Blogs from Giverny, Upper Normandy, France, Europe - page 2

The most beautiful place I saw this year so far was definitely Giverny, to wit, Claude Monet’s house and gardens. The idea of visiting the house came unexpectedly – at first I planned a trip to Chantilly for me and Luda, but then I learned that they were closed on Tuesday – and it was our last day in the French capital. So, Chantilly was left aside for the time being. I browsed here and there and finally decided on Giverny. To get to Chantilly, one takes the train from Gare St. Lazare (we Russians are most often excited about European trains because they are quite different from our own ones) to Vernon and then the bus to Giverny. Bus departure time is synchronized with the arrival of trains and the road takes about 15 minutes, ... read more

The gorgeous little town of Vernon with neighbouring village Vernonnet has a perfectly situated yacht club with harbour for around 10 boats. Its in the grounds of an ancient manor house that is now an activity centre, with the remains of a stunning 13th century tower, remains of a bridge and house alongside. The centre of the main town is still beautiful despite the heavy bombardment Vernon received in WW2. There is a gorgeous old church and miles of cycle paths alongside the river and families of swans, ducks and occassionally geese swim by all day grazing on the weed in the harbour (the only drawback to this idyllic spot - it blocked our loo! We were warned of it on approach by a French chap who told us to 'turn off the engine, there ... read more

Subtle, beautiful, peaceful, so in harmony with nature and so impressionistic. Giverny! We felt right at home in Claude Monet's charming gardens and bright, (the dining room is totally painted the brightest yellow we have ever seen) eclectic "cottagey" home. Our own little Ballston Lake garden tends to get a little busy/messy like Monet's (on a much, much smaller scale). We love the wild and muted colors of flowers competing for the light. Even the so called Japanese garden doesn't adhere to the traditional rules of Japanese landscaping - but there is bamboo and little arched bridges and waterlilies galore! What a contrast to the formality we would goggle at later the same day in Versailles. This is not to complain - just pointing out the vast difference between the surroundings of creative types - like ... read more

By Bus and by Train This day, Tuesday, was a travel day. I left the Hotel Chopin after breakfast and traveled by a single city bus--no transfer--directly to the Gare St.-Lazare. From there I caught a train to Vernon, about an hour away in Upper Normandy. A fellow passenger on the train who was coming from Paris to visit his family offered me a lift to the Avis car rental office, saving me the long walk with luggage bumping along behind. 4 Wheels Things had gone so smoothly until now, I was not surprised when there was a bit of difficulty with the rental car. I'd reserved a 5-door vehicle large enough for 5 adults so there would be room to stow a bicycle in the back. However the vehicle waiting for me at the Avis ... read more

It's Always Nice to See Other Americans in Paris I was welcomed to the Left Bank by the bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson, who served as ambassador to France prior to his term as president of the new US. They say he spent much of his time here enjoying the sights, socializing with the French elite, and developing a close personal relationship with a member of his American staff. Seeing Jefferson there at the foot of the pedestrian bridge always reminds me that the first job of every American in Paris is to fully appreciate everything the city has to offer. Né dans la Rue By this time, the afternoon was starting to wane, and I was really lagging, but I didn't feel like stopping. My destination was an exhibition of grafitti at the Cartier Foundation ... read more