Giverny, France
Claude Monet's Home and Gardens
As springtime approaches, I look back on the day my brother and I took time off from Paris Fashion Week to visit Giverny, Claude Monet's home.
Monet, a founder of the Impressionist style of painting, lived in Giverny for 43 years from 1883 to 1926. His house and garden, as well as the village and its surroundings, were his subject matter. They still attract half a million visitors each year from all over the world, including painters charmed by the distinctive light of the Seine Valley.
There are two parts in Monet's garden: a flower garden in front of the house and a Japanese-inspired water garden on the other side of the road. The Water Garden features wisterias, bamboo, weeping willows, and the famous nympheas that bloom all summer.
The Water Garden
The Flower Garden
The flower garden, called Clos Normand, was still unbelievably vibrant and blooming in early October. Mom loves flowers and this made me miss her. I'd like to take her here someday.
Monet’s House
The Yellow Dining Room
Monet's dining room is painted in two tones of yellow. The vibrant color showcases his blue and white dishes to perfection. The walls are covered with Japanese engravings that Monet collected from artists Hokusai, Hiroshige and Utamaro. Glass doors lead out into the garden.
The Blue Kitchen
Blue tiles of Roeun line the kitchen walls, contrasting with the warm glow of copper pans. An enormous coal and wood stove warmed the kitchen year round.
Try to avoid the touristy restaurants near Fondation Claude Monet. Walk further down the road to the village and have lunch at Hotel Baudy’s garden. Visit the galleries and studios in the village, and the Impressionist Art Museum next to Monet. We napped under the apple trees in its garden.
In Vernon, pop into the Notre-Dame Collegiate Church for a look at its impressionist stained-glass windows.
It was a beautiful day spent outside Paris. Though we had not travelled far, we were transported from the fashion whirlwind of the city to an idyllic and timeless world.
Getting there: from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon is a 45-minute train ride. From Vernon to Giverny take a taxi or shuttle bus.