We devoted an entire day to exploring Giverny and Versailles during my trip to Paris. And I took around 200 pictures and can't seem to narrow down a simple post of Monet's gardens and home so they'll have to be two different posts. And Versailles deserves its own post as well.
I consider myself a city girl through and through. But the streets of Paris are very congested and claustrophobic so Giverny was a breath of fresh air. Literally. The air was crisp and clean and felt like a brand-spanking-new set of white, linen sheets. Giverny is about an hour outside of Paris with no traffic on the A40. The best part: Paris is small so getting out of the city is quick and majority of the drive is spent weaving through the tiny streets in the French countryside.
The most magical about Monet's gardens is that he built it all himself just so he could paint it. He maintained the gardens himself just about right up until he died in the 1920s. We went at a great time because everything was fully in bloom and it smelled incredible. To top it off, there were baby ducklings and their mumma swimming in the lily pond.
Monet's home almost completely changed my mind about living like a city girl. I saw glimpses of myself living in a tiny French house, windows open, me sitting in my garden writing in a vintage notebook, planting flowers, herbs, and vegetables and, most importantly, living anxiety free. I'll still play with that idea in my mind; it's extremely satisfying.
Stay tuned for a tour of Monet's crib.