Giverny

We have waited for the weather to improve before heading to Giverny, and we could not have picked a better day.  Several weeks ago we went to the musee de l'Orangerie, to learn about Claude Monet and see his work in preparation for our trip to Giverny.
We met Michele at the train station for our trip to Vernon then on to Giverny.  Arriving in Vernon, we boarded a bus for the short trip to the village of Giverny and the home of Monet.

We decided to have lunch before our visit to the house and gardens.  The Baudy was recommended, and we were not disappointed.  We all had the duck salad, it was generous and yummy.

This was a place American artists studying in Paris met Monet.  When they found out he was here, there was a steady stream of young artists coming to Giverny to meet with the "Master".

In 1883, middle aged Claude Monet, his wife and their eight children settled into a farmhouse here, 50 miles west of Paris.  He spent 40 years here and produced some of his best work.

We got in the que for our tickets and began our visit.

There are two gardens, the walled garden in front of the house and the water gardens.  We walked though the water gardens first.  They are breathtaking!  Monet carefully planned these gardens according to color and variety of plants.  You can certainly see how he was inspired by these magnificent water lillies.  The weeping willows are perfectly positioned for effect.  There were lots of oohs and ahas as people made their way over the bridges and around the pond.

We went through the walled garden on our way back to the house.  There were lots of rose trees and iron trellises covered with climbing roses.  Monet cleared out the pine trees and laid out the symmetrical beds.  Something is always in bloom with daisies, hollyhocks, poppies, geraniums and a myriad of other plants throughout the garden.  Each flower bed has a color scheme that contributes to the look of the whole garden.

The home is as close to the way it was when Monet, his wife, Alice and their eight children lived there.  There are pretty furnishings, Japanese prints, old photos and a room filled with copies of his paintings.

We stopped for a cool drink before heading back to the bus and home.  We enjoyed our day at Giverny, but were disturbed to hear of a train derailment just outside of Paris.  We were saddened by the loss of lives, and were grateful for our safe return.