Dec 1

Dec 1 Monet And His Garden in Giverney

Getting There

Having spent the previous few days on the Normandy coast (Here, and Here), we were somewhat frantically attempting to make our way to Versailles, where we had scheduled to drop-off our rental car. However, while not officially on our list of stops to make along the way, I had observed that we would be passing right by Giverney, which was the home of Claude Monet, and the location of the gardens in which the famous “water lilies” were painted. I put my best sad puppy face on, and my husband agreed to stop on the condition that we stay no longer than 45 minutes.

Needless to say, 45 minutes isn’t much time to see anything but is preferable to not stopping at all, so we power walked our way through those gardens like the Americans all Europeans think we are. Thank goodness for camera phones, because our quick snaps allowed us to view spots of interest at our leisure, as we rushed through the whole of the gardens and the house, without damaging our schedule.

Ultimately, we were able to drop our car off at our destination in Versailles, with just 20 minutes to spare!

The Art Experience

You don’t have to be an art lover, or even be familiar with the work of Monet, to appreciate the artistic inspiration that oozes from the gardens, and carefully appointed rooms of the house. I recommend getting an ice cream at the entrance gate and taking your time in the gardens, which is something I desperately wish I would have had time to do. You’ll not regret the experience, and you’ll be sure to walk away with a new appreciation for his work.

There’s not much else I can say about a place that I spent less than an hour in, but I hope you enjoyed the pictures (this visit occurred in mid-October)!

Next stop, Versailles!!