6.09.2010

Giverny

For the last day of Paris Dustin and I went to Monet's Gardens which was suggested to us by our totally cool and hip aunts and uncles (you know who you are)!

For a while I debated what my favorite part of the trip was, and I have come to the conclusion that hands down, Monet's Gardens was it!

To get to Monet's Gardens you have to take a train (my first train ride ever, though I was a little disappointed when I realized all trains don't look like Harry Potter locomotives) to a small town called Giverny! This is the place where Monet got his inspiration for his paintings. After the hour long train ride we got off the train and crossed the street and rented bikes from a local coffee shop. From there you follow the signs and bike all the way to Monet's house. It was about three miles away. I'm not sure if our bike ride was considered "french countryside" but it sure felt like it. It was like out of a movie. The most lush, beautiful, green place I have ever seen. It was breathtaking! It was the best three mile bike ride I will ever take. Bike riding in France for our one week anniversary in the most amazing countryside I had ever seen, old houses everywhere, it was awesome.



Self portrait while riding a bike


We got there and locked up our bikes on an outrageously beautiful blossoming tree (I'm telling you, everything about this place was MAGICAL!!!) Monet's gardens were unreal. The tulips were as big as my hands and there were so many flowers I could hardly breathe! I am OBSESSED with flowers, so this was basically heaven for me. I tried to outsmart nature by breathing in through my mouth and out through my nose, but that only worked for a while. My allergies were in heaven too.


The tree where we locked up our bikes-so romantical right?

The gardens were full of flowers and flowering trees that can't be put into words, and like most things in Paris, pictures and video don't do it justice. You just have to experience it for yourself. There were the biggest tulips I had ever seen, flowering trees everywhere. Flowering vines, flowers flowers and more flowers. I literally cannot even explain it. Behind the flower garden heaven there was the infamous japanese foot bridge with the lilly pond and willow trees. It was obviously the inspiration for so many of Monet's paintings.





After the pond we toured Monet's house, which was so much more amazing than I had imagined! They didn't allow pictures inside, which was unfortunate, but it was still fun. The outside didn't look so cute, someone chose really bad hues of green for the shutters and benches outside the house. But the inside colors were so fun and bold and beautiful! Most of the house was painted a minty light green, which is a really bad description but you get the point. Then there were really beautiful blues- like lighter Tiffany's blue with a darker trim. Then there were purples and the kitchen was a lemon color with a creamy lemon color for accents. It was outrageous and amazing. I love when people make big bold moves in their homes. It was inspiring. He did not play it on the safe side!


The outside- not impressed

We rode our bikes back to the train station and along the way saw an amazingly strange house that we were pretty sure came right from Lemony Snickets the movie. We loved Giverny!



8 comments:

  1. You are so cute! I want to go there!

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  2. i always love your eye shadow, what is it and where can i find it!

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  3. Jenna you are stunning! It's unreal. And I can't picture a happier place for you to be. I am sure you and Dustin will soon have a gorgeous garden!

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  4. That really does look like heaven. You and Dustin are such babes too, i love all of your pictures from the honeymoon!

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  5. i love those gardens, that's why i named our baby girl monet! i've loved looking at your paris photos, i miss it so much.

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  6. I so can't sleep. So I decided to stare at your Paris photos. They are so yummy.

    I also just watched Geoff's dancing video. Oh my freak. he rules.

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