I woke up early this morning and took the local train out to Mantes la Jolie with my Navigo. From there, I bought a 4 euro ticket to Vernon. Cheapest and BEST day trip ever!! At the gare in Vernon, I saw that the bus to Giverny wasn't coming back around for another hour and a half so I decided to forgo the 14 euro bike rental and to walk. They had a nice path lined out and it looked simple enough on the map.
I started out and with one turn, I was already off in the wrong direction. Thanks to my French and a wonderfully cute, little, old French lady, I was pointed in the right direction of the bridge. Vernon is cute in it's own little way. The buildings were all the 'Old-Normandy' style that look pretty Bavarian with the criss-crossed beams against a white house, often times the second story coming out further than the main floor. They had Saturday markets going on and the city itself was nestled into a fluffy, green "valley" if you will. It's more like random little hills....and a river. Ya know.
The Seine was a million times more beautiful out there than it is in Paris and on my way back through town, I sat and ate ice cream in the hot hot hotness and 20 swans came and watched me while I watched them. I almost shed a tear to how magnificent this day was. But now I've skipped the best part. Let's rewind a bit.
As I crossed the bridge, a chateau came into view and the inner French girl inside me started doing her happy dance. Live is unbearable when chateaus do not make an appearance regularly. This one was tiny and cute and perfect and had a river front view of sailboats and green-- green trees everywhere! Absolutely marvelous. And the church on the north side of the Seine was literally tucked into the fluffy green trees of the hill. No wonder Monet chose this town as his home. It is literally perfect. And on the south side of the Seine was Vernon's own Notre Dame so I mean it really can't get much better than that. I was just beside myself.
The trek, I mean path, to Giverny (aka Monet land) ran directly parallel with the Seine so it was easy enough to follow. Except I didn't actually find the path until halfway through when there was an intersection. Instead, I was stumbling through weeds alongside the high way while admiring the wild poppies. The path, it turns out, is nicely paved and flowery and is just behind the houses I was in front of. When the houses of Vernon start to fade, then the land of B&B's begins to take shape. Just picture yourself in a romantic and picturesque B&B in France amidst green trees and flowers and swans on the Seine....does life get any better than that!?
I made it to Giverny a sweaty hot mess and starting to feel the face sunburn, but I was so thrilled to be where Claude Monet and is family shaped their own part of France and lived out their lives. I wandered down Rue Claude Monet and read some history of some of the beautiful homes/hotels and then I came across the church and adjoining cemetery where the Monet family is buried. Closest I'll ever get to a picture with Monet I suppose...
Further down the road, past the artist shops and bakeries and cafes with bunnies in the lawn, you'll find a long line of people which, you guessed it, is for Monet's home and garden! I reluctantly got in line and continued the profuse sweating when all of a sudden (!!!) one of the workers started calling out for people to follow him. I didn't hesitate following right on his tail because I knew he was leading us to a second entrance. Viola! I was right. And I was second in line. Boom.
Monet's garden was designed by Claude Monet, himself, and it was utterly magnificent. His house overlooks the large flower garden with rows upon rows of colorful beauties and then under ground through a small tunnel, you come out into his water garden where the famous Waterlily pond is. Literally, flowers cover every possible surface! The bridges are draped in purple lilacs and the paths are lined with so many flowers and I won't even attempt to name them. Just take my word on it- it's incredible!
I did one lap around the main garden, the water garden, and then through his house while I snapped hundreds upon hundreds of photos with my Nikon. Then I did a lap (or a few) through the gift shop where I most certainly did not come out empty handed...
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