You simply must visit the historic and charming little Normandy harbour town of Honfleur , situated on the Seine estuary across from Le Havre, France's leading trading port today. It can be reached, if you wish, via the breathtaking Pont de Normandie toll bridge, which links the two. Opened in 1995, the bridge soars above the Seine (the deck is 150feet above the river at its highest point).

Honfleur's maritime links over the centuries have been many and varied, near and far, in the early days ranging from skirmishes with England to C 16th transatlantic voyages to Canada, as well as other French 'colonies' further flung.

Today the town is a busy tourist honeypot, with an international clientele. Its picturesque harbour basins are flanked by architecturally distinctive early 'high rise' narrow houses, slate roofed, some with tiled frontages. Nowadays the lower floors house the many busy harbourside restaurants, bars, and shops, the latter selling the usual tourist goods and mementos. The restaurants have varied menus with good seafood to the fore. Try a meal al fresco, enjoy your wine, and watch the world go by.

One or two working fishing boats are to be seen in the harbour, with most of the moorings nowadays taken by private yachts.

The town has a splendid maritime museum, plus excellent art galleries. Artists can be seen at work, most of them locating on the south side of the harbour basin