This past June, I was fortunate enough to make it Paris for a second time. I was more than thrilled to see some of the sites that I loved so much the first time around, but I also wanted to expand my horizons a bit and see something new.
I made it to the small village 99 kilometers outside the hustle and bustle of Paris. Giverny is most famous for being the home of famed Artist and incredible horticulturist Claude Monet.
There you can visit his house and more importantly his gardens. Claude Monet lived in Giverny for 43 years from 1883 till 1926. After seeing the town from a train window he took up residence and history was made. While he is most well-known for his paintings the work he did on the ground and house is remarkable.
After a relatively short trip on the metro (1.40 euro), train (27 euro) and bus (8 euro) I arrived. The town was green and lush with tall grass everywhere. The houses are what you might imagine a small French village might look like with ivy crawling up the walls and if you squint you can imagine away the satellite dishes. The Monet estate and museum have done an exquisite job restoring and maintaining this area.
THE MONET HOUSE
It is quick to walk through, but well worth it. The rooms are all bright and sunny and filled with art. Monet was never scared of color and that is echoed in every corner of his house.
The pictures that adorn the walls are recreations of Monet’s and his friends’ works and it isn’t hard at all to imagine the environment he cultivated for himself that inspired some of the most famous art in history.
THE REAL STARS OF THE SHOW
Monet’s impressive gardens. The whole place gives off a hazy aura, although there is a good chance I was just seeing all the pollen in the air. The water garden features the pond that Monet built himself and you can stand where his most famous work is based off of. Although Claude Monet has not planted anything recently his legacy certainly lives on this serene bit of Earth.
After spending a good bit of time in the gardens I wandered around the rest of the small village. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and galleries to occupy your time beyond the house. I was blessed with sunshine on my visit, but I’d recommend this locale rain or shine.
All in all it was a lovely day and a great opportunity to escape the unique chaos that is Paris for some quiet and some poppies.
This post was contributed by Liz Cuccaro. Liz spent the past few months traveling around the US and Europe before that she was booking other people’s trips as she was working as a travel agent. Follow her @liztravels on Instagram.