Places in France

Honfleur; City of Painters

In amongst all the decluttering I’ve only just found the time to write this post on our Christmas visit to beautiful Honfleur. La Marraine and some other friends where here over the New Year; such wonderful guests! I really enjoyed their company and it was so sad when they went.

Honfleur is not too far from where we live here in Normandy. It is on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine and its inhabitants are called Honfleurais.

It is charming. It’s especially known for its old port and has been painted many times, including by such famous artists as Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind. This école de Honfleur, including Eugène Boudin, contributed to the Impressionist Movement. No wonder it’s called the city of painters! Here are just a few of the works the town has inspired.

Claude Monet, Mouth of the Seinne at Honfleur

Claude Monet, Boats in the Port de Honfleur

Eugène Boudin; Festival in the Harbour of Honfleur

It’s amazing to see, looking at these paintings, how little the bones of the place has changed.

The first written record of Honfleur is a reference by Richard III, Duke of Normandy, in 1027. By the middle of the 12th century, the city was a trade route from Rouen to England.

With a safe harbour Honfleur was regarded as a strategic position from the start of the Hundred Years’ War. The town’s defences were strengthened by Charles V from attacks from the English. However, Honfleur was taken and occupied by the English in 1357 and from 1419 to 1450. When under French control, raiding parties often set out from the port to ransack the English coasts. I know that French, Castilian and Genoese pirates attacked my home town of Southampton in 1338; I wonder if some of them came from here?

At the end of the Hundred Years’ War trade could flow freely again and Honfleur benefited from this until the end of the 18th century.

One of these trades was the slave trade. As Honfleur traded regularly with not only Canada, but the West Indies, the African coasts and the Azores the town became one of the five principal ports for the slave trade in France.

In connection with Canada, the port saw the departure of a number of explorers including one organised by Samuel de Champlain. In 1608 the city of Quebec in modern-day Canada was founded as a result.

The Sainte-Catherine church is the largest church made out of wood in France. It’s set within beautiful buildings beside the port.

The wars of the French revolution and the First Empire caused Honfleur to be largely ruined as a port, with it only partially recovering during the 19th century – trading wood from northern Europe. It is Le Havre that has that crown now.

For the WW2 buffs…

The port was was liberated together by the British and Belgian forces, as well as the Canadian army during the Second World War.

The beauty that remains here, in spite of the need for its Libération, is as a result of its location and reduced significance as a port. As it was some 60 kilometers from Sword Beach Honfleur didn’t play a role in the Normandy beach landings. As a result the city was hardly damaged during WWII and was also spared from the bombings, which was not the case for its neighbor, Le Havre.

Across the other side of the estuary and heavily bombed, Le Havre was known as a ‘martyr city’. Out of 160 000 inhabitants, 5 000 were killed and 80 000 rendered homeless; the whole 150 hectares of the historic centre were devastated, with 12 500 buildings destroyed.

This was largely as a result of the strategic importance of Le Havre, being the second largest port in France. Following the Allied beach landings on June 6, 1944, the German navy Kriegsmarine took on a suicidal mission. Volunteer soldiers boarded speedboats that transported 300 kilos worth of explosives. Only one of these boats would accomplish its mission however.

Due to their location the ports of Honfleur and Le Havre represented an easy opportunity to get to Paris. Consequently for many historians the liberation of Le Havre on September 12, 1944, marked the end of the Battle at Normandy.

Find out about the artists school that contributed to the #impressionistmovement #Honfleur itself, along with its #medeivalhistory and it’s #liberation in #WW2

The Piron Brigade, named as such for its Colonel Jean-Baptiste Piron, had previously liberated Honfleur from German occupation on August 25, 1944. The following day, power was transferred to the 49th British Division. The Belgian military unit was not only present during the Battle at Normandy but also fought alongside the Allied forces for the liberation of Belgium and Holland.

If you’re here in France it’s a wonderful place to visit – even on a freezing cold day.

Villedieu des Poêles

I love this town, which is about a fifteen minute drive from where we live here in Normandy, France.

The town itself is wonderfully ancient, with touches of the medieval about it. Considering so many small towns took a hammering under the liberation by the allies at the end of the war this is something I am truly grateful for.

This is largely thanks to the wartime mayor who, in 1944, approached the US commander in charge of the operation in the area. They were on the verge of bombing runs to ensure no Germa soldiers remained when the mayor approached the leader and persuaded him that there were no German soldiers left. He put his life on the line to save the town by offering to ride in the front of a military jeep with him through it to show him that this was true. when the Germans withdrew from Villedieu, they left a sniper who shot some of the first US soldiers to enter Villedieu, before being neutralised. Villedieu was thus saved from major destruction.

