If you have time in Paris, I would recommend you to visit Giverny and Claude Monet’s garden. It’s only 75 km from Paris, easy to get there by car within 30′ or by train – less than one hour! By train, take a train from Gare Saint Lazare (Metro line 14) to Vernon, the train departs almost every hour or so. At Vernon, the shuttle bus, right in front of the station takes you directly to Giverny. The best departure time is between 8:00-11am. Skip breakfast in Paris, go to Giverny earlier and enjoy the breakfast at very nice coffee houses with garden. The best timing to visit there from April to June – when all flowers are blooming, but Claude Monet’s house and garden opens from 23rd of Mar to 1st November each year.
From Giverny we need to walk a bit to Claude Monet’s house, we arrived a bit early so we have time to wander around the village, having some coffee before heading to the counter for the entrance ticket. For more details you can click here!
In 1890 Claude Monet became the owner of the house and gardens and transformed them completely. In front of the house lies the Clos Normand, full of flowers, on the other side of the road he had the waterlily pond dug.
When the painter settles in Giverny, the long, pink stucco house has a one huge garden, the painter-gardener immediately sets to work, never ceasing , thereafter, to improve the « Clos Normand » and to make it the garden of his colourful dreams. The central path is lined with nasturtiums and fragrant roses , which continue to enchant visitors. The old apple trees are replaced by cherry and Japanese apricot trees, the ground becoming a carpet of thousands of flowers : daffodils, tulips, narcissus, iris, oriental poppies, peonies…
I’ve been here by early June, the flowers are not at their best, but I was told the Foundation keep replacing them in order to keep the visitors till November. After that the garden will be closed till next year Mar. for maintenance. Saying so, the best time to visit could be around April or early May.
There are two parts in Claude Monet’s garden, on the other side of the road he had the waterlily pond dug, in order to achieve his aim he didn’t hesitate and diverted a branch of the Epte River, so to get to the pond with the famous green wooden Japanese bridge we across the underpass, behind this Clos normand.
Every years nearly 100,000 plants, mostly flowers, have been replaced and another 100,000 plants are perennials. Look at the garden and the pond, imagine the huge works here during the opening time for public from 23rd of Mar to 1st of November, to make sure the flowers blooming each month and the green always green!
I may prefer the pond part because they are so many different plants, I keep walking around the pond, checking every plant and wondering how can he – the painter found these amazing trees or maybe it has been added later by the Foundation team.
Wandering around the pond I keep taking photos of every corner, from one surprise to another, I love very much the green here, there was a time when I wished to have a small pond in my tiny garden, but later I realized it’s not easy at all. Finally I gave up! So admiring the scenery here, I’m not sure I will be inspired again but I’m sure on one thing: whenever I’m in Paris, I’m coming back to Giverny!
Le petit renard 