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Giverny and Claude Monet

A group of friends and I decided to book a day trip to Giverny on one of our Sundays in April. Seeing as we are all international students living and studying in Paris, it was totally normal that we'd look for the cheapest day visit possible, while maintaining some standards naturally. We found an association for Erasmus students on Facebook and managed to book our day trip for 29€ each (not including 5.50€ for the entrance to Monet's House and Gardens). Budget-wise it seemed like a good deal. Next time I'll know better - there are always limitations and restrictions when you're in an organised tour, so depending on your interests (and patience), it would be better to take the time to organise your trip yourself... Yes, I'm talking to myself here.

 

The itinerary was great, with a visit of the hometown of Claude Monet in the little village of Vétreuil, followed by a stop at La Roche Guyon where we could get an amazing view of the Seine from above, and another stop at the Château de la Roche Guyon. The largest chunk of the day was spent at the Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny, where we had lunch and visited the House and Gardens that served as inspiration to his countless works of art on impressionism.

THE VILLAGE OF VÉTREUIL

The trip started off in the sleepy (duh, it was a Sunday) village of Vétreuil. I had absolutely no idea that it was the hometown of Claude Monet. The picturesque little village was a lovely break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The clean air and bracing breeze made for a pleasant change and the weather cooperated for once, keeping things nice and sunny for the day. And let's not forget that little stop at the boulanger pâtissier for a much needed sugar fix!

CHÂTEAU DE LA ROCHE GUYON

For a quick pit stop, the Château de la Roche Guyon was probably a little fancy for our purposes. The original château is actually located at the top of the hill and what is left is actually what remains of the dungeons.

The scenery was beautiful and our guide took us on an aimless hike through a tiny path in the forests just under the ruins. Needless to say, in my head I was thinking "Was this really necessary?". I am the worst candidate for anything sport or fitness related...

CLAUDE MONET FOUNDATION

The highlight of the day! I confess, I was waiting to be disappointed because I knew that there'd be a crowd and I worried that it would detract from the potential beauty of the place.

I needn't have worried. The gardens are spectacular with a godly number of different species of flowers and a path that meanders throughout. 

The house itself has been kept in great condition, but you can tell that it's mostly been done for commercial and tourism purposes.


For those of you who have been to Paris before and you're either planning on visiting again or even living here, Giverny is a great place to visit for a day. About an hour away by coach, you can easily spend a relaxing day surrounded by beautiful scenery and a relatively tranquil atmosphere. Feast your eyes on some of my favourite snapshots from the day! I might think of making this my full-time job in the future - what do you think?

For my first ever video edit, I must say it didn't turn out so bad. What with the lack of time and budget to actually invest in simple to use video editor apps, I decided to try my luck with one of them that actually allows me to create videos without that bloody watermark! 

 

It's also my first ever video on my YouTube channel! Can't believe how much progress I've made even without going through tutorials and just fiddling with apps and my camera.


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