The Magic of Monet

THE bikes lined up in front of the corner café were beckoning us.
I made a bee-line for them. Just then the words of my doctor started ringing in my ear.
“Just don’t go hopping on any bikes,” he cautioned.
“That’s the best piece of advice I can give to you.”
It was the eve of our European trip. And, yes, planes, taxis, hire cars, the Eurostar train, buses, boats and, quite possibly, bikes were among the modes of transport we planned to use.
After a 60-minute train trip from Paris to Vernon, the bikes are looking an attractive option to cycle 5km to Giverny, home of Monet’s Garden.
How lovely it would be to throw caution to the wind and ride along the disused railway line to the garden.
The doctor warned that he had lost count of the number of his “middle aged” patients who had tumbled off bikes and broken bones, ruining their holidays. I had made the mistake of relaying this piece of information to my husband, more to point out the absurdity of the description of me as middle-aged.
But, as I sized up the bikes, to see if there were any suitable for the three kids, my husband chimed in with the reminder that yes, indeed, I am middle-aged.
I glumly went to the back of the snaking line to hop on a shuttle bus for Giverny. We passed the bike riders, sans helmets, looking wondrously happy pedaling along the scenic path.
Once there we made our way along a series of laneways, walking briskly to get ahead of the crowd. The line of people queuing to enter the garden, on a Sunday, was long and slow moving.
The kids were whining. I almost could see their point. I had made the arbitrary decision to dump visits to Eurodisney and Versailles when we had been held up by the Icelandic volcanic eruption and our Paris itinerary had to be pruned. However, I insisted, there was no way I was going to miss out on seeing Monet’s Garden again. I had been there 15 years earlier in autumn.
That time it offered an explosion of giant white cosmos, geraniums, dahlias, impatiens and marigolds.
I had often spoken about wanting to return in Spring. Now, being so close, I wasn’t going to give up the opportunity. Once inside, we were overwhelmed by the mass of tulips.
We had, according to one observer, lucked on the week when the thousands of tulip bulbs in the expansive gardens were at their best.
It would have to be one of the most beautiful sights I have experienced. Even the kids, the thought of spinning cups and thrill rides momentarily forgotten, were transfixed.
It was hard to know where to look. So many gorgeous blooms. With such inspiration, it is no wonder impressionist painter Claude Monet could produce such wonderful and enduring paintings.
There are two parts to the garden. The one you enter from the street, in front of the house, is called Clos Normand. It features the famous Grande Allee, a gigantic arch that leads to the impressive house.
We made our way through to the second garden via an underpass. It features the famed pond with the Japanese inspired bridge.
Painter Monet featured the wisteria covered bridge and waterlillies in many of his paintings, such as the Nympheas series.
He bought this land 10 years after he arrived in Giverny.
Monet, by all accounts, was as much a gardener as a painter and once you see the garden you start to realize where various paintings were set.
The Grand Allee, with it climbing roses, is featured in many paintings.
The garden is open from April to November and has more than 500,000 visitors per year.
Monet lived at Giverny for more than 40 years until his death in 1926. Before his paintings started to make him money, he rented the home, a former cider factory, because he could not afford a Paris apartment.
Eventually he was able to buy the property.
After his death the property fell into ruin and in 1966 was bequeathed to an arts academy. It took 10 years to restore and recreate the garden, with the help of a number of people who actually knew Monet.
There has been debate about how it should be maintained. It is clear that what we see today is probably not exactly how Monet would have had it, but the trustees must balance recreating the garden with the demands of tourists to be impressed.
Nonetheless, it is well worth the visit.
We made our way into the home with its pink stucco, green shutters and creeper covered pergolas
It did not look any different to when I had first seen it. Its bright yellow kitchen and blue dining room are not everyone’s choice but reveal his brave use of color was not restricted to his canvas.
The Japanese influence, from wood blocks to prints, is evident in the home. Walls are lined with reproductions of his work, the originals now held in collections around the world.
The view from the first floor balcony is one you would happily settle in for the day if it wasn’t for the crowds eagerly making their way along the narrow staircases.
Monet loved this area and on an earlier visit I had followed his path through Normandy north up to Etretat and to Rouen where he painted his cathedral series.
Upon leaving the garden we made our way up the hill to the church were Monet is buried.
In the intervening period, between my two visits, the area’s tourism offerings have grown. There are art galleries, accommodation, museums and cafes and you could easily spend a few days touring around the picturesque village.
Whether you are a gardener or painter there is much to see in a side trip to Giverny.
After a visit to Giverny there is only one thing left. A trip to Paris to the Musee d'Orsay to see more Monet magic.
Getting there:
Trains leave from Saint Lazare station, in Paris, regularly.
There is a bus from the station to the garden.
Monet’s Garden is open from April 1 to November 1.
Entry is 6.00 Euro for adults and 3.50 for children 7 to 12 years. Aged and group concessions apply.
www.giverny.org

the end
copyright Claire Heaney 2010