Honfleur
It's been about nine months since we visited the harbor city of Honfleur but it still stands out in my mind as one of the nicest cities that we've been to along the coast of the English channel.
The town is located in the Normandy region of France across the Seine river from Le Havre and the chalk cliffs of Etretat. Its location along the coast and at the mouth of the river made it an economic hotspot at the time and an excellent location for trade within the country.
One of the main attractions in town is the Vieux Bassin (or Old Harbor), the cities equivalent of a main center square. Its lined with an array of tightly packed, multi-storied town homes that were originally built by wealthy merchants. Some date as far back as the 16th century. The sailboats in the harbor surrounded by the whimsical homes make it a truly picturesque setting.
This region of Normandy is known for its cider and its Calvados (apple Brandy). Both can be bought in the countless shops and restaurants located around the harbor and throughout the old quarter of town. We may have bought a bottle or two while we were there.
Saint Catherine's Church
Another sight to see in town is the church and bell tower dedicated to Saint Catherine. Erected by shipbuilders of the time, the church dates back to the 15th century and remains the largest church in France to be made out of wood.
Its half timber style wall panels and chestnut shingles make it one of the more unique churches that I've seen in France. Its certainly worth a gander.
Honfleur was a day trip for us. We spent about half a day there just walking the town and through the large outdoor garden located on the water.
Mulhouse
Located on the opposite end of the country near the eastern border of Germany and Switzerland is the city the Mulhouse.
We were there last summer as well, this time at the end of our trip to Switzerland. We had originally planned to spend the night but realized pretty quickly that there wasn't going to be much for us to see or do at the time of our arrival.
Not only was the area getting hit hard by covid19 but it also happened to be a public holiday that day so nearly every shop in town was closed other than a few restaurants that had outdoor seating.
We ate lunch in the main square and took a casual walk through the old town and then decided at about 4pm to cancel our hotel room and just drive the 6 hours back home. It made for a long day of driving given that we were coming from Lucern Switzerland, but we were tired from our trip and excited to get to sleep in our own bed.
For us, the main square in town (Place de la Réunion) was the highlight of the city. Vibrantly colored buildings of blue yellow and pink really added a lot of character and charm to the area.
The medieval town hall building was particularly interesting to see. Not only is it painted a vibrant pink color but its also full of murals related to justice and faith, among other things. Supposedly there is a stone head hanging from a chain somewhere on the building as well. I recall seeing it and thinking that it was a funny sort of decoration. I read afterwards that it was a device that would be hung around the necks of deviants who were then paraded around town while riding backwards on a donkey. I guess it was supposed to be a form of social embarrassment as a punishment - sure beats the guillotine!