IN MONET'S GARDEN

After a few transport hiccups, where we were ,once again, relieved to have a fluent French speaker in our midst, we FINALLY made it to Monet's garden in Giverny.  This has been on my 'wish list' for a very long time & today...sigh...I got there!

I hadn't really thought much beyond the waterlily pond & the house, so imagine my surprise when we came out upon an extensive garden in front of the house!  It was huge & dotted with SO much colour it was overwhelming.

Again...the photo does not truly represent the reality.  To be honest, I think that there was just too much colour information for our camera to interpret that it focussed on the green foliage instead!  Just trust me....it was full on, riotously wonderful colour with every imaginable flower.

We could have spent all day just in that first garden.  Jeff had the camera today so that I could just 'be' there & absorb, & he was totally enthralled with the variety of flowers. 
Eventually we moved on to the star attraction, the water lily pond.  Again, the pond was fabulous, but so were the gardens that framed it.  Above you can see this in action with the bright red which offsets the paler lilies.

We were looking at reflections as much as the flowers & foliage, & could definitely see how this place inspired Monet.  There was a small group of people sketching & I confess to feeling envious.  I would love to come back by myself one day with a sketchbook & paints to spend all day just noting my observations & exercising my inner Claude!!

Every glance was breathtaking.

We also enjoyed the presence of small wildlife.  There were numerous blue backed dragonflies around, the air was filled with the sound of frogs, & birds happily flitted from one branch to another, reminding us who this magical space REALLY belonged to!!

It provided a rather romantic backdrop for photos!

Walking through the house a little later on, we were led into the Monet's bedroom, where he actually died.  However, THIS was the view he could see from his bed.  What a vision to die with! 

Monet had filled every bit of wall space with art.  Some was his own, some was by fellow artists & friends, but most were an exquisite collection of Japanese woodblock prints. I have never seen such a collection & I am DEEPLY frustrated that the Monet Foundation has not yet published a catalogue/book of his print collection.  It has certainly inspired me to read up more about some of the Japanese artists. 

This has been such a special day.  We each enjoyed it & were so glad that we visited at this time of year.  We were also glad to have arrived in the morning, for although busy with fellow tourists, it was manageable & not as uncomfortable as it became by the time we left.