Today the group went on a bus trip to Giverny, Monets home and garden located in Normandy.
As we are leaving the city, we pass by the Arc de Triomphe and I have a hard time believing that this massive thing will fit inside the stage at Palais Garnier, which we were told yesterday! We also pass by La Defense. Once we're out of Paris it's all countryside (they don't seem to do suburbs here). Our lunch break is at Moulin de Fourge. There are people painting en plein air as we arrive at this lovely picturesque old mill, currently an Inn. Lunch was delicious, including a wonderful apple galette, typical of the area. When we get to Giverny our visit starts at the museum, currently hosting a show of Calliabotte. I know him for the floor scrapers, but am surprised by his wonderful flower paintings. Apparently he spent a great deal of time on his garden and even had a hot house full of orchids. The highlight of the show for me is a four panel door painted to look like you were looking into the orchid greenhouse. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and really put this art in context of the impressionist movement, Monet and the academic art that preceded it. After the museum we headed to the garden and home. The cherry trees are in full glorious bloom! The flowers at the pond are mostly bulbs, forsythia, flowering bushes, and other early spring bloomers. The water lilies are months yet to come. In the main garden, the lawn is littered with tulips and hyacinths, adding their scent to the air. In the home, I recognize a repro of a Calliabotte chrysanthemum painting that we had just seen and learned that was swapped between the artists! The studio is filled with art of all kinds, many repros of work by other impressionists. Most of us favoured the large yellow dining room and beautiful huge blue kitchen. Just as we are boarding the bus, it starts to rain! On our way back into Paris, our route takes us past the Tour Eiffel, the mini Liberty statue, Pont de l'Alma with the Liberty flame (and also the tunnel where Princess Diana died). Musee d'Orsay is a little further down, Conciergerie and Ile de la Cite, a wonderful mini city tour! Our bus stops in front of a crepe shop and about half of us decide this would be a perfect dinner spot. My evening ended with a marron glace, Chantilly creme crepe.
As we are leaving the city, we pass by the Arc de Triomphe and I have a hard time believing that this massive thing will fit inside the stage at Palais Garnier, which we were told yesterday! We also pass by La Defense. Once we're out of Paris it's all countryside (they don't seem to do suburbs here). Our lunch break is at Moulin de Fourge. There are people painting en plein air as we arrive at this lovely picturesque old mill, currently an Inn. Lunch was delicious, including a wonderful apple galette, typical of the area. When we get to Giverny our visit starts at the museum, currently hosting a show of Calliabotte. I know him for the floor scrapers, but am surprised by his wonderful flower paintings. Apparently he spent a great deal of time on his garden and even had a hot house full of orchids. The highlight of the show for me is a four panel door painted to look like you were looking into the orchid greenhouse. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and really put this art in context of the impressionist movement, Monet and the academic art that preceded it. After the museum we headed to the garden and home. The cherry trees are in full glorious bloom! The flowers at the pond are mostly bulbs, forsythia, flowering bushes, and other early spring bloomers. The water lilies are months yet to come. In the main garden, the lawn is littered with tulips and hyacinths, adding their scent to the air. In the home, I recognize a repro of a Calliabotte chrysanthemum painting that we had just seen and learned that was swapped between the artists! The studio is filled with art of all kinds, many repros of work by other impressionists. Most of us favoured the large yellow dining room and beautiful huge blue kitchen. Just as we are boarding the bus, it starts to rain! On our way back into Paris, our route takes us past the Tour Eiffel, the mini Liberty statue, Pont de l'Alma with the Liberty flame (and also the tunnel where Princess Diana died). Musee d'Orsay is a little further down, Conciergerie and Ile de la Cite, a wonderful mini city tour! Our bus stops in front of a crepe shop and about half of us decide this would be a perfect dinner spot. My evening ended with a marron glace, Chantilly creme crepe.
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