Travel Destination: Giverny, France

I will be writing about my travel experiences from last year on this blog since I didn't really take the time to write anything while I was on the road. I hope my stories and pictures will encourage people to pack up their bags to go to some of the amazing places I went to. Enjoy!

Claude Monet gave the world the Impressionist movement but also left behind a magical garden that inspired his Water Lilies series. A visit to the gardens in Giverny, France is a surreal experience.  It was easily one of my favorite attractions this past summer.

Paris has a spell that is hard to escape, however, the trip out to Monet’s house and garden is worth every minute of your time. Before heading to Giverny, visitors should prep themselves with the works of Monet by visiting the Musée d’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie and Musée Marmottan. All three museums house collections of other Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists.  During my two month stay in Paris, I ended up at the Orsay three times!

The Water Lilies (Nymphéas) paintings are exhibited all over the world in different museums. In Paris, the Orangerie houses eight of the murals in two large oval rooms. Since Monet was a careful observer of light and colors based on daily changes from the sun, each room showcases the lilies at either sunrise or sunset.  Knowing this is important to comprehending Monet’s contribution to art and will lend to a better appreciation of the gardens in Giverny. 

Giverny is an easy forty-five minute train ride outside of Paris. It is best to go during a weekday. The weekend may be a bit hectic since the line to enter into the house and garden may take as long as two hours. I was lucky to have waited only forty-five minutes when I went on a Saturday. Once you make it through the line, all the anxiety to get in dissipates quickly. Entering Monet’s world is a humbling experience. Japanese art covers his walls in the house, the garden bursts with an assortment of flowers and the lily pads are mesmerizing.  I sat on a bench near the pond for an hour in the late afternoon.  During that hour, I observed how the colors of the lily pads changed as the sun moved, just how Monet would've done it!  I imagined Monet sitting next to me with his brush, paints and easel.  I highly highly recommend taking the time to go to Giverny.  This experience is not to be missed when making a trip to Paris.

It's Monet himself!!!