Claude Monet's house and gardens (莫內故居與花園) is located in Giverny, which is about 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Paris by car. Oscar-Claude Monet (克勞德•莫內; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a founder of French Impressionist painting. He discovered the town of Giverny while taking a train looking out of the window. He moved to Giverny in 1883 and rented a house and its surroundings. The surrounding landscape offered many suitable ideas for Monet's work. Later in 1980, he purchased the property and created the splendid gardens for him to paint. He died in 1926, and the garden was left unattended after 1947. From 1977 to 1980, Gérald Van der Kemp and his wife Florence appealed the restoration of the neglected house and gardens. The Foundation Claude Monet was created in 1980 as the estate was declared public. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that runs and preserves the house and gardens of Claude Monet
We drove from Connelles in the morning where we stayed overnight in the beautiful countryside. It was only 42 km (26 mi) and took us less than an hour to arrive Giverny. We did take some time to find the parking lots driving through those small alleys. It was mid April, and the parking lots (smaller nearby one) were already 60% full around 11 am. Soon we discovered a parking spot under cherry trees, and it was cherry blossom season. The sakura blew all over the parking lots. It was an excellent experience to have cherry blossoms falling everywhere. We went to the Musée des impressionnismes (印象派博物館, Museum of Impressionism) first and purchased the tickets that included the Claude Monet's house and gardens plus the Musée des Impressionnismes. It costs 16.50 € for adults. The receptionist told us to visit the garden before the house to avoid the crowd. We followed the instruction and went direct to the Water Garden. It was not so crowded there, and the water garden was not very large. In few minutes’ walk, we saw the famous Japanese bridge we see in the Claude Monet's “The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool” oil painting. It was amazing and fantastic. After the water garden, we went to the other side to the garden and Claude Monet's house. Although it was mid April, the garden already had many flowers. The house that Claude Monet lived in was a nice place to visit. We saw many paintings of Claude Monet and his friends. There were also many Japanese prints in some of the rooms. The rooms and the furniture are elegant and cozy.
Beside Claude Monet's house and gardens, there are additional attractions that you can visit. Musée des impressionnismes is the other one we visited. We had our lunch in the restaurant inside Musée des impressionnismes. You can easily find other restaurants and cafes in the surrounding areas.
We drove from Connelles in the morning where we stayed overnight in the beautiful countryside. It was only 42 km (26 mi) and took us less than an hour to arrive Giverny. We did take some time to find the parking lots driving through those small alleys. It was mid April, and the parking lots (smaller nearby one) were already 60% full around 11 am. Soon we discovered a parking spot under cherry trees, and it was cherry blossom season. The sakura blew all over the parking lots. It was an excellent experience to have cherry blossoms falling everywhere. We went to the Musée des impressionnismes (印象派博物館, Museum of Impressionism) first and purchased the tickets that included the Claude Monet's house and gardens plus the Musée des Impressionnismes. It costs 16.50 € for adults. The receptionist told us to visit the garden before the house to avoid the crowd. We followed the instruction and went direct to the Water Garden. It was not so crowded there, and the water garden was not very large. In few minutes’ walk, we saw the famous Japanese bridge we see in the Claude Monet's “The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool” oil painting. It was amazing and fantastic. After the water garden, we went to the other side to the garden and Claude Monet's house. Although it was mid April, the garden already had many flowers. The house that Claude Monet lived in was a nice place to visit. We saw many paintings of Claude Monet and his friends. There were also many Japanese prints in some of the rooms. The rooms and the furniture are elegant and cozy.
Beside Claude Monet's house and gardens, there are additional attractions that you can visit. Musée des impressionnismes is the other one we visited. We had our lunch in the restaurant inside Musée des impressionnismes. You can easily find other restaurants and cafes in the surrounding areas.
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