Giverny

Saturday, July 26

We decided to do a day trip to Monet's home and gardens in Giverny, about 50 miles west of Paris. After a week of walking, city bus-catching and organizing our own itinerary, it was nice just to plop down on an air-conditioned bus and be given background info by a tour guide, dropped off right in front of our destination, not have to wait in line to buy tickets, and then be driven back again. There's definitely something to be said for organized tours!

The bus went past the Eiffel Tower, down the Champs d"Elysee past the Arc d'Triomphe, onto the ring road (Boulevard Peripherique) and out of the city into the Seine Valley. It was nice to see some of the French countryside, including fields of lavender (if only whizzing past the window) after a week in the crowded bustle of Paris. We had plenty of time to enjoy Monet's two lovely gardens and farmhouse.













By the time Monet, his second wife and blended family of eight children moved to Giverny in 1890, he was a successful artist with the time and money to spend the remaining 36 years of his life landscaping his gardens and painting them. The house itself is fun to go through--the decor is just what you imagine "Country French" to be, with soft pastels on the walls, lace and gingham curtains on the windows, blue-and-white patterned tiles and polished copper pots in the kitchen, potted geraniums and hydrangeas everywhere--plus, Monet's wonderful collection of Japanese prints adorning the walls in every room. But of course the gardens are the best part of the experience, and delightful to see and photograph. The Impressionists very greatly influenced by Japanese art and used ideas gained from it in their new art form. One of Monet's gardens is a Japanese garden with the famous lily pond and bridge.




















After the bus ride back into Paris (with a stop at Versailles to drop some people off), Claire went to the Museum of Decorative Arts (not Bill's thing so he returned home and published yesterday's blog). The museum covers the history of interior design from medieval times to the present, of course with an emphasis on the French influence.








For dinner, we went to Cafe de Musees on rue de Turrene (just off rue St. Antoine & St. Paul, a ten minute walk). It was recommended by a good friend, Charles Mills. We shared a gazpacho and both had sea bass; it was excellent. After a nice dessert, we walked home in the warm evening past numerous cafes that were still going strong.