Only about an hour and a half from Paris, you can walk in the footsteps of art history by imersing yourself for a few hours the Impressionist painter, Monet's home and garden at Giverny, located in the heart of the picturesque Normandy flower filled village that he made his family home in 1883.
It is an absolutely stunningly beautiful place to visit, food for the soul! And definately worth the trip if you are in Paris.
I've shared some practical information about visiting (scroll down), some of the good to know history and some glimpses of the house and gardens on a sundrenched midsummer's day for you to enjoy if you can't visit yourself.
But how does it feel to be there? For me it is the feeling that a place leaves you with that is the most important, that's what makes the memories.
It really is an incredible feeling to walk into Monet's studio, he worked there until 1899. The paintings on the walls are reproductions, this is no gallery space but a home, they are illustrative of the works that would have filled his home, they certainly create the atmosphere of his presence.
Then you can wander through his home; from the bedroom he slept in to the kitchen, as well as marvelling at the collected decor and his use of colour in his home, it is very much an artist's home and especially interesting if, like me, you love antique French decor. The rooms have been painstakingly recreated to give an authentic experience. The views of the garden from the house allow you to feel how connected the two were.
Try to imagine the bustle of the home, eight children running through the house! An invitation to Giverny was prized, as when Monet was working he did not like to be interrupted. But when he did entertain friends from Paris, artists such as good friend Renoir, he was a bon viveur!
Imagine the conversations that happened in the sunny yellow dining room. And I'm sure Alice too would have clipped flowers from the garden to bring into the home,
One of his children remembers the family arriving for the first time in Giverny in 1883, dressed rather haphazardly in bright colours. It is reported the locals were unsure!
Monet and Alice were not married, Monet's first wife Camille had died and Alice's husband abandoned her and her six children when he lost his fortune, but her spirit and strong personality were respected by the villagers so they became accepted into the small community.
It was at times a bumpy life but they appeared to love each other and certainly all of the children dearly. Eventually they married, when Alice's husband died, and Claude Monet continued to live at the house in Giverny after her passing until his death in 1926 at the age of 86.
Giverny is of course best known for the gardens. As well as a wonderful family home, Monet created his own canvas to paint in his breathtaking garden
"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece. I work at my garden all the time with love. What I need most is flowers. Always."
The house leads onto the first of his gardens, the 'Clos Normande' directly in front of the house, and visible from its windows. Originally an orchard and potager or vegetable garden, Monet changed it, taking out large evergreen trees which cast shade and adding the large treslis arches for climbing plants which are still the centre piece of the garden, supporting cascading roses today.
An Artist's Palette
He used his artist's eye to design a rich tapestry of colours, densly planted and supported with textures and shades of green, with of course the breathtaking vistas of a true artist. The garden team work today to keep it close to the original vision of Monet.
The garden is naturally sheltered, bathed in soft light, south facing and a sun trap, allowing many species of plants to thrive, each season bringing favourites, from the tulips, irises, dahlias to sunflowers and of course the roses.
The Water lilies
Have you seen Monet's fabulous water lilies series of paintings?
(Addresses below for the best places to see them in Paris)
There is a subway leading from the bottom of the garden, under the modern road, to the lily pond - more of a lake in size, dug on Monet's instruction and filled by a charming small river, a babbling brook which provides some beautiful shady quiet areas in the garden.
Monet bought this land in 1893 with the desire to create his own Japanese inspired garden, with of course the large green wisteria covered Japanese bridge as the centrepiece. Weeping willows and bamboo structural planting is enhanced with beautiful underplanting, each view a masterpiece.
The water and shade opening up the variety of plants able to be used.
There is a path along the river bank and another around the lake which leads to the iconic green bridge, of course featured in his most memorable works.
The bridge will be crowded, but you can still find little spaces and vistas. Generally people take turns to photograph from the key places and someone will always help by taking a photograph of you, I think it is impossible to be grumpy in such a beautiful setting.
If you want to see the iconic water lilies they are flowering from June, just starting when I visited.
Visiting tips:
Buy your tickets online in advance, from the Monet foundation's website, you can then enter through the skip the line entrance down a little side alley instead of queuing in the sun against the building.
There are many guided tours, but I would have felt rushed and felt that I had missed the essence of the place, going through at someone else's pace. The joy is to stop and feel and really look as if one was an artist. You don't have someome explaining it to you, but the history is easy to research on line and there are some very good books in the shop that explain the history.
If engaging a guide in France, make sure they are registered so you will know that you are in safe hands.
Getting there:
You can get a train from Paris to Vernon and then a shuttle from Vernon station. These run regularly.
Don't rely on a taxi as although you can get one from Paris it may not be so easy to get one back.
The drive is easy, depending on Paris traffic if you arrive from the capital. Giverny is not too far from the main roads and the little country roads are beautiful, as you approach you can imagine Monet travelling home from one of his psinting excursions. There is free parking at Giverny only a short walk from the house and garden.
Eating at Giverny: You can take water into the garden but not a picnic. There are plenty of pretty spaces to picnic in the village and several restaurants. I have only eaten at one, many times, and it is good and very much part of my day out when I visit. I will divulge the address if you message me!
Inside Monet's garden: If you arrive early in the day, consider visiting the house first. I arrived at 9.30am and walked straight in, when I thought I'd pop back in after touring the gardens, there was a huge queue full of people doubled back standing in line.
Do take a bottle of water and appropriate outdoor clothing including sensible shoes. On a sunny day it gets very hot and sunscreen and a hat are recommended.
The crowds? Yes it is crowded and the paths are narrow so you'll need patience. However, peace and space are possible. On the veranda, half hidden by the tendrils of the climibing plants, I was able to spend some time sitting uninterrupted on a bench, in his signature green of course, between the entrance and exit of his long pink painted house, enjoying the shade of the wisteria and imagining members of his family doing the same, looking out on the beautiful garden he had created. Even among the crowds, there are moments of calm to be had in Monet's Garden, if you look for them.
If the rumours are true and it is featured in the next Emily in Paris series, be prepared for the crowds to increase.
Useful Addresses:
fondation-monet.com The official website, this is where I bought my ticket for 11,50€ rather than using a third party site, it is in English as well as French and the tickets can be downloaded and shown on you cellphone.
Don't forget to visit the Musée Impressionismes Giverny while you are there, there is a separate charge, its just down the road.
Best palces to see Monet's paintings in Paris:
Musée Marmottan has some fabulous paintings in the bespoke below ground gallery under a splendid Parisian house turned museum / gallery a little way out of the centre, in Paris 16ème. They were dontated by Monet's son. The collection is breathtaking.
Musée de l'Orangerie at the Concorde end of the Jardin Tuilleries in Central Paris
Musée d'Orsay in cental Paris on the Rive Gauche
All of these museums, especially the two in the centre will have queues, which are shorter if you pre book skip the line tickets
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The green wood trim was repainted about a year ago. It seems really strong and a little off, perhaps ,a little too bright. The previous green (s) may have weathered and faded. Do you know if the current color is the original?