Giverny - Monet's home and garden

Giverny, a village 80 km from Paris, 4 km from Vernon, is most famous for the French Impressionist, Claude Monet's home and garden. Monet painted many paintings of his garden in Giverny with its archways of climbing plants, water gardens with Japanese bridge, the pond with the water lilies.

It was a pleasant day out for me, making my way to Vernon via train and taking the bus to Giverny before walking to the garden. The garden was beautiful and the flowers were planted - it seems to me according to their colour scheme. It was so good to see so many varieties of flowering plants in a garden. Beyond the garden is the famous water lily pond. Though the water lilies were not in bloom, the pond was tranquil with the cascading trees and plants and Japanese bridge. I can imagine Monet getting his inspiration to paint under the magic of such a beautiful garden and pond.

Japan has a great influence on Monet and he was facinated with Japanese art as he went on to collect over 200 Japanese prints and paintings - displayed in his house in Giverny. He even painted his wife, Camille wearing a Kimono.