Giverny and Monet

 

On the 3rd we stopped at Giverny which is the Place Claude Monet lived for 43 years and did most of his iconic paintings of outdoor scenes like the Japanese Bridge below on the Lily Pond. The tiny town itself is almost wholly composed of Monet related museums and gardens.

 

As you walk around the pond the amount of foliage of all types is simply breathtaking.

 

 

Below is the scene of the boats that inspired the painting of the same name.

 

Leaving the pond area you walk over to the main gardens and house itself, here framed by the arbors. The gardens are maintained by 12 full time gardeners and are, like the pond area, spectacular with many rare and different types of flowers.

 

 The house is also a real treasure as you can see almost every room as he and his wife lived in it around the turn of the 20th century. Because of the easy access to the house all of the real paintings have been moved to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, a must see for any art lover.
 

In the afternoon the boat continued down the river and we stopped at the charming village of Les Andelys. One tour was a daunting climb up to Chateau Gaillard built for England's King Richard the Lionheart in 1196.
 

Instead we opted for a tour of the charming town of Les Andelys. The weather was about 65 degrees and an occasional sprinkle or two.

 

 

If you have followed our adventures you know there must be some animal feeding involved,

 

 

so Jo-Anne didn't want you to be disappointed ... the ducks on the Seine weren't either. More to see and do down the river the next day but remember there's always gourmet breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the boat every day.