One of the great things about studying abroad in Paris with GW is getting to go on trips organized through GW Paris, the university's study abroad office's branch over here. Unfortunately, conflicts with other trips I was already committed to meant that I could only go on one of the three trips offered this semester: Giverny.
Giverny is a small town a little over an hour's drive northwest of Paris. There's evidence to suggest that the village has existed since Gallo-Roman times (dating between 2500-2000 BC), but what gives Giverny its fame is the home and gardens of Claude Monet. Monet moved here in 1883 with the woman who would eventually become his second wife, Alice. He had two children from his first marriage; she had six. Monet rented a house there for several years before finally purchasing it in 1890. After this Monet set about redoing the house and gardens, creating the "Clos Normand" (the garden that stretches out in front of the house) and the famous water garden with its Japanese footbridge (Monet actually diverted water from the nearby Epte River to fill the pond). In the Clos Normand alone there are over 200,000 plants, about half of them perennials and half of them annuals which are replaced each year.
Monet lived in this house in Giverny until he died in 1926. He and several other members of his family are buried in the cemetery in the town.
Our tour took us first to the water garden, which is across the road from the Clos Normand and the house. I am going to do this post in two parts, because all the pictures I took are of such beautiful stuff that I can't pick and choose which select ones to show you, so I'm just going to show you all of them (with the exception of the small handful that came out blurry). Here are all of the pictures I took out at the water garden:
The famous Japanese footbridge.
The stream that flows around the pond, bringing water from the river.
This life preserver is for the stream. Not the pond, the stream in the background. Which is about six inches deep. So if Thumbelina ever happens to fall in, don't worry guys. They've got her covered.
Some of the water lilies were still in bloom, even at the end of September!
The "ceiling" of the other, covered footbridge.
Me, Sara, and Jillian!
Cute little rowboats!
The covered bridge from afar.
The covered bridge from not-so-afar.
Onward to the Clos Normand!
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