Closed Tuesdays. Located on a charming historic street, it is worth walking by even if it is…read moreclosed. House faces the park, historic street on other side. A cut through walkway connects the two.

Recommended for those interested in the predecessors of Impressionism. An unexpected learning…read moreexperience, as we learned how Monet came to Honfleur, and about his pre-impressionist mentors.

The Musee Eugene Boudin is a pretty large museum for such a small town. I was expecting something…read moreon the scale of the Delacroix or Moreau museums in Paris: the artist's house made into a museum with a peak into the artist's home decor and what he collected along with some pieces by the artist and a look at his studio. (The Moreau Museum is a gem in this regard and quite large itself.) The Boudin Museum is three floors of exhibition space, much of it devoted to seascapes with ships and shipwrecks. On the day of my visit there was also an interesting exhibition by an artist who depicted the emotional loss and the funeral rites of sailors lost at sea. Another gallery that didn't take more than five minutes to peruse and I would have skipped but for Rick Steves' explanation of it was devoted to the local costumes worn by the people of Normandy and Brittany. In particular the bonnets and head scarves worn by the women identified what village they came from. Anyone who's ever seen a period drama or some of Gaugin's paintings of the Breton women will find these bonnets somewhat familiar. Who knew that they signified so much? The best part of the museum though was the gallery with paintings of Honfleur with works by other artists as well as native son Boudin. Boudin was an influence on the young Monet and then later learned impressionist techniques from the younger artist. The museum shows Boudin's evolution as an artist and has a couple of pieces by Monet and other artists who flocked to the coast to paint in plein air. It's certainly fascinating to see how the look of the village, its main church, and the boat basin have been maintained over so many decades.

From the owner: Voyage exotique Ouvert depuis juillet 1999, cet endroit propose un voyage insolite au coeur d'un…read moreparadis tropical de 800 m². Le visiteur parcourt 200 m de sentiers, caressé par les ailes de centaines de papillons qui volent autour de lui. C'est en effet plus d'une cinquantaine d'espèces d'Amérique du Sud, d'Asie, d'Afrique et d'Océanie qui volent ainsi en toute liberté. Ces papillons proviennent d'élevages et sont expédiés depuis leur pays d'origine à l'état de chrysalides. Ces dernières sont entreposées dans un "éclosoir" et chaque matin, il est possible d'assister au déploiement des nouveaux papillons, au durcissement de leurs ailes et à leur envol dans la serre. Au cours de son cheminement, le visiteur découvre également l'extraordinaire richesse biologique de l'écosystème équatorial où se côtoient des plantes remarquables par leur diversité, leur taille et leur spécificité : balisiers, passiflores, café, hibiscus ou bananiers.