How about I take you to Giverny?
Come on, let's go for a nice excursion to Giverny! You surely know this small village made famous by the painter Monet, and it is a pleasure for me to go there from time to time with my French immersion students. As it is a bit far from where I live, we are going there for the day.
It takes an hour and a half to get there and we take advantage of this time in the car to discuss and admire the scenery. We cross the Picardy and Normandy countryside and as it is spring, it is very pretty! The rapeseed fields are all yellow, it gives an impression of extraordinary luminosity! We can already think we are in an impressionist painting!
Arrived at Giverny, we start with Monet's house. There is always a line to enter because it attracts a lot of garden lovers as well as fans of impressionist paintings. It is true that these gardens are magnificent! No wonder Monet painted them so often! It's an incredible color palette and the pond is breathtakingly romantic!
The house is a large family house typical of the 19 th century that smells of happiness! In addition, you can admire many of the artist's works (they have been copies since 2013) and you can easily imagine him evolving in this splendid residence!
After visiting the house and the gardens, it's time to eat! I am so hungry! So we go to my favorite restaurant called "la maison Baudy". It is a former hotel which housed many American painters and where Monet often went to join his friend Sisley for lunch. I love this place because the waiters are so nice and they take the time to chat with you a bit!
You absolutely have to taste their specialty which is the duck confit omelette! It's a delight! It is so filling that I cannot finish it, especially since I want to save a small place for dessert! I always take a gourmet coffee (which can be a gourmet tea if you prefer tea), because there are several small desserts gathered around a coffee, for example a mini crème brûlée, a small fruit salad, a scoop of ice cream and a mini chocolate cake; it allows you to taste a lot of things in small quantities!
After this delicious meal, we will visit the "Museum of Impressionism" which allows you to admire the works of Monet as well as other painters from the same period. Every year the exhibition changes, so it's always a discovery for me!
Of course, you can also visit the many painting galleries that there are in the village. The gallery owners will be happy to speak with you! And besides, there are not only impressionist paintings, there are also many contemporary art galleries in Giverny!
But as they say "all good things come to an end", so now is the time to go home, especially since there is still some way to go! But it’s always a pleasure to visit this charming village and maybe I will take you there if you come in immersion!
