Giverny

Ah, the joy of bank holidays! I know most of you in England would have enjoyed last Monday off, but thanks to the French system I have both yesterday and today off.

We made the most of yesterday's bank holiday by travelling to Giverny, the location of Claude Monet's house and famous water lily gardens. Giverny is a small town in the South-West of Paris, about an hour's train ride and 15 minute bus ride from Paris' Saint Lazare station. The train journey cost only 20 euros, and the entry to La Maison de Monet was 6 euros (student prices). Luckily, and somewhat bizarrely, temperatures here are already at an average of about 28 degrees celsius so it felt like high summer, and the picturesque gardens and village reminded me of Southern France.

The house itself was very idyllic - Monet lived there from 1883 to 1926, and as a man with an intense eye for detail and beauty, the gardens adjacent to the house are beautiful almost to a fault. The many rose bushes and array of flowers reminded me of Alice's adventures in the garden in Lewis Carroll's "Through the looking-glass". Pictures inside the house were forbidden, but the tour takes you (amongst other things) through Monet's collection of Japanese engravings, his bedrooms, the cheerfully yellow dining room, and his atelier of paintings which, although adding a funny smell to the room, were varied, often breathtaking and interestingly dynamic.

The ever so famous Japanese bridge can be found in the Water Lily Gardens, which are about a 5 minute walk away from the house. These gardens, even when hounded by multiple tourists, are peaceful and one feels far away from city life or troubles - it is easy to see how the place could have given Monet both the inspiration and space for contemplation he undoubtedly used for many of his paintings. The Japanese bridge, which the garden is so famous for, loses most of its magic by the sheer multitude of people that seem to be standing on it at all times posing for photos, but is nonetheless pleasing to the eye. After taking this tour of the house and gardens, we decided to explore the village of Giverny.

It was a very short exploration due to the miniscule size of the village's centre, which consisted of a narrow and long-winding road with small cafes and museums on either side. For such a small village in the countryside, it must be very odd to receive hundreds of visitors on a daily basis. Claude Monet's grave is located 10 minute's away from the house in the village's church graveyard.


The train ride back was admittedly tiring and weary - the train was crammed full and we were forced to stand for the duration of the journey. We dealt with this by giggling uncontrollably and annoying everyone around us (a very satisfying way of spending the time).

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my freedom until Monday, a bientot xxx