October 5, 2012

MONET'S GARDENS OF GIVERNY -

            ANOTHER ALMOST TO PERFECT DAY

After viewing the weather forecast, we opted to go to Giverny today to possibly avoid any weekend crowds. It was a good drive, about and hour and a half, but we arrived in bright sunshine and anticipation. There were people there, of course, but it was not crowded--we were surprised as the day was gorgeous. The profusion of color is much as it was in Monet's lifetime.

 

 

  Claude Monet moved with his family to this house, remaining until his death in 1926. Giverny became his life's work and it was here that he created the motifs that transposed the water lilies, boats and bridges of the gardens onto his canvases. When the family first moved here, the garden was an orchard of about 2 acres enclosed within high walls.  Later Monet bought the land on the other side of the railroad tracks and prevailed against opposition to create his project of exotic gardens with bamboo plants, wisteria, willows and of course the famous water lilies.  The pond was created by diverting the Epte River, and looks today much as it did in his lifetime. A local crafts person built the graceful Japanese bridge, and a wooden boat still floats at one end of the pond.                    

 

 The maison has been kept much the same as it was - Monet loved Japanese engravings, and his precious collection, which is displayed in several of the rooms, inspired the design of the water garden. Reproductions of the art that he loved hang on the walls to recreate the interior in Monet's time. The entrance to the house is through his studio, constructed to give him the room and light he needed to paint the giant "Waterlilies" which I previously blogged about and which today are in l'Orangerie in Paris. After his death, the house was badly neglected, but in 1966 his son donated Giverny to the Academie des Beaux-Arts--the floors and ceiling beams had rotted away, and a staircase had collapsed. The restoration project of the house and the gardens took ten years.

 Every year half a million people visit Giverny. This is definitely on the list of places I wish to return someday. But for now, I have my memories and my pictures = and some bookmarks!

We left this wonderful place right about 5:00 and soon found ourselves in a massive traffic jam (Friday night in Paris).  Ron was wonderful in the way he zipped along, weaving our way slowly back to Vaujours. We were amazed at all of the motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic and remarked how dangerous this mode of transportation is, and the fact that most of the cyclists (some in groups) had no concern to any danger they posed to motorists.  Ron is a great driver!