Sunday, the 18th of April

Today was the second day of the weekend spent with our families. The Pluchets took me on a nice trip to Deauville, a coastal town a little to the west of where the Seine meets the Channel. I compare it to the Hamptons: it's a place for the 'haut société' of Paris to go on the weekends. We walked around looking at the shops, then settled down near the beach for a picnic lunch. Delicious. Then Paul and I walked along the beach; there was a great view. We also saw the names of well-known actors, like Harrison Ford and Sean Connery, on the small fences along the boardwalk. They are there because Deauville is the host of a film festival.

From Deauville, we went to Honfleur, right on the estuary of the Seine. It wasn't an upper-class resort like Deauville, but there were still lots of people, including Margaret and Cinzia with their hosts Valentine and Charlotte. Honfleur also had some nice coastal scenery as it is a port. We toured the many small shops, and the Pluchets treated me to a 'perle noire', a small pastry made of meringue with chocolate frosting.

Le Pont de Normandie

Le Pont sur le Canal du Havre

Le Pont de Tancarville

Le Pont de Brotonne

Le Pont Flaubert

From Honfleur, we took the scenic route along Seine back home to Le Thuit. On the way, we crossed at every opportunity, a total of four bridges: Le Pont de Normandie, le Pont sur le Canal du Havre (Le Havre is the bigger port across the Seine from Honfleur), le Pont de Tancarville, et le Pont de Brotonne. I, a bridge enthusiast, was in seventh heaven. We also passed by le Pont Flaubert, finished in September, 2008, a bridge in Rouen whose entire main span can be raised and lowered to allow ships to pass.

A little bit downriver from le Pont de Brotonne was Villequier. This was the town where Victor Hugo's daughter drowned in the Seine during a tidal bore (when the tide goes back up a river). This incident inspired the writing of Hugo's poem: 'Demain, dès l'Aube'. Also in Villequier was le Château Villequier, now a hotel and a place for wedding receptions.

A bientot, Dennis