After a pleasant Uber trip from the 3rd Arrondisment to the 17th Arrondisment in Paris (with views of the Arc de Triomphe), we got our Avis rental car for our trip to Normandy. Giverny, Monet's home from approximately 1883 until his death in 1926, was on the way, about an hour out of Paris (not factoring in time to get lost, which we did). His son Michel willed his father's estate to a foundation in 1966, and eventually the whole place was restored, and this tiny village now hosts a thriving tourist attraction.
Monet said his best art was his garden, and it is a treasure. Here we stand on one of his iconic arched green bridges, which feature in so many of his paintings.
The garden is designed to be in continually bloom, with like colors together. I post a few flowers for your viewing pleasure, plus the world's largest bumble bee. Butterflies and bees were out in force of course.
We viewed his lily pond (more like a small lake), and his more formal gardens before stepping into his long rectangular pink house with green shutters. Interestingly, the house has no hallways, you pass from one colorful room to the next.
Claude Monet, as expected of a great Impressionist painter, was not afraid of color. His walls and doors
are purple, pale green, soft blue and bright blue, and the dining room is, except for the red checked floor and blue fireplace, entirely yellow. A visitor said the latter was as if "bathed in golden sunshine."
The kitchen is almost bursting with blue tile and plenty of copper. Steven, are you ready to cook?
The tour starts in Monet's first studio, painted white, but with floral furniture. Here, Monet's art climbs the walls. These are all reproductions; the originals all hang in museums or private collections across the globe. Monet displayed his own artwork, but also that of Degas, Cezanne, Renoir and Pisarro, among other famous artists. He also had a passion for Japanese art, with over 200 prints in his house. All are a delight for the eyes, and well worth the journey to see.
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