9.17.2010

MONET'S GIVERNY

Monet landscapes. Water lily gardens. Where else but Giverny.

Monet's Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare (1877) in Art Institute of Chicago





Less than an hour's train ride out of Paris' Gare St. Lazare is Giverny, the village home of Claude Monet.  Monet permanently moved to Giverny in 1883.  He would live there for 43 years and is buried there.














The surrounding countryside of farmland, orchards and low rolling hills, plus the abundance of water inspired Monet to paint many of the paintings that we have come to know and love.

PLEASE NOTE: The house and gardens of Claude Monet are only open April 1st through November 1st.

GETTING THERE:
To visit Giverny, take the Mètro to Gare St. Lazare. Follow the "SNCF-Grandes Lignes" signs to purchase a roundtrip ticket to the village of Vernon. The Voyages-SNCF website currently shows direct trains departing Gare St. Lazare every two hours beginning at 8:20, then 10:20,12:20 and so on. The current roundtrip ticket price is €25.80.

Once you arrive at the Vernon train station, walk to the parking lot to the waiting T.V.S. shuttle bus.  The 15-minute bus ride will take you to Giverny.  The current roundtrip bus ticket costs €4.00.  You can check the bus shuttle timetable for the times the bus runs on specific days.  The bus will drop you off in the Giverny parking lot.  To reach the village you will need to cross the road via the tunnel path under the road.  The current entrance fee to Monet's house and gardens is €6.00.  In Giverny, you can:

Stroll down a country lane:


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





















Tour Monet's home:



Meander down the garden's paths:

 
Marvel at nature's beauty in Monet's garden:


Stroll around the actual water lily pond:

Admire more gardens...












Eat lunch at The Terra Café:

My lunch was so colorful that I had to take its picture!



Visit the country church where Monet and his family are buried...












































Pay homage to the genius.

Aren't you glad that Claude Monet discovered Giverny and decided to permanently move to this village? Judging by the paintings below, it was the right decision.

Poppy Field-Giverny (1890-1891) at the Art Institute of Chicago

Water Lilies (1917-1922) at the Art Institute of Chicago

Water Lilies (1906) at the Art Institute of Chicago

Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist) part of the Mornings on the Seine series (1897) at the Art Institute of Chicago
    
Le Bassin aux Nymphéas, harmonie rose (1900) at Musée d'Orsay





Le jardin de l'artiste á Giverny (1900) at Musée d'Orsay







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