France, Part 27 - Giverny Part II "Heaven's Palette"

If there is a representation of the palette of heaven on earth, Monet created it in his gardens at Giverny.   These are two huge areas, occupying the space around the house and an area accessed from a tunnel beneath the road.  The first garden is what we traditionally think of, with flowers and vegetables arranged in neat rows along cobbled paths.  The other is the famous lily pond garden.  

The first garden by Monet's house is a cathedral of color.   All the flowers were in bloom here, and it presented an incredible feast for the senses.  Monet planted his garden as he would paint a painting, infusing it with an abundance of colors.  It is one case of man influencing nature so that it might influence him.  One can walk for hours, see the subtle play of light throughout the day over plants of every description.  

The water Lily garden is superb as well, though there were only a few lilies when we arrived.  Water flows from a canal diverted from a local river and streams into the lily pond itself.  Bamboo grows here in abundance and the whole garden has a distinct oriental feel with the green arching bridges. 

Perhaps the creation of this garden is owed to Monet's interest in Japanese things.   The twisting vine that hangs with purple flowers in the spring wasn't in bloom over the most famous of his bridges.  The lack of vibrant color did not detract from the mystique of this space.  

We were very lucky to explore with few crowds, enjoying a quiet space and peaceful time to enjoy ourselves.  I could picture Monet playing here with his many children, his big bushy beard standing out like a puff of smoke against his stocky frame. 

The gardeners of today maintain the quality Monet wanted in his space.  Everywhere there are splashes of color, light and shadow offset each other. 

Indeed, these gardens are Monet’s living masterpiece, a painting one can step into – resplendent with birds and bees and the gentle breeze.  It is a quality and quantity that words alone fail and pictures merely proxy.  I can see how these kinds of hues inspired his paintings.

We spent a good while there, taking it in before walking through to the town to his grave at the cathedral.  Here too flowers grow from the bed of his death.  It was life and beauty among the worn gray stones.   Dinner was simple but sublime at La Musandarie, a little inn at the edge of town.  Most of the other places in Giverny didn't appeal, and this one was our last attempt, well worth it.  I cannot recall all that we had, but I will let these wonderful images suffice.

We finished back at the pastoral farm to relax and ponder our journey to this point.  My parents were exhausted and I was equally as tired.  We had a nice meal a local hotel in Giverny though pickings for food in town were very slim.  Our food was absolutely delicious.  We then returned to the hotel to laze, pet Flobert and watch the sunset of our last full day in France.