Nevertheless the commander had been right to be so concerned; on their retreat the German command had left behind a lone sniper who had managed to kill numerous soldiers of the liberating forces until he himself was eliminated.

Historically the town was a centre of metal-work, especially the brass and copper pans and basins from which the poêles in its name derives. It is also famous for its specialised manufacture of large church bells, which was started by immigrants from Lorraine around 1780. For this reason the villagers were traditionally called Sourdins, from the french word deaf sourd. The hammering of copper pans and bells inevitably took their toll.

Villedieu, town of God, owes its name to the religious order Knights Hospitaller which we now know as the Knights of Malta. Henry I, who was at that time King of England and Duke of Normandy, granted Villedieu to this order in the 12th century.

They were alternatively know as Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem during the time of their establishment and were originally an early modern Catholic military order who were headquartered in the Kingdom of Jerusalem until 1291, on the island of Rhodes from 1310 until 1522, in Malta from 1530 until 1798 and at Saint Petersburg from 1799 until 1801.

The Hospitallers arose in the time of Henry, early 11th century, during the great monastic reformation. Considering their journey through different countries it is considered that the advanced coppersmithing technology was presumably imported from the Middle East by the Knights.

By the early 14th century, the Corporation of the Coppersmiths of Villedieu was officially recognized by the Kings of France.

In contrast to the people of the surrounding area the people of Villedieu were strong supporters of the French Revolution. This is thought to be primarily because the Revolution abolished customs duties between French regions; before the Revolution, copper pans exported from Villedieu to Brittany, 50 km (31 mi) away, faced higher import duties than copper pans from Portugal.

Their support wasn’t just in principle either – they physically fought for the republican movement.

The Chouannerie was a royalist in 12 of the western départements of France, particularly in the provinces of Brittany and Maine, against the First Republic during the French Revolution. The inhabitants of Villedieu fought with the Chouan troops, and were overcome. However they escaped thanks to their women who threw stones, flowerpots and chamber pots from second-story windows at the pursuing Chouans. The general heading the Chouan troops was getting ready to bombard Villedieu and set it on fire. However, like the war time mayor, a delegation of the town’s women negotiated with him successfully. As a result the inhabitants were given a short time to hide their valuables prior to the Chouan soldiers then plundering the town for food and clothing.

The moral here; don’t mess with the women Villedieu des Poêles .

I often find my way into the village as they have plenty fo amenities like large supermarkets, industries, a large outside market as well as a hospital, opticians and other essential services. These shots below are from one of my favourite parts in the town, the beautiful river that winds through it. There are ducks on it and, as you can see on the photos below, they managed to get out and wander all of the road. Traffic slowed for them and people shoot them out of the way. So lovely.

The town has small, courtyard like roads veering from the main walks. I’m not sure if you are allowed to go in them, but there are certainly little restaurants and shops down some of them. Each has their name on an arch way and a brass plaque in its entrance.

I think you’ll agree from the photos I’ve added it’s a study town, even on a rainy day like the one I took these photos on.

La Haye Pesnel and La Baleine

I was out at a meeting today and drove home through La Haye Pesnel end La Baleine. I was so struck by their beauty in the Spring sun that I thought I’d take some photos.

First to Pesnel and the beautiful town hall…..

In front of it stands this war memorial…

The town has the look of a wool town in the North of England. Not because of the style, but because there are many grand houses throughout….

I love the lamp posts there which have beautiful details…

Winding my way back though the countryside I came across these beautiful scenes in a beauty spot called La Baleine

You can’t just see this house peeping through the trees near this river…

As you drive along you can just see the village peeping through the trees..

There’s a beautiful bridge over the river…

Which eventually leads to this church…

I headed off again past cows in fields….

Up to another river which was crystal clear….

Don’t you love spring?

Paris in the Springtime

The last time my husband and I were in Paris was in the Autumn and we stayed by the Seine. This time we stayed close to La Gare Montparnasse. Totally different atmosphere! It felt more like a city than the city of love, but there were some highlights.

We stayed in Hotel M, which was a great hotel. However the location was a little….well, when I saw a couple of sex shops in the area I wasn’t overly surprised. Nevertheless it was full of little theatres and bars and was lively. Having stayed near the Seine and walked along it’s banks last time though the area didn’t have the same impact.

