesn’t materialise), beautiful decorations, a carousel in the grounds – sublime and stunning.

9. Picture perfect Paris

What’s to say, Paris is always a good idea but at Christmas, perhaps just that little bit more special.

10. Champagne show-stopper

It’s the ultimate in festive tipples; Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a glass of Champagne! (Read our feature: Champagne the French Elixir)

11. Spell-binding La Rochelle

Bags of charm, this beguiling port town in Poitou-Charentes wears it’s Christmas finery with style and panache. If you love oysters at Christmas, you’ll adore La Rochelle for its fresh seafood and festive magic.

12. 13 Desserts of Provence

In Provence, the traditional Christmas Eve meal is known as le gros souper (the big supper) and it ends with a ritual number of 13 desserts (treize desserts). Read more about the 13 desserts of Provence

13. Fabulous Fromage

Christmas without cheese in France – unthinkable! Cheese is revered and Christmas is a time to indulge therefore Christmas + cheese = perfect in France. (Read how to make baked Camembert, the perfect French cheese dish at Christmas).

14. Heavenly Honfleur

This might not be on most Christmas venue radars for visitors to France but it’s oh so heavenly. Twinkling lights around the harbour, a festive atmosphere – Honfleur is just magical.

15. Captivating Kaysersberg

Not far from Colmar, nestled between the foothills of the Vosges and the vineyards, the little medieval town of Kaysersberg hosts one of France’s most authentic and pretty Christmas markets.

16. Alluring Arras

Christmas in Arras is awesome. The market is one of the largest in northern France but it’s not the size the counts, it’s the quality and this is a place that has bucket loads of charm and a fabulous atmosphere. Great shops, great restaurants, sublime architecture – faultless.

17. Mesmerising Mont st Michel

The legendary Mont Saint-Michel doesn’t bling up for Christmas, it’s a little more sedate than you might think given its touristic tendencies. This time of the year it’s nowhere near as busy as the summer and you can enjoy it and the twinkling lights in peace.

18. Brilliant Boulangeries

You can’t have Christmas in France without a Buche de Noel – a yule log! The patisseries are full of them – every colour, every flavour and utterly scrumptious.

19. Enticing Nice

Nice might be sunny at Christmas (usually) but it’s still a fabulous place to go and enjoy a spot of festive cheer and shopping.

20. Sweet Santons

Christmas in France is time to get your Santons out! The little figurines are prominent in the south of France but you’ll find them everywhere. They’re not only religious figures, you’ll come across diverse figures such as Lady Gaga or Bart Simpson these days.

The post 20 Beautiful images that show the Magic of Christmas in France appeared first on The Good Life France.

Notre-Dame, Ile de Porquerolles

The Iles d’Hyères group, include the little known island of Porquerollesoff the coast of southern France. It isn’t big but it is unbelievably beautiful. Just four miles long and two miles wide, it is a place of scented pine and eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary and other Mediterranean flora and fauna. A magical place that is take your breath away pretty. Popular with the French it can get busy in the summer but it’s worth a visit all year round. “I have heard” wrote Leo Tolstoy in 1860 “that at times, it is still possible to swim in December. The climate here is fantastic”…

Cancale, Brittany

This pretty little port is not far from St Malo, famous for its oysters! the magnificent molluscs have been cultivated in this attractive fishing village for hundreds of years. There are also breathtaking views over the Baie de St Michel and scenic walks around the coast.

Saint Palais-sur-Mer, Charente Maritime

This resort on the Atlantic coast close to Royan, is well-known for its sandy beaches and mild, sunny climate. With beautiful architecture reminiscent of the Belle Epoque, and Carrelets (traditional wooden fishing huts on stilts) Saint-Palais-sur-Mer is a magnificent area for cycling, hiking, or to just chill out.

Etretat, Normandy

Massive natural stone arches at both ends of Etretat Plage inspired  impressionist painters Boudin, Monet and Manet. This stretch of Alabaster Coast,  is wrapped in dramatic cliffs  Two arches,  Porte d’Aval and  Porte Amont, can be seen from the town; the third, known as Manneport,  reveals itself after a walk at low tide when 17th century oyster beds emerge from the sea.

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