{"id":21101,"date":"2014-06-09T18:53:13","date_gmt":"2014-06-09T18:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/avidcruiser.com\/livevoyagereports\/?page_id=4783"},"modified":"2016-06-29T08:11:32","modified_gmt":"2016-06-29T14:11:32","slug":"day-5-croisieurope-botticelli-honfleur","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/live-voyage-reports\/croisieurope-botticelli-cruising-heart-paris-honfleur\/day-5-croisieurope-botticelli-honfleur\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 5 – CroisiEurope’s Botticelli: Honfleur & C\u00f4te Fleurie, The Flowered Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 5 – CroisiEurope’s Botticelli: Honfleur & C\u00f4te Fleurie, The Flowered Coast<\/h1>\n
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From our stateroom, cameras ready as we sail into the heart of Honfleur. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

As promised, CroisiEurope’s Botticelli brought us into the heart of Honfleur this morning. Few, if any, other river cruise vessels can get into Honfleur. Other river cruise companies were in Le Havre today, bussing their guests to Honfleur. We needed only to take three steps across the gangway to reach the historic center.<\/p>\n

I’ve written about this region and produced a video, which you’ll find here<\/a>. Suffice to say that Honfleur oozes charm, and to be able to walk off of our doorstep and into this storied village was quite a treat.<\/p>\n

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Botticelli’s shallow draft and narrow width allows it to dock in Honfleur. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Following breakfast, our day began with a guided tour of Honfleur. Lying at the foot of the C\u00f4te de Grace, Honfleur is an enchanting town with an old port, the church of St Catherine made entirely out of wood, and picturesque streets. Fishing boats line the outer harbor, adding to the charm on this beautiful village.<\/p>\n

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Across the gangway: From the lobby on Botticelli to Honfleur in just a few steps, as opposed to traveling by bus from Le Havre or Rouen on other river cruise vessels. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Others opted for the full-day guided tour to the Landing Beaches of Normandy.\u00a0I had been before and highly recommend it to those visiting the region. I recently wrote about the experience in\u00a0My D-Day Story: A Startling Discovery At The American Cemetery<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The stuff of storybooks: Honfleur’s inner harbor. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

In the afternoon, we joined the optional tour along the “C\u00f4te Fleurie”\u00a0(flowered coast) to the towns of\u00a0Trouville\u00a0and\u00a0Deauville. Our tour\u00a0included a visit to a Calvados distillery, where we enjoyed a tasting.<\/p>\n

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Leaving Honfleur, the captain navigates a narrow opening to the Seine. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

We departed Honfleur in the early evening as we were having dinner. Twice so far, we’ve had the pleasure of scenic cruising while dining in places that other river cruise vessels can’t reach. In case you missed it, check out our evening cruise through inner Paris in\u00a0Boarding Botticelli: Cruising Through The City Of Light<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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After a great day in Honfleur, Botticelli makes its way\u00a0to Rouen. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Tomorrow, we call on Rouen, where the heroine Joan of Arc was burned at the stake and where the artist Claude Monet painted his Rouen Cathedral series.<\/p>\n

I’m cruising on\u00a0CroisiEurope’s Botticelli<\/a>\u00a0from the heart of Paris to the heart of Honfleur. Be sure to follow along in real time on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0@avidcruiser<\/a>, using the hashtag #livevoyagereport.\u00a0You’ll find a listing of each daily report in the calendar below this post.<\/em><\/p>\n

