Giverny, Versailles
I wasn’t sure about how this day would go initially, but I’m thrilled with how it turned out. We decided before we came to France that we would book a guided tour for Monet’s house in Giverny and the Versailles palace. We woke up so early in the morning that our boulangerie wasn’t open for the day! Not to fear, we checked in with the tour and had an hour before boarding so we found a café near the Louvre and sat down for breakfast. The place was small and chic, filled with modern furniture and decor. I had a croissant and a “café infusé à froid” which is essentially just an iced coffee. We boarded the bus around 9:15 am. Our guide for the day was a man called Jean-Louis. He was a tall, skinny man with very blonde hair in a bowl cut. Whenever he got irritated with the Americans he muttered in French to his coworkers in the front of the bus, not knowing some of us could understand him.
We arrived at Giverny about 40 minutes later. I had been hesitant about this part of the journey because I don’t know much about Monet and didn’t understand why his house would be interesting to see. After my experience, I can certainly say it a must-see for anyone who loves flowers and artwork. We were led through both the Japanese gardens and those on the other side of the road near Monet’s home. We had the chance to see the water lilies that Monet painted, take pictures on the Japanese bridge, and to explore the bamboo forest planted there. We learned that today there are only 5 full-time gardeners on the estate which is now managed by the French government. After our time in the gardens we got to explore the house which Monet shared with his second-wife and their many children. Many of the rooms were color coordinated with bright yellows, pinks, and blues. Japanese artwork and other impressionist work hung on the walls.
We left Giverny for lunch at an old mill. There was a small tuna dish, chicken, followed by and apple tarte for dessert. I wasn’t really impressed by the food, but enjoyed the scenery and a chance to sit down.
We were off at last to Versailles! I was excited for this part of the trip because I had learned parts of the palace that were under construction during my 2016 visit had opened again just weeks before our return to France. We were able to see the cathedral, the queen’s apartments, the hall of mirrors, the gardens, and the king’s apartments. All were stunning. Gold was everywhere. We learned that the French government had redone the front gates of the palace with real gold. It had taken them over 100,000 gold leafs to do so. After our time inside the palace, I was eager to explore the gardens. I hadn’t been able to see either the Grand or Petit Trianon on my last visit, so I wanted to make sure I did this time. Unfortunately, we had roughly 40 minutes and were unable to find either of them before time expired and we had to make our way back to the bus. The fountains we passed were beautiful so I am happy we did get to see those. This just gives me a reason to come back!
We returned to Paris around 5:45 pm. The sun certainly had not set, so we wanted to explore more of the city. Jillian hadn’t seen Notre Dame yet, so we walked over. We saw cranes surrounding the back of the structure, netting over the rosettes, but it was otherwise gorgeous. We attempted to visit the bookstore “Shakespeare and Co.” but it was closing for a private event as we arrived.
Deciding it was probably more expensive to eat dinner next to Notre Dame, we thought it was best to return to the neighborhood near our AirBnb. We stopped on the way home for Thai food. I’m not entirely sure what I ordered, but it was certainly interesting. There was cooked meat inside small charred husks that I dipped in a pepper sauce. We learned tonight that you must ask French waiters for the check or they will not bring it to you (thank you, Google). We were able to pay and leave much more quickly than dinner on previous nights.
Mary-Est-En-France 