After spending so much time admiring Monet's painting of the water lilies, it would be a real shame not to make a visit to Monet's actual home and the Lillie pond he created at Giverny. Giverny is located in the town of Vernon 45 mins by train from Paris. I debated whether to visit Monet's home and garden on our own or go with a group tour. We decided to go on our own as I wanted to spend more time admiring the spring blooms and have lunch at the famous Tea room Les Nympheas which is a recommend. Turns out this was the right choice.
We got on the 12:30 train and worked on the blog until our arrival at Vernon just after lunch. A handy tourist Giverny bus awaits to take the crowd not only to Monet's place but in fact there is a whole village, street, stores, hotels, B&B and of course museum named after Monet.
The small country roads that lead you from the parking lot to Monet's house is like you have arrived in to Hansel and Gretal town. The streets are lined with beautiful perennials and houses with thatch roofs and the locals all seem to be artists or very wealthy Parisians that just want to live like an artist.
I suppose one should appreciate an artist who can be a master at gardening and a master painter all rolled in one. I have a fairly small garden compared to that of this town let alone this place and I can barely keep up with the weeds and I hire someone to mow the lawn. It is truly amazing that one man could have such a creative vision and the ability to capture what he created and arouse such powerful emotions.
We toured the inside of the home first as the line ups was shorter than all the folks taking pictures outside. Monet loved Japanese block prints and filled his home and every room with this medium. The Fondation reproduced Le salon-atelier - the drawing room studio as it was when Monet spent time here sketching by memory. There is a beautiful hugh window that looks out on to the garden and understandably the light is just perfect for his creative mind.
The peacefulness and serenity once you are outside is truly mesmerizing. Even Gary stopped photography for a fleeting moment to capture the well planned garden and the interplay of colours that inspired Monet.
I of course, stopped to smell the peonies. My father has peonies that he planted almost fifty years ago at our house that I found are here also. It is truly moving for me. The blooming time for peonies is very short and I am fortunate that I came at the right time to see them in full display.
We followed the path and our natural curiosity to the famous lilie pond. Once around the corner, there it is. The pond almost takes your breath away as the crowd clears as if the painting came alive right before you.
The water lilies were in bloom, the weeping wills are hanging just above the water, the reflections all of it is right before your eyes. I can hardly take my eyes away from all this.
We tried to capture the Japanese bridge without tourists on it but without luck. (Sorry Jen we missed the wisteria in bloom)
Gary & I spent over three hours in Giverney and worked up quite an appetite. As promised we dined at the tea room Les Nymphea right across the street from his home.
Before we headed for our 6 o'clock train back to Paris, we paid our respects to the Monet. He and his family are buried at L'eglise Ste-Radegonde in the church cemetery in Giverney.
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