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Published: August 18th 2011
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We had a day to celebrate because it was our 32nd Wedding Anniversary and what better place to visit on such an occasion than Monet’s Garden.
Staying in Rouen we had quite a selection of places to visit. Originally we had planned to visit the Normandy beaches but there is so much to see in one day we did not want to spoil it by rushing through the area and seeing nothing. So our “must-see-next-time list” keeps getting longer.
Our drive to Giverny follows the River Seine for about 40 kilometres. There are many towns along the way and the communities have taken great pride in their environment. Gardens, hanging baskets and tubs of brightly coloured flowers welcome passing visitors. Obviously a big effort has gone into creating attractive towns along the valley. One, Gaillon, has a chateau overlooking the town and some very old buildings on the main street. The precarious angles some of these buildings are on makes you wonder how they remain standing. Perhaps the buildings next door add their support.
Driving through Giverny you can only admire the effort people have gone to in creating such an attractive town. It soon becomes difficult working out which is
Monet’s Garden. We wonder how many tourists have wandered into private gardens to admire the colourful displays.
On entering Monet’s Garden you are welcomed by a great splash of colour. We saw it towards the end of the flowering season and even then you can see how the carefully chosen colours work to create pictures. Today’s rather overcast conditions seemed to make the flower colours ‘sing’ and we spent some time just wandering and enjoying the different compositions. We and many others lingered in the famous water garden with its water lilies, bridges and weeping willows.
As we walked around the gardens we took the opportunity to have an Anniversary photo taken. We commented to a nearby couple, “Are you from Australia?” “Yes”. Almost immediately another friendly young couple asked us, “Are you Kiwis?” After talking for some time comparing travel notes, and holding up numerous other tourists, we said our farewells and continued the tour.
Leaving the garden we took the opportunity of viewing Monet’s House. This house had been in a bad state of repair until the late 1970s, it even had trees growing inside. Today it is set up as it was when Monet lived there. There
are even replica paintings in his studio as seen in an early photo.
On our drive back to Rouen we reflected on our wonderful day out and had no regrets about not visiting Normandy. It could not have been a better place to celebrate a wonderful occasion that took place 32 years ago. Tomorrow we’ll make an early start and have a wander through Rouen and visit the cathedral, which has undergone a massive restoration. We then head off for Angers.
As the blog is being written a fairly violent thunderstorm is taking place so looks like dinner at the hotel tonight accompanied by a nice bottle of French wine.
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Ladywiththebabies
Philippa Robertson
Looks like you had a really nice day in Monet's garden. The Lily pond looks just like the painting!