Tuesday, July 7

Today we headed out a bit earlier after kissing Joe good-bye; he cabbed it to Paris Nord for the eurostar back to London, while the kids and I took the Metro to Paris Lazarre (different train station – Paris has several) for tix and an hour-long ride to Vernon, near Giverny (Monet’s home and gardens). The slowest part of the process was obtaining tix but timing worked out. A very nice French woman in line assured me we were in the right place – where to ticket for suburban trains versus main line trains is a bit confusing.

On the subject of the French, so far we’ve had very helpful, friendly experiences – people stopping to help w/ the stroller, opening doors, giving directions as best they can. Parisians seem to have a polite way about them (don’t you love generalizations…have heard several times since we moved here that the Americans spend tons of money and are sue-happy. Personally we do our best to save money and haven’t sued anyone yet…).

After breakfast -- muffins, juice and coffee on the train -- we arrived in Vernon and the mystery of how to get from there to Giverny was easily solved. Signs and footprints painted on the floor led us to a big bus that, once packed w/ Monet tourists, lumbered us to the grounds near the town, where we got to walk through woods and admire fields of poppies, take photos of a bust of Claude Monet, then follow paths over a creek into town and down Rue de Claude Monet.

Our first stop (and that of many others) was Monet’s house and gardens. We started w/ the latter – they’re immense – row and rows of flowers of all colors and sizes – more magnificent than the Floral Parc because thousands of them are packed into a smaller space.

Paths weave through the gardens – one large one w/ an arbor overhead leading to the house. We wound our way to an underground passage, which led to the infamous, spellbinding water garden. Bridges span a few spots for lovely views of lily pads, some with pink, purple or white flowers. Hard to take in all the colors and smells.

Eventually we went through the house, which is lovely too – the walls have old photos and many Japanese paintings on them, and rooms are furnished to the time period.

The artist’s studio was roomy and felt comfortable, with a beautiful big old-fashioned window at one end. My favorite rooms were the dining and kitchen (it’s all about the food). The former is a lovely shade of bright yellow, airy and warm, seems like it would invite lively conversation.

The kitchen, a cheerful blue, was also lovely – with blue and white tiles and one wall lined w/ various sizes of copper pots. A huge stove rested in one corner. What fun to imagine smells of wonderful French food emanating…

The gift shop is huge (I think Giverny makes money hand over fist, thanks to Claude).

We had lunch under an awning at an outside café; thank heavens for the cover as it POURED shortly after our food came. When it ceased we made our way back up the soggy street to check out the American Impressionist Museum, which has numerous photos of Monet, his family and gardens on display. It also had several of his paintings, wonderful to see after walking through his garden and house.

Downstairs in the museum is a chronological diplay detailing how Giverny changed w/ Monet’s residency (town, a farm community, also becoming an artists’ colony).

Afterward we wandered to Monet’s grave, behind a church and at the corner of a lovely cemetery, green hills in the background.

And then it was time to track down the bus and make our way back to Paris! En route we passed through wheat fields, saw more green, rolling hills and flowers. Northern France's countryside is lovely. Apparently, on the ag note, lavender acreage has been increasing recently in France due to heightened demand for lavender related products. (Think fields in northern France next time you buy lotion.)

Back at St. Lazare we Metro’d to the hotel, regrouped and went to another restaurant recommended by our concierge. It, too, was delicious (though Oscar I liked just a bit better). At this restaurant I had a fabulous fried cheese/salad appetizer. The combination of cheese and was perfect. That was followed by a wonderful tender sea bass, served w/ caper sauce, sautéed zucchini on the side. Excellent.

Our waitress was very efficient and great w/ the kids – she hooked them up with roasted chicken that they devoured after a busy day wandering around Giverny’s gardens.

Most of the restaurant patrons were French (and most w/ reservations – we slipped in under the rug) – so it had a nice local feel.