Le Havre

Le Havre, France

Le Havre is the gateway port to Paris. Paris is a long drive by bus and something that we were not interested in doing as we have spent time there before checking out all the usual tourist icons. This is not to say that I don't want to go back as I LOVED Paris BUT am not prepared to spend 6 hours travelling in a bus for a 4 hour fix!

Our day was spent on a private tour to visit Claude Monet's House and Garden. There were 6 of us and we had pre booked a taxi for approximately an 8 our day. Our driver was there to greet us and then we sped up the freeway to Monet's property at Giverny. We got there with about 15 minutes to spare before opening time and thankfully the line for tickets was minimal.... a lot shorter than when we came out!

We had allowed 3 hours for our visit but the house and gardens only really needed about one and a half hours. This left time for a coffee and an internet break then a walk to the church and graveyard which lead us through the village.

Once back on the road we headed to Vernon where we had time for lunch and a wonder around the town which was pretty and quiet as it was Sunday. After buying a ham and cheese baguette we headed to a big shadey tree on the Seine river. It was a hot day but pleasant in the shade near the water. There were a number of the river cruising boats tired up near the bridge.... something that is on our bucket list.

After our lunch break we walked to Le Vieux Moulin.... the old flour mill, the medieval Chateau Des Tourelles castle and the Vernon Cathedral Collegiate.

By this time it was around 2pm so we were on the road again to Rouen. The main attraction here is the Cathedral.

After a quick walk around and a stop for a refreshment we headed back to meet our driver for our drive back to La Havre. On our way back to the van we found the square with the statue of Joan of Arc burning at the stake and a modern church with beautiful stained glass windows.

Another successful day on shore.

Now to focus on finishing our packing as we disembark tomorrow in Dover to start the next phase of our holiday.