Claude Monet’s House and Gardens and the beauty of the French countryside // Day 4 – Giverny, France

Wow, it’s been 5 months since my trip to Europe back in August of 2014! I spent 10 amazing days in Germany and France and published posts only about 3 of them and then…well, then happened life. Yes, life happened and carried me away into a swirl of events, not letting go from its tight grip. School, job, another job, a couple of vacations, my Mom’s visit (yay!), my boyfriend’s demands to stop spending all my time with the laptop and to actually pay attention to people around…and lots and lots of other things, good things mostly, which took all my time and energy and kept me away from writing.

Oh, one day, I promise it to myself out loud here, I will quit doing all the things I don’t enjoy (meaning my current jobs) and will concentrate entirely on what I actually love and what I am passionate about – writing, photography, travelling! Yes, this day will come, maybe because I want it so badly, or because I’ve already seen this day million of times in my day dreams, or because I am one lucky girl, who knows, but it will be here! Ok, I must stop my ramblings and actually get back to the topic of this post, which is the 4^th day of the Germany-France road trip, spent in Giverny, France.

It was August 27, Wednesday, when me and my sister checked out from the hotel in Paris and headed to our next destination – Claude Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny.

After the tour of the house and the gardens go explore the village itself. The place is well prepared for tourists with multiple cozy stores selling adorable souvenirs and antiques, little cafes in the shades of abundant greenery, art studios and plant nurseries. You can rent bikes and tour the winding streets of the village or simply walk around and relax.

By the way, the myth about French love for baguettes is not a myth – baguettes are everywhere! They are in the bags, on the counters, on the plates; people are either carrying them or buying them or biting them. I wasn’t an exception and ate baguettes and as much cheese as I could!

Only a few minutes drive from Giverny is a little town Vernon, lying on the banks of the Seine River. It has some amazing fairy landscapes, crazy narrow cobblestone roads twisting in most unexpected ways, bewitching old buildings. You can rent bikes or get a bit more adventurous and rent a canoe to enjoy city views from the water. We were short of time and chose walking. 

This old mill on the broken bridge is probably the most photographed place in Vernon. No wonder – the view is absolutely lovely! 

Right next to it there is a small park perfect for a lunch picnic. And that’s what we did – ate plums, cheese and baguette, drank apple cider, watched the slow motion flow of the Seine dark waters and felt peaceful. Peaceful – probably the best word to describe Vernon. 

You can find and read the first post covering Day 1 – Metz (One Day Guide) Here

Thank you for visiting my space!