Tastes of the Atlantic Arc

Honfleur, Home of Artists and Heroes. Ports don’t come prettier than petite Honfleur, where soft light dances off the still waters of its Vieux Bassin, reflecting a mirror image of the half-timbered 18th-century townhouses huddled at its edge. It’s a scene that has captivated artists for centuries, immortalized by Impressionists like Eugène Boudin and his protégé Claude Monet, whose legacies live on at the Eugène Boudin Museum. Artistic inspiration is found all around this quiet corner of Normandy, framed by the wildflower-covered hillsides of the Côte Fleurie to the majestic white cliffs of Étretat and the infamous WWII D-Day Beaches. Further afield await family farms preserving traditions of crafting Livarot and Pont l’Évêque cheeses or dash into Deauville, the Parisian Riviera, for an afternoon of stylish exploration.

Home of French explorer Jacques Cartier and once a hub for corsairs and adventurers, history hums around Saint-Malo's granite walls. Soak it all in while strolling the ramparts around the Intra-Muros historic center or pause for Breton crêpes and traditional cider among the grand ship-owners' mansions of Place Chateaubriand. Named after a Welsh monk and nestled in a sheltered harbor near the fairytale abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo and its surrounds are revered for their gastronomy, which finds its apogee at three-star Le Coquillage where chef Hugo Roellinger is a master of Breton culinary art. For a more down-to-earth experience, few pleasures beat a chilled glass of Muscadet and a dozen Cancale oysters served harborside as the sun sets over Saint-Malo.

Esteemed worldwide for its prestigious appellations, Bordeaux is the undisputed capital of wine. From legendary Left Bank labels in Pauillac and Margaux to the regal Right Bank château of Saint Émilion and Pomerol, the region is an Eden for oenophiles. Beyond the vineyards, Bordeaux is a celebration of 18th-century grandeur, split in two by the Garonne. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed center is an urban masterpiece of neoclassical and baroque architecture. You'll marvel at the Place de la Bourse, admire Victor Louis' magnificent Grand Théâtre and wander through triumphant medieval gateways. Fine wine is always accompanied by generous dining and there is no shortage of prestigious menus at generations-old restaurants hidden among Bordeaux’s atmospheric alleyways.