October and the first (slight) frost. A perfect fall morning today: intense blue sky, leaves changing, especially the small shrubs, Euonymous scarlet.

We spent two weeks in France in September, the first week in Paris and the second in Honfleur. We stayed with our friend Nancy Pratt( read her blog and see her photos from around the world at https://nancyhereandthere.wordpress.com) in Paris. For a week we lived more like locals than tourists, shopping in the streets of the Jardin Des Plantes quarter and the market on Rue Mouffetard, walking, taking the bus, or the Batobus on the Seine. Our friends, Anne and Alan Simpson and Hazel Hamilton found a lovely apartment a twenty minutes walk away from Nancy’s and a block from the Seine at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame

For the second week, we rented a car and drove to Honfleur, Normandy and stayed in The Stables at Le Fond de la Cour, a charming bed and breakfast with some self-catering apartments. All of historic Honfleur was within walking distance.

Many of the Impressionist artists and modern ones painted in Honfleur. Something about the quality of the light drew them to the little town, which is still very pretty, in spite of thousands of tourists who descend on it every day.

We took day trips from Honfleur. Bayeux and its famous tapestry and Juno beach were the most memorable for me.

Honfleur street

Now we’re back at home and I’m editing(still) my work-in-progress. I’m closing on the end, I think, or is it the end of the beginning!