Monet :: Giverny

Thursday a friend & I went to Giverny, France to visit Claude Monet's garden. I'd heard wonderful things about the trip so I was excited to go. Before visiting the gardens, we made a stop in Vernon which I welcomed. The roads were a bit windy and no matter how hard I tried not to get sick it didn't work. It's one thing to get sick in your own car but on a bus filled with mostly strangers it's just not fun. So I headed straight to the pharmacy & bought some medication. Vernon is a cute little French town to wander through with wonderful artisan bakeries, charcuterie, and of course lots of shops. My girlfriend & I bought some beautiful French ceramic cookware. I was like a kid in a candy shop! I came home with a much needed deep lasagna dish and two other baking dishes in warm autumn colours.

Once we arrived in Giverny, we had some free time to visit the Musee d' Art Americain. In the late afternoon we visited Monet's home & garden. As I imagined the gardens were lush & very soothing. The water garden was my favorite.

Loved, loved, loved the Asian inspired bridge with the wisteria. And the weeping willows made everything so peaceful and calm. There was only one water lily in bloom. I'm sure in July the pond must be an incredible sight with tons of water lilies blooming.

The Irises were in full bloom. So many colours I had never seen before. The gardens seem to be filled with various shades of purple.

This particular lilac was very unique with purple, white, and orange accents.

What I found most surprising about Monet's home were the colours of the rooms like sage, lilac, and yellow. Some of the rooms like the dining room were done in a tone on tone yellow. There is just no way a person could walk into that room and not feel cheerful. Even the dining table was yellow! One of the guides in the home told us the rooms were restored to the same colours Monet had painted them before he began to lose his eye sight & passed away. The house was decorated mainly with Asian artwork. Unfortunately, photos inside the home are prohibited except for the view from Monet's bedroom which were spectacular.

During the trip, I found myself chatting with a Russian acquaintance from my first French class and she told me, "If I woke up to this everyday, I'd have to become an artist. This view would inspire me to paint". I couldn't agree with her more.

Comments

[Giverny Impression]

Soothing, that's the right word!

[RD]

It's just a beautiful, peaceful place-- if the crowds aren't too overwhelming. I've visited a couple of times and each time I wanted to pull out my watercolors and brushes and capture the scenery. Alas, I think my work would look like Monet's after he lost most of his vision, except that my creations would be compared to a toddler's artwork. In spite of its touristy attraction, Monet's garden is one of my favorite places. Great pictures, of the irises in particular.

[Mum(AKA) Mema]

What BEAUTIFUL pictures!!!! I love your writing. When I read your things I feel as if I'm reading an amazing book, its all so lovely.

[Giselle Rivera]

I would love to see this garden next month when I visit you. Can you believe that I'm going to see you next month!!!!