Giverny: Maison de Monet!

Soooooo happy!

Valentin was kind enough to drive me to Giverny.  Good company and I didn't have to take the train again!

The famous water lilies!

Maison de Monet- Imagine looking out those windows everyday :)

I remember studying Claude Monet's paintings back in high school... finally being able to visit and see them in person was amazing!  It also helped that the weather was absolutely perfect.  Couldn't have asked for a better day.  I could have walked around the gardens and house for many more hours than we did, but unfortunately many other people had the same idea, so it was a bit crowded.

Valentin is a friend I met while Laura and I were out and about one night.  It has been fun getting to know him and his friends and trying to communicate with the different languages.  Thankfully he and his friends know quite a bit of English!  It was funny to learn how many of them haven't visited any of the monuments and sites that we have gone to.  Valentin mentioned he probably wouldn't ever have gone to Giverny to see the gardens, but because I wanted to it was a good opportunity to go.  It's hard for me to imagine not seeing all of these places if I lived here, but then again, growing up with this setting at my fingertips, it might be something I think I would do eventually.  I would compare it to living in Milwaukee and saying I am going to visit the Pabst mansion.. I probably never will.

The flowers were still in bloom and there were a few lilies in the pond.  It was another great escape from the city.  I would go back in a heartbeat.