France Travel

Hot dog stands are to New York City as crêpe stands are to Paris: cheap, good street food. Crêpes are thin pancakes that are filled with either sweet or savory ingredients, rolled and eaten. In a crêperie restaurant, you would eat your crepe on a plate with a knife and fork, but crêpes from a street stand will come wrapped so that you may eat it like a small burrito while walking. While crêpes are made all around the world, a masterfully prepared crêpe from a street stand while walking to see the majestic Eiffel tower just tastes, well, magical.
Crêpes can be fancy, filled with a multitude of ingredients, ranging from the savory cheese, ham and spinach to the sweetly flavored berries, ice cream and whipped cream. Street crêpes, however, are usually simpler (though equally delicious). For me, the Nutella (a chocolate and hazelnut spread) crêpes are the way to go, while my wife won’t eat anything other than the lemon juice and powdered sugar crêpes. We loved the Parisian crêpes on our honeymoon so much that we bought a crêpe pan upon our return and make them regularly for a weekend brunch. Just make sure you watch the delicate art of crêpe cooking each time you order one at a Parisian stand; while crêpes aren’t difficult to make at home, the crêpe chefs do make it look deceptively, and beautifully, easy.

With so much to do and see in the Normandy region, it is easy to pass right by the little gem of Honfleur. Honfleur is a lovely little seaside town that makes for a nice stopping point after touring the famous D-Day beaches. Fans of the painter Eugene Boudin will know Honfleur, his hometown, from some of his more famous paintings. The town is wonderfully located on the south bank of the Seine River estuary, just across from Le Havre, and is still a working fishing village. You still can buy fish directly from the fishermen in their boats.

The highlight of any visit to Honfleur is the Vieux Bassin, the old Dock area. The narrow houses that surround the docks are a reminder of the days when Honfleur was an important port city. Boat tours around the estuary are a nice way to spend a clear summer day. Near the docks, wander over and explore the impressive all-wooden (except the foundation) church of St. Catherine.

But Honfleur isn’t so much about sightseeing destinations (maybe that is why it is often overlooked) but more about wandering around the wood and stone houses, going in and out of art galleries (Boudin wasn’t the only one to notice the lovely light here) and then stopping at one of the many restaurants for a glass of wine and some people watching.

Check out some of our hotels in France. 

With so much to do and see in the Normandy region, it is easy to pass right by the little gem of Honfleur. Honfleur is a lovely little seaside town that makes for a nice stopping point after touring the famous D-Day beaches. Fans of the painter Eugene Boudin will know Honfleur, his hometown, from some of his more famous paintings. The town is wonderfully located on the south bank of the Seine River estuary, just across from Le Havre, and is still a working fishing village. You still can buy fish directly from the fishermen in their boats.

The highlight of any visit to Honfleur is the Vieux Bassin, the old Dock area. The narrow houses that surround the docks are a reminder of the days when Honfleur was an important port city. Boat tours around the estuary are a nice way to spend a clear summer day. Near the docks, wander over and explore the impressive all-wooden (except the foundation) church of St. Catherine.

But Honfleur isn’t so much about sightseeing destinations (maybe that is why it is often overlooked) but more about wandering around the wood and stone houses, going in and out of art galleries (Boudin wasn’t the only one to notice the lovely light here) and then stopping at one of the many restaurants for a glass of wine and some people watching.

Check out some of our hotels in France.

Deauville, Normandy is one of the closest beach town to Paris and it makes for a really nice weekend getaway. The town of Deuville is considered to be the heart of the Norman Riviera. I personally didn’t know that the Normandy area of France boasted a “Riviera.” Normandy, to me, conjures up images of D-Day and Mont-St-Michel. A visit to this little town, however, changed my mind. It will probably change your mind as well.

It is because of Deauville’s proximity to Paris, the city has been a popular stomping ground for vacationing Parisians for over a century. It is referred to as the lady of the French coast, and lays claim to the birthplace of the Coco Chanel handbag craze for it was here that Chanel opened a little boutique and began selling her bags. The town is also famous for horses, so it is quite easy to see a race or polo match in between sunning yourself on the beach.

We chose to base ourselves in the very pleasant Hotel Le Trophée. The hotel, which has 35 recently renovated rooms, is in the middle of downtown a few hundred feet from the beach. Our room was large and well maintained and included a Jacuzzi and balcony. The staff was quite polite and most everyone spoke enough English to make up for my French. The highlight of the hotel was undoubtedly its gorgeous little swimming pool.

While Deauville and the Hotel Le Trophée make for a great getaway from the city, there is one word of warning… Deauville is considered by many to be the unofficial 21st arrondissement of Paris and prices reflect this fact.