Dimanche, 13 juillet.
Today I went to heaven. Did you know that it's located in Giverny, France?
Despite the fact that people have been living in Giverny since the Neolithic Era, the small city is known around the world for one certain inhabitant -- Claude Monet. Interestingly, although he is now the town's most famous resident, Monet wasn't even originally FROM Giverny. He was born in Paris and spent his childhood in Le Havre. It wasn't until the age of forty-three when, in 1883, he discovered Giverny while passing through on a train. He fell in love with the town and immediately moved his family there. In 1890, Monet purchased a home in Giverny and began laying out his now-famous gardens.
After the death of Monet's son in 1966, his home and gardens were bequeathed to the
Académie des Beaux-Arts. Extensive renovations restored the house and gardens to their original appearance. The museum opened in 1980 and has been welcoming tourists from around the world ever since.
I've been to Giverny before, way back in 2000. I don't have particularly vivid memories of the trip, but certain souvenirs -- including my children's book,
Linnea in Monet's Garden -- have stayed with me for years. I didn't have a chance to visit during my last stay in France, and it's been on my 'bucket list' ever since.
With only a few days left in my summer tour of France, I decided that Giverny simply had to happen ... and luckily, one of my friends from school felt the same way! So Lynn and I hopped on a train to Vernon and, from there, on a bus to the town of Giverny. We started off our visit with a trip to Monet's world-famous
nymphaes, or water lilies. Lynn and I wanted to get to there before the hordes descended, so we skipped the house and rushed through the garden, eager to make it to the
jardin d'eau. This land was purchased as an addition in 1893, when Monet decided to expand his backyard, and is therefore located just across the train tracks from the rest of the property. (Want a visual? Check out
this map.)
Unintentional matching because there are only so many neutrals!
We had been a little worried about picking such a dreary day for our day trip, but visiting Giverny in the rain turned out to be a simply incredible decision. Although the rain held off during the time we were actually visiting the gardens, the threat of bad weather scared off some of the crowds that would have usually been swarming on a summer weekend. It was crowded, but doable.
More importantly, the rain also gave everything an extra dose of gorgeous. A morning shower just before our arrival had left the garden damp, covered in water droplets, and looking greener than I thought was possible!
