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Giverny has been on my wish list since 2015 after a visit to the Orangerie. In October 2018, 2 days after I arrived in Paris, I booked a train ticket to Vernon for a visit to Fondation Claude Monet  in Giverny. In contrast to the sunny forecast, an icy breeze greeted me on the open air shuttle from Vernon to Giverny. I did not mind a bit, I was all hyped up to see the garden. It is a picturesque village, an hour away by train from Paris. Even in autumn the garden is spectacular.

Monet’s garden

The lily pond attracts tourists like bees to honey. Especially the Japanese bridge, “because it’s famous” I heard a wife explain to her perplexed husband, waiting in line for the next snapshot.

Maison de Claude Monet

The house is painted in the original bright colors that Monet fancied, inside and out. He was a prolific art collector, magnificent Japanese prints adorn the walls. A Cezanne painting caught my eye, I had not seen this one before. I so admire his use of color, the snow in this painting is nowhere near a boring white.

Plein air painting

The website specifically mentioned that painting is not allowed in the gardens. Pochade box in my bag, itching to paint something, I walked around the village. Across the road from the back entrance, between the main garden and the lily pond, I found a wooden post to sit on. Here I was able to paint undisturbed for about an hour and a half. A pleasant way to end a perfect day, how blessed I am.

P.S Pacer app counted 16683 steps for the day!