Claude Monet's Giverny

After MANY years of traveling to France, I'm embarrassed to say that this was my first visit to Giverny. Better late than never, I guess! I'm passionate about Impressionism and I especially love Monet's art, so this was a special day made even better by an April cloudless sky.

Born Oscar-Claude Monet in 1840, Monet lived an unusually long life for his day, dying at the age of 86 in 1926. He was fascinated by light and the outdoors from an early age. His father, a businessman, wanted him to pursue a career in business, but his mother encouraged his interest in art. She died when Monet was only 15 years old and he was sent to be raised by his aunt who continued to encourage his artistic interest.

Like so many other painters of the time, he was unable to sell his paintings early on in his career and had little income, forcing him to move when he couldn't pay rent.

In 1865 he met Camille Doncieux, a model for some of his paintings. She became his mistress, then his wife, bearing him two sons. Camille fell ill and died in 1879, greatly affecting Monet's work which often included darker tones.

1866, Public Domain

In 1883, at the age of 43, Monet moved into a rented home in Giverny near the town of Vernon. He had often noticed the area as he traveled by train from Paris to Normandy and was attracted to its rural landscape and the fact that he could easily get to Paris by train. By then he was involved with Alice Hoschedé who he later married. The house was large enough to accommodate her six children and his two.

Monet was gradually able to sell some of his paintings, often to wealthy Americans who took an interest in impressionism, and in 1890 he finally had enough money to buy the house. He especially loved the gardens which he continued to nurture. He lived there for the next 43 years, half of his life.

The House

I felt they could have done a better job explaining the rooms (there was no information that I saw), but they were well decorated and interesting nevertheless.

Monet hung reproductions of his favorite paintings throughout the house which was evident during the tour.

The Kitchen and Dining Room

Other than the gardens and lily pond, the kitchen and dining room are probably the best-known features of the property. They didn't disappoint with their beautiful bold colors.

The kitchen itself was a contrast in blue and rust.

In fact, bright colors were everywhere.

The Studio

Monet had a large, sun-filled studio adjacent to the house where he painted much of the time. It's now a well-stocked store.

The Gardens

Monet was possessive of his beloved gardens and would not even let his family members tend to them. At their peak he had seven gardeners which isn't surprising once you see them.

Unfortunately when we were there at the beginning of April just after the season opening, there were no lilies in the pond, but it was beautiful even so.

There are rows and rows of flowers in front of the house.

A view from inside the house.

The pond is around the corner from the house, a lovely, meandering walk.

And finally...

The Town

Giverny is a town of about 500 located in Normandy about an hour's drive from Paris. In Monet's time there was a train station, but the town was bombed heavily during World War II and it was decided not to rebuild the tracks. The nearest station is in Vernon, 3.5 miles away. The town is long and narrow due to the hills on either side.

From 1887 to 1914 the Hotel Baudy attracted many of Monet's contemporaries including Rodin, Manet, Cezanne, Renoir, Sisley and Mary Cassatt who came to paint along Monet. Today it's a restaurant, open to all.

Monet often painted wheat. The community recreated this sheaf in honor of him.

This is the little church where Monet and his family are buried. Unlike so many of his fellow painters, Monet was wealthy when he died.

The church contains the coffin and buggy which brought Monet's body to the cemetery. You see the black shroud over the coffin. Georges Clemenceau was the Prime Minister of France at the time and a good friend of Monet. When he came to Giverny to attend the funeral, he tore the black drape off and replaced it with a colorful one knowing that Monet would have preferred it.

Getting There

There are several ways to reach Giverny from Paris. One is to go on your own, either by train or car and the other is to join a guided tour. I finally decided to reserve a small group tour. If you go on your own by train, take the train from Gare St.-Lazare in Paris to Vernon. The route is direct and takes just under an hour. There is a shuttle bus in Vernon that will take you for a small fee to the main parking lot at the house. If you choose to drive, it's mostly highway and also takes about an hour.

I chose a small group tour (there were eight of us) and I was very happy with it. Our guide was excellent and took time to explain interesting facts about Monet and his family. Our tour was about five hours from pick-up in Paris to drop-off.

It was a beautiful morning!

➜ Top Tips

• If at all possible, get there early. The house opens at 9:30. We arrived about 30 minutes before opening and were able to walk around the garden, but there was a long line to the house even as it opened. I'm sure as the day went on it got even longer.

• Aim for a sunny day. It would be beautiful even in the rain, but the sun on the gardens is lovely (and you don't have to deal with an umbrella).

• If you go on an organized tour, make sure you have enough time to wander the property. We had about an hour after seeing the interior of the house which was perfect.

• This is the tour I booked: https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g187147-d11473256-Giverny_Small_Group_Half_Day_Trip_with_Monet_s_Gardens_from_Paris-Paris_Ile_de_Fra.html Our guide, Lucie was great and the van was clean and modern; I'd highly recommend it.