I was waiting for my husband to arrive, as he was coming in from abroad, so I found myself walking the area alone and a lovely little square – a tranquil oasis.

Sat in a café alone people kept asking me what was happening with Brexit. I don’t know and I don’t think anyone else does either was my reply.

The highlight of the visit was la Basilique de Sacré Cœur. We first went there on our first anniversary. There is a group of nuns attached to the Basilica and as they came out to sing and my breath was taken away.

For some reason the ability to get to confession recently had alluded me, so we had headed out at a time I could go. As I sat down waiting I was overwhelmed by the feeling of God’s grace. I felt like the prodigal son, surrounded by his father’s love even before I could get the words of my repentance out.

I sat next to a woman who told me she’d been sat there hoping for the courage to go. It’s the second time I’ve had that kind of conversation. It’s so sad. Confession truly is a gift.

As I waited I prayed for my husband’s conversion. I’m so lucky to have a spouse that supports my faith despite his doubt. I sat with him after receiving absolution and just as I did so the nuns came out again, ready to sing. Such beauty.

Here are his shots of the view….

L’Abbaye d’Hambye in Autumn

Just a few Autumn shots…

More Paris

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Paris!

I’m here with my husband, the folks are looking after the girls and I’ve had wine at lunchtime. Let me share my joy….

Coutances

As Coutances is near to our home we have visited it many times, in fact our children first went to school in France there. It’s a beautiful place, so I thought it would be good to tell you about it – I might even make this a part of a series on Normandy.

The Cathedral itself dominates the skyline as you approach Coutances and is, of course, called Notre Dame.

It’s found in the square at the centre of Coutances, and you approach it through the winding streets of the town which has little boutique shops.

I love the square itself and can never resist going back there. There’s just something about the quintessential Frenchness of the bistro that draws me in, along with the typical Hotel de Ville. You can’t help but imagine what it would have been like under the occupation 70+ years ago (although I never mention these thoughts to my French cousins of course).

The cathedral isn’t the only place of worship though within the town as it had an active seminary. The coldness in the Cathedral has led to church services held in the smaller Centre D’Accuiel Diocéssain (C.A.D building) after Christmas as it’s easier to heat.

Those of you dedicated to The Sacred Heart of Jesus may be interested to know that the cathedral was the first to have an alter dedicated to the Sacred Heart as a result of the efforts of the venerable Père Eudes.

Eudes founded The SISTERS OF OUR LADY OF CHARITY at Caen, Normandy, under the title of Our Lady of Refuge. Moved by pity for abandoned women who had turned to prostitution and other means to survive he soon became convinced that the only way of helping them was to found a congregation of holy women, who would bind themselves by vow to work to aid them in the means of leaving their lives of pain behind.

The Sisters of Our Lady of Charity do not limit their work to helping current prostitutes, but young women who are in a position that could lead them into this life, therefore preserving them from future pain. These sisters now have house in England (Bartestree, Waterlooville, Monmouth, Southampton, Northfield (near Birmingham), and Mold), Ireland, The United States, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Spain and Austria.

As you stare up at the gothic cathedral, built between 1210 – 1274, you can’t help but be awed. It reminds me of Peter Hitchens comment that many people believe that people in these periods of history were ignorant, hence their belief in God. He points out that these people built these soaring cathedrals without the use of heavy machinery as we do now – what a testamony!

In a period where the majority of the congregation would have been illiterate these windows weren’t just there to inspire them, but to teach as well. Many Catholic churches have themes in their windows, such as Mary being told by the prophetess Anna that a sword would pierce her heart coupled with a window depicting the death of Jesus with Mary at the bottom of the cross. However I couldn’t see this amongst the windows of the cathedral.

Near to the alter is a depiction of St Michael, defending us in the day of battle…

Behind the principal altar stand six pairs of pillars supporting the roof, which are said to stand for the Twelve Apostles. The windows date from the 15th century.

The south ambulatory contains the Chapel of Saint Joseph, with a wall painting of 1381 that depicts the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Christ on the Cross, and the Holy Spirit as a dove.

The north transept displays a 13th-century stained-glass window showing scenes from the lives of the saints Thomas Becket, George and Blaise.

Mary’s chapel is a the rear of the church and is decorated beautifully (ive posted the picture above). Mary is also outside the chapel for Eucharistic adoration….

Unfortunately we didn’t get to take pictures within the chapel itself due to respect for worshippers.