CroisiEurope, Botticelli, Paris-Honfleur & Return<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
DAY<\/B><\/td>PORT<\/B><\/td>ACTIVITIES<\/B><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Friday, June 20, 2014<\/a><\/td>Paris, France<\/td>Boarding between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Paris. Time to settle comfortably in your cabins before meeting the crew during a welcome cocktail reception. Dinner on board before departing on a cruise by night to tour the sights of the French capital.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saturday, June 21, 2014<\/a><\/td>Paris, France<\/td>Breakfast on board. The day will be dedicated to the discovery of Paris. Morning optional guided tour of Paris, which will begin with famous landmarks as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elys\u00e9es. Lunch on the ship followed by a free afternoon to stroll round Paris. Dinner and a free evening or go on to a cabaret (optional).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sunday, June 22. 2014<\/a><\/td>Vernon, France<\/td>Buffet breakfast on board before cruising to reach Vernon around 12.30 p.m. Lunch on board. In the afternoon, take the opportunity to visit the Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny, a charming pink house with green shutters which has been patiently restored and reveals the painter\u2019s daily life. As you wander round the house, visit Monet\u2019s huge workshop, bathed in the light that he cherished so much, the blue living room, the yellow dining room and the famous garden full of flowers and finally the Japanese style water garden. Return to the ship for dinner before cruising off towards Caudebec-en-Caux.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Monday, June 23. 2014<\/a><\/td>Caudebec-en-Caux, France<\/td>Buffet breakfast on board while cruising along through magnificent scenery and steep cliffs at the foot of which nestle charming little villages. Lunch on board before arriving in Caudebec-en-Caux around 1 p.m. In the afternoon, leave on a guided tour (optional) to discover the abbeys trail beginning with the abbey of Saint-Wandrille, then on to Jumi\u00e8ges, and the ruins of one of the most beautiful abbeys in France, not forgetting the church of St Pierre, one of the finest examples of 10th century Norman architecture. Return to the ship for around 6 p.m. for dinner before sailing on towards Honfleur (subject to the tides).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tuesday, June 24, 2014<\/a><\/td>Honfleur, France<\/td>After breakfast depart on an excursion (optional) to the \u201cC\u00f4te Fleurie\u201d (flowered coast) and the towns of Trouville and Deauville including a stop on the way to visit a Calvados distillery and tasting. Return to the ship for lunch. The afternoon will be spent on a guided visit of Honfleur (optional). Lying at the foot of the C\u00f4te de Grace, the town will enchant you with its old port, the church of St Catherine entirely made out of wood, its picturesque streets and outer harbour dotted with little fishing boats. Or full day guided tour (lunch included) to the beaches of the Normandy landings (only as a pre-booked tour and a minimum of 30 participants). Departure by coach to reach Pointe du Hoc passing the towns of Omaha Beach, Coleville sur Mer and its American cemetery. We stop in Arromanches after lunch to watch the film \u201cThe Price of Liberty.\u201d Return to the ship for dinner and a free evening.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wednesday, June 25, 2014<\/td>Rouen, France<\/td>Early morning start and breakfast while cruising along a superb valley whose light variations inspired not only the impressionist painters but also many poets, before passing under the splendid Normandy Bridge. Lunch on board before arriving in Rouen around 2 p.m. Depart on a guided tour of the town (optional) to discover the cathedral, its historic quarters and the \u201cPlace du Vieux March\u00e9\u201d where Joan of Arc was burnt alive at the stake. Return to the ship for dinner and an entertaining evening.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thursday, June 26, 2014<\/td>Les Andelys, France<\/td>After breakfast, cruise off toward les Andelys, through the lock in Amfreville, arriving around midday. Lunch on board. The afternoon will be spent visiting the Martainville castle (optional). Discover this rich house, the holiday home that belonged to a wealthy banker of the XVth century. Today it has become the museum of Norman arts and traditions. In the castle you will find a unique collection of objects made and used in Normandy between the XVth and the XIXth century. Return on board. Gala dinner and evening while cruising.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Friday, June 27, 1014<\/a><\/td>Paris, France<\/td>Breakfast on board before arriving in Paris around 8 a.m. before disembarking. End of our journey.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day 5 – CroisiEurope’s Botticelli: Honfleur & C\u00f4te Fleurie, The Flowered Coast As promised, CroisiEurope’s Botticelli brought us into the heart of Honfleur this morning. Few, if any, other river cruise vessels can get into Honfleur. Other river cruise companies were in Le Havre today, bussing their guests to Honfleur. We needed only to take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4747,"parent":4745,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21101"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21101\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}