5-13& 14-19 Monet’s Garden – Paris

We started this adventure at the end of February 2019 in the South of France – the Cote d’Azu, specifically outside of Nice in a village called Vence. It all started with Janeen saying she wanted to go to the Violet Festival that is held annually in Tourrettes-sur-Loup. Since we arrived in early spring it was lovely to tour around and see spring blooming, mimosa, magnolia all around us. As we traveled north through Aquitaine and Bordeaux, first to Brussels and then Amsterdam the weather continued to be wonderful. After the second river cruise ended in Basel, and we started our Glorious Switzerland tour, the weather took a decidedly colder turn. Once we left Switzerland and landed in Paris for our final 3 days of this almost 3-month trip, we could not have wished for nicer weather.

Paris was beautiful! Over the last several days, rain had cleaned the city and now we had warm and sunny days with lots to see and do.   Our goal, in Paris, was actually to go to Giverny and see Monet’s Garden.

To accomplish this we took first a subway and then a train out of Paris. I admit, we have now traveled in France quite a lot and I’m more comfortable getting around than our first trip in 2004 and while standing in the train station was able to offer advise to several Americans looking for directions.

These are some of the gardens next to Claude Monet’s house and studio.
Janeen certainly was wearing the right coat to be in the gardens on this day.

Monet’s Garden has been on our bucket list for a number of years. The last several times we have been in France it was after the season and the place was closed. This time, all the stars aligned and we had a beautiful day and lots of time to explore and discover this beautiful area. To say it is lovely is an understatement.

I guess we could find a more beautiful place but it would be hard

Sure they have a more traditional garden with beds of beautiful flowers but clearly the showcase area is the ponds and more specifically the lily pond area.

Happy Wife – Happy Life
You guessed it, yes these are Lilly pads
More wisteria to admire
Janeen particularly liked these hanging flowers

First you walk through the more traditional garden and then down some stairs and under the road that separates the water garden from the house and traditional areas.

Lots of flowers – nice to come during spring for sure.

It’s not as big as you might think but it is well laid out with view points at a number of spots where Claude may have stood and painted. Having seen a number of his paintings over this trip it was great to see where his vision took flight and created the paintings.

Words really cannot describe the beauty of this place
I really could have just sat and relaxed here for a very long time.

 

By late afternoon we were back on the train then to our B&B in the Bastille District for a lovely walk around.

The following day we had a lunch reservation at Le Réminet – a place we have visited every time we have been in Paris.

Le Reminet – sometimes they have a few tables on the sidewalk but not today.

We had made a lunch reservation and decided to walk from our apartment to the Restaurant. Along the way we walked over the small island of Île Saint-Louis that affords a view of the back of Notre-Dame.

It had been a month since the fire at Notre Dame and it is really sad to see it covered with scaffolding, cranes around it and the roof covered with a tarp.

Most of the area around Notre-Dame is blocked with various temporary construction structures, security and a variety of other things. Over the last 700 years the church has had more than one fire resulting in a number of restorations. This fire will be no different – fortunately the main structure, the façade, the flying buttresses and the exterior walls were all saved and while I’m sure they have some damage they still stand showing the structure still very much in place.

As of this posting, according to the French Senate, Notre Dame will be restored to its “last known visual state” by 2024 in time for the 2024 summer Olympics being held in Paris. We will certainly be watching the progress

While it is going to take a while to make the repairs it is clear that the City of Paris and the Country are both strongly in support of its restoration. Hopefully we will be around to see it reopen but who knows how long it will take.

Our lunch at Le Réminet was everything we have learned to expect.

Norbert – He has been working at Le Reminet for a very long time and does a wonderful job.

Norbert, headwaiter, manager, guy in charge, was welcoming and enjoyable to talk to. It seems the fire at Notre-Dame has impacted their customer base but hopefully that will change with the summer season heating up.

I don’t know what it is about these White Pearl #3 Oysters but they are the BEST.
Janeen had the fish with foam – fantastic.
David’s main dish – delicious for sure

After lunch we walked to Jardin des Tuileries – a lovely park along the Seine.

The River Seine – we could not have had a more beautiful day to walk along this iconic river.
Here’s the same fountain we say in Lucerne – sorry about the tractor in the background – but you can see the water flowing into Janeen’s hand.
Janeen is ALWAYS much happier with flowers around or in virtually any garden.
Jardin des Tuileries – When we were here in December this was a really cold spot for sure.

After taking the better part of the day to enjoy Paris we went back to the apartment to organize our luggage for our flight home.

This Green Wall is in the departure lounge at Charles de Gaulle airport. Very nice. One of our last views of the beauty of Paris

As of this posting, we are now back in Springfield Virginia enjoying spending time with our two granddaughters and trying to figure out our next adventure.

This is why we are in Springfield!

For now, we haven’t got anything planned for a foreign trip but that could always change. In July we will be driving across country stopping in Portland Oregon for the International Pinot Noir Festival and then heading south to SoCal stopping along the way to visit friends and relatives. So, while we have been blogging for the better part of 8 months I expect the next couple of months will be less reported but you are encouraged to come back (subscribing is actually best) to see what we are doing and follow our progress.

One last comment for this blog. We have been traveling for the better part of two years (started in June 2017) and really don’t know when we will actually stop.  Places still on the bucket list include: Alaskan cruise; extended trip to Australia and New Zealand; Egypt; Sicily; Croatia; Russia; and the Far East.

One Reply to “5-13& 14-19 Monet’s Garden – Paris”

  1. You did a wonderful job of taking us along, good pictures and descriptions. Thank you. Have continued safe travel and fair sky. bob

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