Day 2

Last night, the gentle rocking of the boat greatly assisted our slumber as we cruised away from Paris to arrive well rested in Vernon . Before disembarking we enjoyed our first breakfast on board prior to meeting our tour guide and commencing our coach journey to Monet's Garden at Giverny.  

The short drive to Giverny was very enjoyable as we passed by many quaint french villages. Our early start had been well worth the effort as on arrival we discovered we were the first tour group of the day so had Monet's garden all to ourselves (with the exception of the hard working gardeners). This was a unique opportunity as we were able to roam and take our photographs uninterrupted.

Like most people, over the years I have seen copies and some original paintings by Claude Monet which mostly depict scenes from his beautiful garden and his Japanese Bridge over the lake filled with the renowned Water Lillies however to see it in living color, particularly in the early morning sunshine was magical. 
  
At first glance Monet's garden doesn't appear to be a formal garden but gives the impression it was randomly planted so any keen gardener could emulate it . However, on closer inspection you can see that Monet planted his garden perfectly as no matter what the season it always displayed plants in bloom that he could paint year round. 

After touring the garden we moved inside to tour Monet’s house. The house doesn't boast a large footprint however a second-storey provided adequate space for the bedrooms and Monet's studio which all overlook the garden. In the far end bedroom there is a small modest double bed where we were informed Oscar Claude Monet passed away in December 1926. His bedroom is just a simple room filled with everyday items that you'd expect to find in any bedroom of a similar vintage. The only clue to its previous inhabitant were the pieces of Japanese art that he lovingly collected over many years. We were not permitted to take photos within Monet's house although we did manage to take one of his Kitchen before being reminded not to do so.

Our guide informed us that Monet had first sighted the village of Giverny from a train window and it was love at first sight which led him to return to the village in 1883 when he rented the house and by 1890 he had saved enough money to purchase it . It appears that Monet's vision for his lake garden was not shared by some of the other villagers as it meant re-routing a stream but in the end Monet got his wish and I think those who visit the garden would agree the decision was justified as the garden with its tranquil lake has endured the ravages of time including World War II. Claude Monet and many members of his family are buried in the village cemetery.  

After Monet's death in 1926 the house and garden fell into disrepair until in 1966 the stem of decay was halted when the house and garden were acquired by the Academy of Fine Arts. Despite this acquisition it was an American, Gerald van der Kemp who provided sufficient donations to restore Monet's house and garden to its former glory and eventually open it to the public in 1980.   

Before boarding the bus Sal and I had enough time to enjoy a coffee as well as visit some of the many souvenir shops and yes, we did manage to spend a few more Euro . I dearly wanted to purchase some seeds from Monet's garden to take home however explaining them to customs on our return would have been difficult.

Over coffee, Sal and I reflected on our visit to Monet's garden and both agreed we had really enjoyed the experience and felt privileged for the opportunity to wander through his lovely garden and stand on his famous Japanese bridge and visit his modest House particularly on a day when mother nature had turned on such a perfect sunny summers day.

Back on board the boat for lunch we met up with Trev who was about to commence his planned "morning tour" that had now been rescheduled to the afternoon due to a 'no show" by the original guide. It looks like Trev has a very busy afternoon ahead as he now has back to back tours instead of just one. Sal and I were planning a much more leisurely afternoon - Sal has an appointment booked at a local doctor's surgery to check out a health issue then we plan to wander around the lovely old town of Vernon and take in the sights including some of the beautiful Patisseries.

Sal managed to find her way to the local doctor and after her return we set off to find the local pharmacy as Sal has been prescribed anti-biotics to aid her recovery. The shops in Vernon don't open until after 2pm therefore we had some time to kill so decided to visit some of the local tourist attractions .  

First on the list was a visit to the very ancient Collegiate Church of Notre Dame which dates back to the Roman period of the 11th century however its construction continued until the 17th Century. The church was originally dedicated in 1072 but in 1658 due to the Church being flooded twice by a swollen River Seine a decision was made to raise the outside pavement by two feet to combat any further threat to the church from flood waters. The church was also damaged during WWII when most of the original stained glass windows were shattered - fortunately due to the City Councils initiative all the windows have now been restored. 

Following our visit to the Collegiate Church, Sal and I visited the 19th century City Hall. The City Hall boasts a Bell Tower - apparently the tower was designed to be built higher than the Church tower, the reason being the rivalry which existed between religious and state power at the time.

As it was almost 2pm we decided it was time to visit the "Temps Jadis" (or Past Time House) which was built in the fifteenth century but now home to the Office de Tourisme to find out the location of a Pharmacy . Mission accomplished we managed to have Sal's prescription filled and also had time to locate and drool over the Patisserie windows as we made our way back to the boat for a French Pastry demonstration followed by an afternoon tea of local French Pastries!   

We have been reminded on this cruise as we sail down the lovely River Seine that the quaint little towns and villages we will visit along the way are the very towns bombed by the German Army during World War II. It appears the Germans main objective in each town was to destroy the bridges to slow down the approaching allied troops in their push towards Paris.