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Dave and Aralynn

Vacation Rentals, France, Normandy

A Normandy artist's cottage in Honfleur

Location: Honfleur's historic center, Ruelle des 36 Marches

Sleeps: 4

       "To settle down in Honfleur has always been my fondest dream."

                           - Charles Baudelaire, the poet, in a letter to his mother, 1866

 

    A three-minute walk from Honfleur's breathtaking Old Harbor in one of the most beautiful towns of France, a stone and half-timber cottage with a romantic past. The main rooms and a private terrace look out on manicured lawns, rooftops and chimney pots, and the sky over the coast. Set beside a pedestrian lane, the lodging offers remarkable calm and charming decor. In French art history, it figures as the meeting place of a poet and a painter of the shore.  

 

    For us, the cottage is the culmination of a two-decade love affair with Honfleur. To dine in one of the town's several wonderful restaurants, pass by the Old Harbor with reflections of the picturesque quays shimmering in the water at night, pause for a Calvados, stroll home through cobblestone streets, admire the sky and rooftops from the terrace, and sleep with history all around is a pure delight. We enjoy sharing it, and we'll do all we can to make your stay memorable.

- Dave and Aralynn 

 

         "I lived in my 'bewitched' house, the Thirty-Six Steps, because the rent was commensurate with my poor purse. There I delighted Baudelaire with a private showing of my pastel skyscapes."

                                      - Eugene Boudin, the painter, recalling his cottage on Ruelle des 36 Marches, 1876.

 

THE LODGING 

 

    The top-floor master bedroom (fourth photo) has a high ceiling, exposed beams, historic-print tapestry wallcovering and an ensuite bathroom wih a small tub and sink.

     On the main floor (second photo) are a sitting room with a dining corner for three, a galley kitchen, and toilet room.

     The low floor (third photo), with access by a spiral staircase, has a large, working fireplace, two single beds that can be put together, a generous dining area, a galley kitchen, a shower room and toilet room.

      The main floor has an exit to the terrace (24 square meters/226 square feet), by a stairway, and the lower floor has an exit to the Ruelle des 36 Marches, joining the Rue Haute without steps.

      The distribution of the space can provide near-total privacy for two couples, if desired, or the lower level with its street access can offer "independence"  for teenage children.

 

THE TOWN ...

 

    On the Quay St. Catherine tall, slender houses from the 1600s frame the Old Harbor with its yachts and moorings for fishing boats. Cobbled streets (like the one at right in a  photo by Slow Traveller Kathy Woods) meander past half-timbered houses, a great wooden church built by ships' carpenters, museums of art, music, seafaring and everyday life, fine restaurants, art galleries and craft and antique shops - all beneath the green hills and dramatic skies of the Normandy coast. Honfleur boasts a lively cultural calendar. And the beach is a 15-minute walk from the cottage.

 

 ... AND THE REGION

 

       "To those upon whom has fallen the desire to travel amid historic sights and scenes, no part of France offers so much that is accessible. so economically covered, or as interesting as the plains and river valleys of Normandy."

- Francis Miltoun, "Rambles in Normandy," 1906

 

     Samuel Champlain set sail from Honfleur to found the colony of Quebec in 1608. Today, the town of 8,000 provides a good base for the exploration of the nearby beach resorts of Deauville and Trouville, the countryside of the Calvados region, Caen with its Peace Memorial and Museum of the Battle of Normandy, the 1944 D-Day invasion beaches and Bayeux, with its famous tapestry - all less than two hours away.

 

ATTRACTIONS

 

     Painters have come to Honfleur for nearly two centuries for the light, the sky and the beauty of the Seine estuary coast. Art fanciers come to the Eugene Boudin museum, which celebrates Honfleur's pre-eminent role in the birth of Impressionism, and for the dozens of galleries in the historic district. Gourmands come for the many fine restaurants, the colorful Saturday outdoor market, just-off-the-boat seafood, fresh-from-the-garden produce, wonderful cheeses, and the cider and Calvados that take the apple to new heights. And couples come for the romance of it all.

 

PLEASE NOTE

 

The cottage is a non-smoking space, and pets are not admitted. Children are welcome, but the numerous stairs make the lodging impractical for toddlers and also for anyone with difficulty walking.

 

RATES 

 

NOVEMBER 2007 THROUGH MARCH 2008:
Weekly rentals, 600 euros  for 7 nights

Daily rate (three-day minimum) 100 Euros per day

 

APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER 2008 :
Weekly rentals, 675 euros for 7 nights

 

DEPOSIT

A 20 percent deposit is requested upon reservation and may be paid by personal check in euros, U.S. dollars or British pounds. The balance will be due in euros upon arrival.

 

PHOTOS (upper right)

 

  •  an overview from rue l'Homme du Bois
  •  the salon on the  middle floor
  •  the lower floor, which sleeps two with separate entrance, bath and kitchenette
  •  the queen-sized bed on the top floor below a high, beamed ceiling
  •  the kitchenette on the middle floor
  •  one of the many streets to ramble.... 

    • For a longer look: http://mcmanehonfleur.monsite.wanadoo.fr/

     

    REACHING HONFLEUR

     

       The driving time from Paris is approximately two and a half hours.

       You can also come by train from Paris to Deauville/Trouville, with a bus connection from the train station to Honfleur (about three hours in all), or pick up a rental car at the Deauville/Trouville station.

       Parking is very scarce throughout the historic district of Honfleur, but there is free, 24-hour parking a five-minute walk from the cottage. In town, walking is best because of the scarcity of parking spaces. All of the attractions, as well as restaurants and shopping, are quite close together.

     

    THINKING OF PARIS?

     

    We also offer low-cost lodging there, off the beaten path, under the eaves, in the trendy but still real 11th arrondissement:

    http://www.slowtrav.com/cl/detail.asp?l=1208

     

    Slow Travel Reviews

    3486 3521 1885 3150

    Contact Information

    Company: Dave and Aralynn

    Name: Dave and Aralynn McMane

    Street: 259 rue du Faubourg St. Antoine

    City: Paris

    Country: France

    Zip/Postal Code: 75011

    E-mail: Click here to send an e-mail inquiry

    Listing #1941, on Slow Travel since 11/6/2005
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