During my two years in Paris, I didn't take nearly enough day-trips as I would have liked, so when my mom was in town visiting, we made sure to visit Monet's Garden in Giverny, a place she has always wanted to visit. It was opening weekend of the garden (in the first week of April) and although it was still damp and chilly, it turned out to be a great time to visit, as we nearly had the place to ourselves. We took a train from St. Lazare in Paris to Vernon, and then hopped on a shuttle bus to Giverny. In the middle of the summer, it could be a nice walk from Vernon to Giverny- it's probably only a three mile walk.
Growing up with a mother who loves gardening, I had always been exposed to Monet's gardens through hardcover gardening books from the library, calendars of his abode, and visits to museums like the Musée d'Orsay. When I first saw the green bridge over the pond, it was like seeing the paintings I was so familiar with all these years finally come to life.
The best part of visiting Monet's Garden is that it is always changing, depending on what time of year you visit. As we were there in the spring, all the bulb flowers were in bloom and the bright purply blues and whites provided a nice pop of color against the gray April sky.
When also toured Monet's house, which was absolutely stunning. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside but each room had a different feel and the yellow dining room and beautiful blue-tiled kitchen were gorgeous. It was a nice thought to imagine Mr. Monet sitting in his studio, painting the beautiful nature scenes outside his window.
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