Day Trip to Giverny

          Giverny is a small town in Northern France, but it's not an ordinary town. Giverny was once home to Claude Monet and his gardens. In 1890 Monet purchased land in Giverny and decided to build a house and plant a garden. This garden became the inspiration for many of his paintings we have come to admire today. Most of Monet's paintings are in the D'Orsay, so a trip the museum beforehand will give visitors an idea of what to expect. 

         On the left is a picture I took in the fields during my trip, the right is Monet's painting. 

How to get there?

           The Paris SNFC, similar to our version of Amtrak will get you to the town. Take the train which begins at Gare St. Lazare (which is in the center of the city) and then get off at Vernon. The trip should take about 45 minutes and the views of the French countryside are beautiful. When you've arrived at the train station there is still a bit more traveling left to do, 3 miles to be exact. So, there are a few options: walk, (that will take a while) cab, ($$$) or a bike rental. I reccomend taking a bike if weather permits. There are several rental shops steps away from the train station. Once you have the bike, it's time to start riding to the museum. There will be clear signs posted on where to go it's very easy to find. The ride though the city of Vernon is beautiful and along the way the views of the Seine do not disappoint. 

           

          

         Once you've arrived at the museum, the gardens are free to explore. I wandered the gardens for hours. They were gorgeous, flowers as far as the eye could see. I have never seen such a large variety of flowers before roses, peonies, poppies, daisies, lilies and so many more. Flowers continually bloom from April until October, but the best time to visit is in either June or July as the most flowers are blooming in the gardens during the summer months. April and October are calm and quiet in the gardens, the summer months are extremely busy. If planning on going in the summer, expect crowds. I was never able to get a picture of the bridge without people on it, like in Monet's painting above. There was always a continuous traffic jam right on the bridge, which I helped take part of while taking the picture above from the top of the bridge.

           After exploring the gardens, a peak inside Monet's house is a must. He lived in this house and cared for the gardens for 43 years. His house is filled with the artwork of his friends: Cezanne, Renoir, Manet, and Boudin. He did not have any of his own artwork displayed in his house. I wasn't allowed to take pictures on this inside of the house, but every room in the house is themed around color. The dining room is a bright yellow lemon, the kitchen is a rich royal blue, and the outside of the house is green- bright green shutters and all. The house is full of authenticity- every piece of furniture and artwork is the same as it was in 1926 when Monet moved from his home. This day trip is a must if time permits on your Parisian vacation.