The last post described my search for French Christmas tree decorations.  In the weeks after writing, I started to feel increasingly pessimistic about my chances of success. No one could tell me where to look. While we were away from Normandy, neighbours kindly decorated our cottage – a touching surprise that the children adored.  The decorations, however, were not quite of the made-in-France variety I was searching for.

Then, driving after dark from Calais to Upper Normandy during the holidays, the flashing Santas and light-dripping evergreens in village after village were as gaudy as anything I had ever seen in suburban America. Did real French Christmas decorations exist?

So I was intrigued when @mrslittleboot suggested Marie Vit in Honfleur, on Rue Haute where it meets L’Homme de bois.

What a gem. Full of charming home decor ideas – including these delightful French Christmas tree decorations. I particularly like the toile hearts.

There are also baskets and baskets of what I thought were paper fans. In fact they are hand-marbled paper lampshades, each one unique. They come in various sizes.  What an attractive stocking stuffer.

And Honfleur looked elegantly festive with its large fir trees and Christmas lights reflected in the old harbour. All Norman wood and red berried holly, nothing like the gaudy lights across the countryside.

As is traditional during the festive season, we lunched on the freshest oysters with a touch of lemon at a restaurant next to the Honfleur docks. And look at these seasonal table decorations, complete with sticks of cinnamon. Just lovely.