June 27

Walking in the footsteps of Impressionists

Although the day started drizzly, there was a promise of sun by 11, so we decided to forge ahead with our plans for our first day trip.  We managed the metro to Gare Lazare (easy), the second busiest train station in Europe per Wikipedia with 100,000,000 passengers a year and no, I did not type too many zeros. That is 400,000 people a day!! We had a bit of help buying the tickets as Steve ended up in line behind a very nice Australian guy who as it turned out, was staying TWO doors down from us at #4 rue du Roi de Sicile.

We quickly figured out as we were walking to our train that all 400,000 people using the train station each day are commuting in from the suburbs to the city at exactly the same time we are trying to head out. I wish I had a picture of what it looked like and felt to be swimming against this tide of humanity. I thought we would be swallowed up about a hundred times but we may now be ready to tackle India. 

Well I have not mentioned our destination-Giverny, where Claude Monet lived and painted -forty five quick minutes on the train and you arrive at Vernon. There are four ways you can get to Giverny.  You  can line up for the bus, 8 Euro round trip and the fastest way. You can hail a taxi, cost unknown and probably just as fast.  You can rent a bike from the cafe across from the station, 14 Euro and zip along the bike route.  Or finally, you can be true to your slow travel philosophy and walk, free and about five kilometers or 3.2 miles, but knowing you will opt for the bus back.  Our walk there brought a wrong turn and plea to a lovely young woman who spoke no English but led us back to the path, sunshine and some exercise (like we haven't been doing enough walking).  

We wound past incredible Normandy fences and gardens and homes. We arrived in this spit of a village so different than the hill towns of Provence.  The architecture was more Norman and Tudor with old beams and low stone walls.

We passed the village church and walked round back to Monet's grave where he is buried with his entire family and along with his tombstone is a riot of flowers.

We passed charming cafes, found Les Nymphes for a very lackluster lunch and a very vin ordinaire pitcher of red but set outdoors among a garden. And by the way, bad wine stills gives you a good afternoon buzz.

We choose to visit the gardens and house first (as opposed to the museum which as it turned out was nothing special and our rec would be to skip it)  while the sun was shining since we have well learned the fickleness of French weather.  Not since I walked the halls through Hampton Court, Henry the VIIIs English home, have I been someplace that so exuded history. You could feel and see Claude and his friends hanging out at HIS charming home, painting in the glorious studio where you could look out HIS window and see exactly what HE saw and painted and walking through the HIS gardens to HIS water lilies but YOU were now standing there, seeing and feeling the same things.

It was wonderful, too special for words.  It was beautiful, whether you are a fan of Impressionists or not.  So perhaps a pictorial will do for you for now or until you get there.

Oh and BTW, we walked all the way back to Vernon too. Chalk up about 12 kilometers today. Steve really is in training for doing the Way of St. James (Santiago del Compostela) next year, a solid month of walking. It would be much more fun with friends.......anyone ready to sign up?