Monet's Garden

I haven been a Monet fan since 1997 when during life #1 on a business trip to Philadelphia I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and got litterally paralized in front of a painting of the Japanese footbridge, sat down and observed it a very very long time. In fact I don't recall any other painting from that museum. Since then I have been chasing Monet's waterlily exhibitions and paintings around the world. Well maybe I am exagerating a little, but I was in London, Zurich, and Paris for that purpose.

So since a couple of years, very high on my list of things to do in life, there has been the wish to visit Monet's garden in Giverny, 80km west of Paris, where he lived 43 years until his death in 1926, and painted all the waterlilies. And today.......... was the day !!!

I am lucky that friends from Grenoble, Allison and Paul and Ella have moved to the Paris suburbs early this year, and they have a big house and a car, so it starts to become my second home ;) Allison also had Giverny on her wish list, so we went together by car today. I mention the car, because traveling by car (as opposed to public transport) has become something extraordinary and kind of luxury to me since I sold a certain little red one.

What shall I say... It was so beautiful and breathtaking, impossible to describe. I had not expecteded that the waterlily pond was in fact a painting of nature by itself.

And it might sound strange, after having seen so many of Monet's waterlily paintings, I felt like becoming part of a painting myself. I can only recommend to any Monet lover to make this pilgrimage.

As it is impossible to describe, I will not ramble on about how beautiful it was, but invite you to check out some of the photos I took from Monet's house (including his kitchen of course !) and his waterlily pond here.

I am surprised how well they capture the atmosphere. Pictures almost like paintings....

Merci Allison for the ride and the wonderful day !!!

Comments

[Katie K]

Beautiful pictures-- thanks for sharing them. Did the crowds of people detract from the experience?

[Ulla]

Hi Katie,
actually I was very much afraid of big tourist crowds, but today was still o.k. We didn't even have to queue. It seems though that during the weekends it is very different...So I would never go on a Saturday/Sunday in season.

[Sydney]

I saw 3 panels of water lilies in Cleveland about 20 years ago - they do have the ability to transfix - and seeing these photos it is no surprise that he chose the location.
Beautiful. Too far for a day trip for me, sadly.

[Katia]

Super! Tolle Bilder!

Hattest gerade noch den richtigen Zeitpunkt erwischt, war sicher alles noch in Blüten!