75th Anniversary of Normandy Invasion

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Monday, 17 June 2019 - Strolled along the picturesque U-shaped harbor of Honfleur, admiring 18th-century houses, outdoor cafes, and a charming carousel. Enjoyed a guided walking tour of the town, visited St. Catherine's Church with its unique wooden architecture, explored hilltop viewpoints including Chapelle Notre Dame de Grace.

We stroll along cobblestone sidewalks and streets to the U-shaped harbor where white tethered boats bob along every inch. Framing the three sides of the harbor, there are four-story houses from the 1700's with colorful umbrellas, outdoor cafes, an 1880's carousel going around and round and lots of locals out walking their dogs. This is something out of a storybook - I may never leave.

This morning we went on a guided walking tour of Honfleur.

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Honfleur harbor
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War memorial 1870 is a bronze statue of a woman with a sword in her right hand, and her left hand resting on the bow of a boat with the coat of arms of Honfleur.

St. Leonard's Church of Honfleur - a Catholic Church - in the background.
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Beautiful old homes with all kinds of construction.
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Virginia Ann spotted this little dog on our tour - she loves Jack Russells. It waited by the restaurant door for her master to return.

As it turned out we visited the same restaurant two days later for dinner and it was excellent. Virginia Ann had fun taking to the owner about her little pup.
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Black rocks of flint mixed in with limestone makes for a distinctive Honfleur look.
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Garden in a small courtyard
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The Lieutenancy is one of the remains of the fortifications built in the 14th century by King Charles V. These buildings that are attached to the Caen Gate were assigned to the King's lieutenant from 1684 to the Revolution hence the name of the building.
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The main street of downtown Honfleur - very narrow streets.
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A sign over a storefront - which was not related to the store contents so it must be older.
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The church Saint-Etienne was converted into the Museum de la Marine (Navy Museum).
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An old door in an old part of town. Real old.
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A restaurant on the High Road (main street) where we had an excellent dinner.
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Built away from the church to limit the damage from lightning strikes, Clocher Ste-Catherine, the church's freestanding wooden bell tower, stands across the square from the church facade. It is a sturdy oak construction built above the bell-ringer's house
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Saint-Catherine's Church

Initially intended as a temporary structure, this extraordinary wooden church was built by local shipwrights during the late 15th and early 16th centuries after its stone predecessor was destroyed during the Hundred Years War. Wood was used so money would be left over to strengthen the city's fortifications, though there are elements of stone (such as some of the pillar bases). From the inside, the remarkable twin naves and double-vaulted roof resemble two overturned ships' hulls.

This famous 15th-century cathedral is the largest surviving wooden church in France.
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The entrance to Saint-Catherine's Church
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The rear of the church. Stained glass from the 19th century decorates the windows of the east choir.
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The church is partially covered in chestnut shingles.
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The famous "Axe Masters" of the naval yards of the city created this lovely building without using any saws, just like their Norman ancestors.

You can see where the ceiling of the church is like the hull of a ship.
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Ship flags decorate the alter and nave.
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A statue of the Virgin Mary wrapped in fishing nets with model ships at her feet.
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Up in the rafters are flags, ships, old paintings, and beautiful windows.
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A statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus and a life preserver.
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After the tour we were on our own for lunch and the afternoon.

A chair on the main street near a shop. There were many American flags on display in Normandy.
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On a walk (hike) to the top of the hills surrounding Honfleur we spotted this classic garden.
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At the top of a steep hill was a pretty view of the river and town. On the view point is a christ figure.
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Our destination for the climb is the Chapelle Notre Dame de Grace. The small church was built between 1600 and 1613. And has a very maritime flavor.
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Again the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus and, this time, a ship.
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The stained glass featured maritime scenes.
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Chapelle Notre Dame de Grace is a spot where pilgrims have long come to give thanks to God for rescuing them from natural disasters, for example, Duke Richard II of Normandy, who narrowly escaped a storm early in the 11th century.
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Across a small clearing is an outdoor chapel for the sailors.
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Cal standing near the sailor's chapel.
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An interesting use of brick in the stone wall. It does not seem to have structural value. We saw this pattern repeated in many building facades throughout the historic village. It added an interesting architectural element to the old building and structures.
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A large boat flying a huge French flag came into the harbor sometime during the day.
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Small tower on the lieutenancy building.
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The Honfleur harbor as we headed back to the hotel.
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