Being a girl who took started French lessons in high school and studied Art in college, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Impressionism, or any artwork during that time period actually. Degas' cropped Ballerina scenes, Van Gogh's vibrating and tortuous genre scenes, and Monet's expansive waterlily canvases. It's all so fascinating, the history behind these artistic revolutions; and what makes it even more fascinating, more so than seeing the canvases in a museum, is seeing the source of inspiration itself. I had the privilege of seeing Claude Monet's private gardens last Saturday, as well as his home.
The village is called Giverny, and it's about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Paris. Gravelly roads, wooden shutters, and rolling green hills - it was something out of a fairy tale. I really didn't know what to expect from the garden, but I knew there would be a waterlily pond. Boy, were my expectations blown out of the water: Rows upon rows of brightly-colored tulips, poppies, daffodils, forget-me-nots, and pansies, just bopping their heads lightly in the breeze. The intense sunshine enhanced their colour to a fluorescent hue; I had to squint so much my eyes started watering a little bit! Even my camera had a difficult time capturing the brightness of the scene.
I've truly never seen anything like it. I had such a fun time zooming in on these flowers, exploring the floral forest with the lens. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed photographing something as much as this. I tried to narrow it down so this post wouldn't be super long, but it was hard!
The chickens here had hilarious hairstyles!!
The lily pond was just as amazing, although I imagine it's even better during summertime, when the waterlilies bloom. I could easily see how Monet was inspired to paint his famous waterlily paintings here. The still water reflected not only the light, filtered through weeping willow branches, but also the flowers and plants placed on the banks, variations in green with random bits of red. The colours and abstractions that resulted on the water's surface were amazing.
After idling away a decent span of time among the flowers, we went on an exploratory walk in the surrounding village. We spotted some people sitting high upon a hilltop, wondering how on earth they had hiked up that high. Well - with a bit of poking around, we were able to find a grassy walking trail, put on our explorer caps, and hiked up. Even though this part wasn't necessarily the most beautiful, It felt very special to me. One of my favourite paintings by Monet is the one of a woman, standing on a grassy hill, the breeze blowing her skirt. Although I was not carrying a parasol or wearing a fantastic full skirt, I truly felt like the scene I found myself in had the same feeling as a Monet painting. And how could I complain about this view? If I had a large blanket, this would have been a fantastic time for a picnic.
Once we reluctantly left Giverny and arrived back at the Vernon train station, we discoverd that the next train back into Paris would arrive in TWO hours! So we walked slowly around the town, admiring the half-timbered buildings that seemed so much older than the tall concrete buildings of Paris. Here are a couple snaps from our train-waiting period:
I think what struck me most about this trip was the feeling of adventure it gave me. It's been quite a while since I've felt that spark of passion, freedom, and novelty. Even Paris, although amazing, can become predictable over time; Giverny was something I've never, ever done before, and I loved that feeling. I can't wait to get that travel-high again some time soon! Tell me about a time that you felt that spark of adventure in the comments below!
The Crêperie, called Au P'tit Grec, offers GINOURMOUS sweet and savoury french-style pancakes at really modest prices. Not only was the Egg, Cheese, and Ham crêpe super filling and yummy, but even the typical Nutella crêpe we had for dessert was exceptionally good - I have a theory it's the butter they use on the grill when heating. If you decide to go, be advised that there will probably be a substantial queue for both take-away and sit-down, and that the interior seating is extremely limited. But don't let that stop you! More info at the bottom of the post.
The temperature was really so lovely, and strolling down Rue Mouffetard, Nutella crêpe in-hand, was bliss. And of course, flower shops only add to the ambiance.
After a little brainstorming, Ellen and I made our way over to Jardin des Plantes, which was only just beginning to sprout flowers here and there. Not only is it a botanical garden during warm weather, they also had an Orchid exhibition in a massive greenhouse, a Natural History museum, and a small Zoo. We satisfied ourselves by merely walking around, as we both had no desire to stand in line and pay for entrance tickets ("help me, I'm poor" - Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids).
We finished our Journey in the 5th with some hot, sweet mint tea at the Grande Mosquée de Paris. We chose to sit in the front courtyard, with white walls, blue tile work, soft, diffused lighting, and a chorus of songbirds. The tea was a nice treat, sweetened to my taste. I saw a few people enjoying sweet-smelling hookah. We had a look-see around the interior, and it certainly didn't disappoint - different rooms with painted walls, red curtains, gold accents, the works. I highly, highly recommend stopping in if you're in the area.
It was so lovely to experience a little slice of Paris I had never tasted before. Just when you think you've seen it all, that there's nothing left to explore or ignite that sense of adventure and discovery - a friend takes you somewhere new. It's really made me want to branch out more, see places in Paris I've never thought to see.
Places Mentioned:
Au P'Tit Grec Crêperie - 62 Rue Mouffetard, 75005
Jardin des Plantes - 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005
2bis Place du Puits de l'Ermite, 75005
