Honfleur & Deauville, Francia

Lugar fotográfico en Honfleur y Deauville

The Vieux Bassin from the Quai Sainte-Catherine

Tall, narrow slate-fronted houses standing shoulder to shoulder around a rectangle of water, doubled in it whenever the harbour is still.

Sobre The Vieux Bassin from the Quai Sainte-Catherine

Cómo llegar

The Vieux Bassin is one frame that has been earning its living for two centuries: six and seven storeys tall, three windows wide, slate hung on the fronts against the weather, leaning very slightly, and repeated upside down in the water. Boudin painted here and brought the young Monet with him, which is why the light gets talked about — soft, silvery, and different every twenty minutes.

Shoot from the Quai Sainte-Catherine side early, before the restaurants put their chairs out and while the water is still enough to hold a clean reflection. The stone Lieutenance gate at the harbour mouth gives a second, more architectural frame, and the corner where the quay meets the gate is where the whole basin lines up. Overcast is not a problem here, it is the local look; rain is fine too, because the arcades and the covered market give shelter within a minute.

By mid-morning in season the quay is a slow-moving crowd and the terraces are full. The other end of the day works as well: after the restaurants light up, blue hour puts warm windows against a cobalt sky with the reflection still there.

Mejor momento para fotografiar

Early morning for still water, or blue hour once the restaurant windows light up

Consejos

The reflection is the picture, so go before the harbour breeze gets up. Overcast Normandy light is an asset here, not a reason to reschedule.

¿Listo para reservar?

Nuestro equipo de concierge seleccionará 2-3 fotógrafos que conozcan The Vieux Bassin from the Quai Sainte-Catherine — gratis.

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