Venez avec moi: Monet’s Giverny

chef morgan GIverny

I am often asked for recommendations of what to do and where to eat while in France. When I am asked about day trips outside Paris my first suggestion is always the same: go to Monet’s home in Giverny. It is an easy train ride to a magical place that is beyond peaceful and beautiful. It was restored to it’s prior appearance (designed and planned by the artist himself). A visit to Monet’s Giverny is like stepping into one of the artist’s paintings. Until you can get there in person, let me take you there via post. Venez avec moi à Monet’s Giverny (La Maison de Claude Monet en Giverny). 

chef morgan Giverny

Vernon is 75 kilometers west of Paris.

Chef morgan Vernon

Which is about an hour train ride from the Gare Saint-Lazare.

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Vernon itself is a quaint town with the usual French village trappings: the boulangeries, the little shops, the gare, the church, les cafés, and open-front stores with fresh produce.  

 

chef mrogan Giverny

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Four kilometers from Vernon is Giverny. It is here amongst the country homes, the wheat and the little family farms you will find the home and gardens of Claude Monet. 

 

chef morgan

Claude Monet lived here from 1883 until his death in 1926.  He resided here with his wife Alice, his two sons, two step sons and four step daughters. After Monet’s death, the home and gardens fell into disrepair through various owners. It took years to restore it to what it was previously (and only after much work and consultation and many donations). In 1980 it became open to the public. 

chef morgan Giverny

The house itself is spacious and full of color (apparently Monet selected all of the colors himself both inside and outside the home).

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My favorite was the large blue kitchen. What a view and what a peaceful and beautiful place to cook ! Full of windows and copper pots and pans. Just look at this gorgeous stove. It is a work of art in and of itself.

 full kitchen

 

chef morgan scale

 The cheerful yellow dining room.

chef morgan Giverny

When you tour the home you will see the bedrooms as well as Monet’s art studio. 

chef morgan Giverny

The home overlooks the two gardens: the Clos Normand and the Water Garden.

 

chef morgan Giverny

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All of the plants and the waterways were selected and designed by Monet .

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

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The Clos Normand garden is filled with fruit trees, and loosely planned rows and patches of flowers alternating in height and color. 

chef morgan Giverny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This garden is closest to the home. It is full of color and variety. Flower varieties include, daisies, sunflowers, wisteria, morning glory, hollyhocks, roses, tulips. There is overall cohesion in the colors but freedom to grow.   

 

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The Water  Garden is an entirely different color scheme which is predominately green in varying degrees, heights, textures, and shapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

chef morgan GIverny

   

chef morgan 

The center of the Water Garden is the stream which runs throughout the garden. It is surrounded by weeping wisteria, bamboo shooting toward the sky, and filled with . . . water lilies. The simple (and well-known) green Japanese bridge which crosses the stream was built by a local artisan. It gives you a vantage point from every direction in which to view the water lilies. 

   

chef morgan GIvnery

chef morgan Giverny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

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After your visit, you can walk back to Vernon (although it may be a little ambitious in the heat).

chef morgan GIverny

We tried it on foot and enjoyed the walk through the farms, the green paths, and watching the tractors and rural life swarm about us. However, 40 minutes into the walk, my youngest tired and we got a ride. 

chef morgan GIverny

 chef morgan Giverny

 

 

 

 

 

My recommendation when you go to Monet’s home in Giverny is be “first in.”

 

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We literally were the first ones at the door when they opened and it made a world of difference. Monet’s home really is a living example of his artistry. It is a living painting in which you can explore. 

chef morgan Giverny

When we returned to Paris we were still feeling inspired.  We decided to go to take the metro a couple of stops further and go to Musée Marmottan Monet. The museum was originally a hunting lodge (many of the large homes in this area were) but now it has the largest collection of Monet’s work in the world (thanks to a donation to the museum from Michael Monet, Monet’s son, in 1966 ). The museum has a good collection of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism art.

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To get to the museum, take the line 9 to La Muette. You will find yourself in the lovely area of La Muette filled with a nice collection of restaurants for a goûtay or meal or even a little shopping. From the line of restaurants you continue through a park…where my children were happy to race their razors… and end up at the museum (which were very accommodating when it came to parking their flashing, two-wheeled children movers). 

chef morgan Giverny

We passed about an hour in the museum and our “jour de Monet” concluded. With water lilies dancing about in my head, I steamed some violet artichokes, removed the center leaves and fibrous interior, replacing it with a violet mustard in which to dip the steamed leaves in. Delicious.

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A balmy summer evening … still light, even at 9 p.m.. We were content with our artichokes, a little Sancerre on the side (for me), and memories of our day. 

chef morgan Giverny

To plan your own “day of Monet,” visit these sites first:

Foundation Claude Monet
rue Claude Monet
27620 Giverny
April 1 to November 1, open daily  from 9.30 am to 6:00 pm (last entrance at 5.30 pm)
http://giverny.org/gardens/
 

Museum of Impressionism Giverny
99 rue Claude Monet
27620 Giverny 
33 02  32 51 94 65 

Musée Marmottan Monet
2 Rue Louis Boilly, 75016 Paris, France
33 (0)1 44 96 50 33
Tuesday through Sunday 10 am to 6 pm
metro line 9 (La Muette)

 

bon voyage !

LM

 

chef morgan Giverny 

 

 

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8 responses to “Venez avec moi: Monet’s Giverny”

  1. AS says:

    Thank you for the beautiful tour and amazing pictures.
    Looking forward to visiting soon.

  2. Barbara Bomes says:

    Lovely tour. Thank you!

  3. johnT says:

    Beautiful day ,Great pictures lisa 🙂

  4. Thank you again for a lovely tour…just the best of your wonderful tours…I want to go immediately!
    Please contact me, I have a question for you!
    Thank you so much for including all of us on your adventures..the girls are darling!

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