Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Look Out the Window


On our visit to France in June, we decided to only schedule two tours and leave the rest of our days to explore at will.


A bicycle tour of Versailles was an unanimous choice and I was pleased when we all settled on Giverny as our second tour.


This was my second visit to Giverny, but my first taking a van tour.


Our guide began shared interesting facts and details from the minute our tour began - I did not know that Claude Monet's first name was actually Oscar.


My favorite tidbit was that Monet designed his garden so that if he looked out any of the windows he would see something to paint.


Because we were with a tour, we entered through a side gate and were then set free to explore on our own for several hours.


We arrived at 1 p.m under gray skies and slight rain, which turned to mist and by 2 p.m. the sky was blue.


The variety of flowers amazed me


and made me a bit envious.


I have many of the same blooms in my garden, but mine do not grow so tall


and look at the size of those leaves.


We spent most of our time in the garden


and finally made our way to the house.


I could easily live in the beautiful house,


 relaxing after a morning of gardening in this beautiful room and enjoying the views that inspired Monet.


I'd happily sit in the kitchen while Steve cooked,


but I would need help keeping the copper shining.


I mentioned envy earlier in my post,


but truly I only felt motivated to come home and cultivate my garden.


Giverny is definitely worth a visit.

27 comments:

  1. France, is a work of art in itself.

    That stove area of Monet's, still a classic. Oh how I wish to go back again.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am certainly NOT a gardener but I enjoy them so much!! What a lovely place

    ReplyDelete
  3. How gorgeous Carol! Thanks for sharing (totally love those kitchen tiles...) xox

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my how gorgeous. I can see why he was so inspired to paint. What a beautiful garden to see. I love the tiles in the kitchen with the copper pots and pans. Large open windows with so much light coming into the home too. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I went back through the pics a few times. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for sharing these lovely photos enjoyed them. Have a blessed day. Madeline

    ReplyDelete
  6. You took such a nice trip and I enjoyed looking at the photos of the beautiful house and garden!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Carol, Oh what a sweet post. I loved seeing the house inside and the gardens. So much beauty. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sharing this with us was fun. He certainly had inspiration around him to paint. You must have enjoyed spending time in the gardens .

    Enjoy the rest of your day

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's all so beautiful, Carol, but that floral sofa stole my heart! Dreamy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your photos show off the beauty of Giverny so very well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Breathtaking! Giverny is on my bucket list......ah, someday! It's wonderful to get ideas from traveling, and I have no doubt that your garden will bloom with French inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Every photo made me catch my breath...Thank you for sharing all of these wonderful sites...beauty in each and every picture. xo

    ReplyDelete
  13. How breathtaking. Monet is one of my favorites. I even painted on pottery garden scenes on dinnerware and accent pieces and named the pattern, 'Giverny'....sigh. Maybe I will still make it there!

    ReplyDelete
  14. That first photo of Giverny is one I wish I'd taken -- from a distance. So beautiful. When I visited we weren't allowed photos inside. I think I could have filled a whole memory card with photos from the dining room and kitchen alone. Your garden shots are exquisite. I would return in a heartbeat, too.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh absolutely beautiful! I love Monet and to be in his garden and home would be a dream! So glad you got to go and see in person. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm envious that you got to vist Monet's garden and house! What an amazing trip. Thank you for sharing with us...those gardens are amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Now, THAT could make me miss my garden. How fortunate to have seen this through the tour!

    ReplyDelete
  18. How wonderful to visit Giverny, the garden of inspiration for Monet's wonderful paintings. I hope to go there one day, after all, France is my neighbouring country! Lovely to see your photos.
    Thanks for popping into my blog regularly, I often see the trace you leave in my blog reader when you come by!

    ReplyDelete
  19. The garden is beautiful. I can understand why you spent so much time out there.
    The house looked pretty nice too. You captured the beauty

    ReplyDelete
  20. So pleased I stopped by …
    This is such a lovely post, so nice to see the beautiful garden.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  21. Carol, you are making my heart long for a return! I've only been to Giverny once, and that was 20 years ago. It is so beautiful and perfect in any area. The kitchen with all its copper was a favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh so beautiful! I wish I could visit this place in the future! Great pictures and thanks for sharing this...
    Love from Titti

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh, la la what a wonderful post, Carol..
    I haven't been to Giverny,
    but I am looking so forward to see this place🌹

    Hugs, Ida

    ReplyDelete
  24. Giverny would definitely be at the top of my list, Carol! Thank you for taking us on this mini vacation. I love the look of copper pots, and they would look gorgeous in my kitchen, but I have always resisted, knowing as I do that I could never maintain them!

    ReplyDelete
  25. It is definitely at the top of my must-see list, Carol and I think your post is the first time I've ever seen photos of the inside of the house. Sigh. . .I too could sit in that kitchen for a long time!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I've been to France three times, and I've never been to Giverny. Your photos are beautiful! The kitchen is as inspiring as the gardens! :D

    ReplyDelete
  27. Fabulous virtual tour!!!Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete