Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet

As promised, I am back today to share about my visit to the house and gardens of Claude Monet in Giverny, France. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to step into a fairytale, you are here on the right day. For me, this was more than I could have ever dreamed...and I am still pinching myself that I was able to visit this place of magnificent beauty and inspiration...and to be able to share this experience with my momma and second dad was priceless. My parents had already visited Monet's Gardens a few years ago, and I was entranced as I heard all about their visit, never imagining that I would have an opportunity to visit with them in the future. If you are not very familiar with Claude Monet, this is where he lived and painted for 43 years. Monet was truly inspired by his gardens and spent years curating them - planting thousands of plants and flowers. He painted outdoors, surrounding himself with the gardens and nature that he cultivated and nurtured. His paintings showcased his breathtaking gardens and art lovers will recognize his pond with water lilies and the Japanese bridge (which was covered with people then entire time we were there, so I didn't get a good photo). Monet lived and painted in Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926 and The Foundation Claude Monet (a nonprofit) manages the house and gardens today. While it was a crowded, Saturday visit, we arrived right before opening and had tickets to skip the line and were able to easily walk the entire estate, taking in all the gardens and the home (still painted in Monet's color choice of cherry pink and emerald green to blend with the gardens). I won't go into more history here, but if you feel inclined, there is much written about his full and artistic life. After touring his home and gardens, we walked the quaint town of Giverny (where I wanted to find available real estate and plan my move!) and took in the historic church and Monet's resting place. This day was much more than I could have dreamed and was everything I wanted it to be and more! I left feeling inspired, enriched, and incredibly blessed. 

I am not exaggerating when I say that I took almost 1,000 photos and videos...I did. These gardens were infused with magic potion - it is really the only explanation for such beauty. It is not possible to share all of them on my blog, but here is a very minute selection. I have good intentions of making a video for my YouTube Channel, combining all the media I recorded, but currently, time is not on my side...maybe in the future...

After a magical day, our driver took us back to Paris, where we had an early dinner and my second dad celebrated his birthday with a crème brûlée. I enjoyed a tasty espresso, then after a short rest, my momma and I took an evening walk to the Tuileries Garden where we passed a charming bakery with lovely macaroons (I was looking forward to taking a few back to the hotel with me, but a very grumpy woman behind the counter yelled at me for taking a photo, so I declined to make a purchase - it was the only disappointing moment in Paris - but the picture turned out!😊).

The journey will continue in my next post - where we travel from Paris to London via the Channel Tunnel. Our days in London were filled with wonderful destinations and I can't wait to share them with you!