Today has to be one of my favourite 24 hours on earth so far. Today I was off to Giverny, the home of Claude Monet and the settings for many of his amazing artworks. It was an early start for both Joanna (who was going to Marseille) and I. I arrived at the Gare du Nord train station and quickly found a spot to wait for the train, I had enough money for my ticket and was told that instead of going out to find an atm there would be one at the station in Rouen, my end destination before Giverny... and 'Out of Order' one at that. I arrived quite peacefully at the station and enquired how to get to Monet's house, I was advised that a bus would be leaving for there shortly. So onwards i skipped towards the Atm machine. Out of order. I ran back to the lady at the information desk who gave me stupidly wrong direction through the long underpass and over the other side of the train tracks where i was told that there was no atm on this side, but one on the other side and down the corner road from the station. So back I ran. Around the corner road and into the pub. It had an Atm machine- oh no wait, that was an Atm machine shaped cigarette dispenser. Back to the station. The bus had arrived and I had no where else to go, So i counted what coins i had and came up 20pence short. I asked the gentleman if i could please pay with my card. 'no card machine' 'no speak english' I tried in vain to explain that the atm machine was broken and that i could pay him once at the small village i was going to. He tried to boot me off the train. Much to my humiliation in front of a bus full of strangers tears sprang to my eyes which i bit back in fury. I couldn't believe i had such a small window of time to visit Monet's gardens and i was being thwarted by a silly rural blip of a french town. And then the most amazing thing happened. A woman stood up and asked me what was going on. I told her my story and in perfect french she told the bus driver she would be paying for me. She also i think made him feel bad for humiliating me and told him why i had no money to pay. He gave me a single ticket for free. I near cried out of gratitude and thanked the lady so much she blushed.
We arrived in Giverny shortly afterward and never have i felt so happy to be anywhere in my life. I was so blessed to have met such a kind and caring woman. She would later tell me it had been her dream, like mine, to visit Monet's garden, and that she couldn't let other people not share in the happiness she felt at being there. I hope she one day see's this and knows how thankful I am for her kindness after all this time.
The lovely woman and her adoring husband. She walked around smiling all day long.
The first thing i did when arriving in giverny was find an atm and enquire about an entrance fee. There was none and it was then that i headed off to Monet's Water Garden with it's famous Japanese bridge and waterlilies. I spent a good hour in this small peaceful garden just watching the light stream through the willow leaves and play on the water.
the water lilly pond and me standing on the southern Japanese bridge looking at the other bridge. I was so happy i forgot to take a nice photo of the bridge itself haha.
I could not shake this feeling of absolute peaceful bliss at my luck in being there. I also enjoyed taking lots of photos for other people seeing how happy they were and having lots of small chats about how wonderful it was here. I even met a lovely American woman who gave me my own photo shoot after i took her photo. She said i was brave for being here alone and that i shouldn't miss out on looking pretty in my own photos. There must have been some divine blessing on the place that day. Because everyone behaved like angels.
The front of Monet's house and his small trail through the personal garden- its no wonder this man was amazing at landscapes. He lived in a dream landscape himself!
After the Water Garden I headed towards Monet's house itself. I immediately fell in love with his personal gardens- The Clos Normand. Walking through row upon row of flowers and bushes and plants i felt that this was somewhere id love to bring dad. He could marvel in the many species of flowers all living neatly together. Once in the house i realised we weren't allowed to take photos but i did manage to sneak or two in. I especially loved the lounge room with its cluttered paintings stacked upon one another on the walls, sofas, bookcases and anything that would support them.
Monet's lounge room- over looking the garden through big bay windows. Look at all his works stacked one on the other. This room is done in the exact same style as photographs of Monet's house have previously shown it was styled. I wish i could have been there having tea with Monet amongst his works and canvases!
And most of all I loved the yellow kitchen. I could imagine myself cooking away in such a gorgeous room for hours on end. calling a big family to dinner and laughing all night long. I can see why Monet did not want to ever leave this house.
Now we know why emily loved this kitchen- look how bright and spacious and happy and warm it is! i would love to raise a family in this room alone haha :) (photo by Ariene Cauderlier)
After a bit more wandering through the house and the Clos Nomad i ventured over to the gallery next door. I was quite inspired by the artists within and there was not a scrap of Monet to be seen, i had to contend myself with buying his art in the gift store next door and so i quickly moved on to the hilled area over the way. I sat here under the shade of the apple tree for a long time. Watching the school children draw the field we were in and lovers take picnics further up the hill. I lay back and watched the clouds float by and was content to stay there and become a funny little statue to look out over the area forever and ever. But i realised that it was time to go and i decided to walk a little through the town before hand.
Sitting in the field watching the world go by
I never really gave though to the people that would have lived in the area but after discovering they were all artists and all the houses had their fronts turned into walk in galleries it made sense they would live in the famed home of one of the best artists of all time. So i enjoyed many things i came across before heading to the bus and being able to pay for my return ticket this time.
Two of my favourite photos from giverny- me in front of Monet's House and a hedge maze leading to the grassy field of Monet's works... everyone knows i love hedges. So i thought i should let you know i went weak at the knee's seeing these ones :)
I returned home exhausted and blissful and relaxed awaiting Joanna so i could regale her of my day. And we enjoyed a peaceful last evening sleeping soundly in Paris.
