Honfleur, Thatched Roof

(2 photos)
The drive west from Honfleur is on a narrow, curvy, rather rough road. Much of the time the trees and hedgerows are high and right up against the edge of the road, making sightseeing difficult. But when the road widens, and there is a chance to stop and look, we must. Some outstanding pastoral views are along this road — sheep and lambs in the pasture, quaint old thatched roof barns in the background, with the backdrop of the Seine Estuary and Le Havre in the distance.

They plant irises along the very peak of the roof to suck water from the thatch so
it will not rot. We don’t remember seeing flowers on thatched roofs elsewhere. The question is, do they design the roofs between Honfleur and Trouville so the flowers will keep the roof from rotting, or do they plant the flowers to make the countryside more beautiful? Whatever their plan, the latter is the result.

To many Americans, Normandy and the beaches along la Manche (English Channel) bring to mind the invasion of mainland Europe during World War II. A visit along this beautiful coast will combine leisurely pastoral scenes, lovely villages and cities, with an informative, historical, learning experience.
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In 1991 we had been told a new bridge was being built over the Seine River at le Havre, and it would be completed in a few years. As we traveled this fascinating coastal road we stopped to take video of the scenic thatched roof farm buildings, the grazing sheep and cows, and the ruins of WW II defensive bunkers. Not until we arrived home and played the video on a large screen TV did we discover the towers and cables of the under-construction Pont de Normandy in the background. This is a snapshot from the Video.