Bonjour mes amis!
I hope you are well today.
I am. It's a beautiful day...one of a long string of beautiful days we've been enjoying, and I have been patiently waiting to share this Post with you.
Goodness Sakes, though! Today, I've had great difficulty getting this Post ready. I don't know if it's my computer, or something was just slow on Blogger, but I'm going to hope things go more smoothly tomorrow. At any rate, I'm finally ready to share!
When my friend, Elaine, told me she wanted to come visit us in France, I asked her to tell me what it was she REALLY wanted to see. Of course, she named the usual...Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, among a couple of other Paris sites. Then, she told me that she really loved Monet's paintings, and could we go to Giverny, where Monet lived and painted? This was her real Heart's Desire for her trip to France!
My Research began...
Hmmm! Giverny is about an hour's drive northwest of Paris.
Hmmm! I've never been there, so this is a new adventure for me!
Hmmm! Can we make this an overnight trip?
Hmmm! Will Hubby agree?
Got Hubby's approval. Check!
Found an awesome Chambre d'hôtes online! Check!
Convinced Elaine she wanted to stay at a Chambre d'hôtes! Check!
Confirmed that Monet's Gardens would be open for Visitors! Check!
Set up the Reservation! CHECK!
Off to Giverny to see Monet's World! First, the House...
Next, a few shots from inside Monet's Studio...
(We were not allowed to photograph any of the rest of his house, so Elaine and I both bought books so we could learn all about Claude Monet and his complicated Family! You should read up on him...did you know he married a lady with six children, after the death of his first wife?)
And, an old photo of Claude Monet IN HIS STUDIO!
Then, we headed out to the Gardens and Water Lily Pond. I think I'm going to have to go back again, because Spring hadn't quite made it to the Gardens yet while we were there. It was very nice, peaceful, and beautiful anyway, and truly inspirational...
Elaine got her Heart's Desire...to walk in Monet's Garden and stand on "THE BRIDGE"! You probably know of this Bridge from Monet's Famous Painting, but you might not recognize it from this photo. Imagine a Painted Bridge, covered with Wisteria! Ah, yes! (Too bad we missed the Wisteria!)
We just loved photographing the Water reflecting the Trees! This is the famous Water Lily Pond!
This was such a worthwhile stop for us! So peaceful and relaxing! I got to visit a new place in France, and my friend, Elaine, got to fulfill Her Heart's Desire...to see where Monet lived and worked, and got his Inspiration!
Have you gotten to go to a place you've always wanted to visit? You should make some plans!
Have a "Jewel" of a Day!
Jan
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