Giverny 2017

Giverny is home to Monet’s Garden and makes an easy day-trip from Paris. I knew a place like this was likely very busy in the springtime, so I made my way out from the city early in the morning, which took just over an hour by train. But I didn’t plan perfectly. When I arrived in Giverny, I didn’t realize that their bus system doesn’t run very early. So I was left in an extremely small town, where most things were closed at 8AM. I ended up finding a coffee shop that also had rental bikes and figured that with the time I had, I might as well bike to Monet’s Garden and get there right as it opened rather than wait for a bus to get to me there with everyone else.

The bike ride there is a memory that floats back into my mind every once in a while, and it always leaves me with the most romantic of feelings. At the bike shop, I was given a paper map to follow to the garden which was especially helpful as my data didn’t work too well out there. The small roads through the neighborhood out to the bike path were quaint and quiet. I passed small, cottage-like homes covered in flowers on my way. There was something about being alone on my bike in the early morning passing through that made me feel so tranquil and so liberated.

When I arrived, there was a safe place to park my bike and there were only a few other individuals there earlier than I. If I remember correctly, I got about an hour of wandering the grounds before the tour buses came, and then immediately, the serene view was crammed with people. If you do go, I recommend arriving there right as they open (and certainly not on a weekend) so you can have a few moments of solitude in the space that inspired Monet.

You can use this site to plan your trip!