Yesterday, I went to Giverny, a small village about 40 minutes from Rouen and famous as the home of Monet later in his life. I had been looking forward to this day trip since before I arrived in France, so when my schedule and those of my friends – Brianna, Julie, and Alicia - finally coordinated, I jumped at the chance!
Our train got into Vernon, a town about 5 km from Monet’s estate. Upon our arrival, we quickly rented bicycles and disembarked for Giverny. Quite the adventure! On the way there, somehow we missed the sign for the bike path, so we essentially rode along the highway. This is not recommended! Despite the chill – a high of 55 degrees in Normandy in the month of May is surprising, but not unexpected – we still enjoyed the experience.
Our first stop was easily the highlight of the day. After locking up our bikes, we headed into the Foundation Claude Monet, aka Monet’s former house and gardens. Personally, I really enjoyed his studio: it looked almost exactly as he left it, as proven by a set of photos from the early 1900s. Throughout the home, every wall was covered with Japanese prints. Although he had never been to the Land of the Rising Sun, he greatly admired the grace and elegance of its art. These prints encouraged him to build a Japanese water bridge, a notorious subject of many of his works. Here’s a photo of it…recognize it from anywhere?
Then it was on to the gardens. Absolutely gorgeous!! My photos simply do not do them justice. Naturally, at the site of all the tulips – luckily they’re in season – I couldn’t help snapping away. Can you say, “kid in a candy shop?”
We walked around his gardens for quite some time, snapping photos left and right, taking in the general splendor, and soaking in the sun on a bench by the Japanese bridge. Delight!
Not long after, we headed for the Impressionist museum. And lucky for us, there was a special exhibit going on, so we got to see a lot of pieces on loan from London’s National Gallery, Paris’ D’Orsay, etc. I love impressionism and postimpressionism. For those that don’t, I fear that drab and uninspired Thomas Kinkade had something to do with it.
On that note, maybe I should give a quick “Impressionism 101.” To understand the movement, you have to understand its setting, both in time and place. At the end of the 1800s, Industrialism started to kick in, and Western Europeans (and their American counterparts) saw factories, mills, and steamships interrupting their more pastoral, laissez-faire lifestyles. In essence, they were fondly remembering, “the good ole days;” and they began to paint in a manner that directly contrasted the dark, cold world they were seeing rise up around them. Additionally, many of Impressionism’s founders believed that the idea of sitting inside a studio (the practice of all great artists) in order to paint a landscape was ridiculous. Many of them did the unheard of and moved outside with their easels and canvases. Revolutionary!
In 1872, Monet painted a sunset at the French port town of Le Havre. The art world, for the most part, disparaged the work. One critic went so far as to say that the piece looked like an “impression,” intending to insult the style. However, the name for this type of painting stuck, and now we having impressionism.
But this blog is titled, “and more Finer Things of Normandy,” so while I’ve covered art, I must mention la cuisine.
Last week, I made an oath to myself that I would have one ridiculous-looking French pastry or dessert every 3-4 days. Luckily, this has not been too difficult to keep. I justify this regime because that I’ve been good all semester and avoid all the desserts until just recently. So last week, I had a chocolate, caramel, explosion-looking thing from a patisserie off the Vieux Marche. Monday, it was a Strawberry tart. If the pictures below don’t explain France’s patisserie skills, let me: They are unrivaled anywhere. End of story.
The bread is amazing too. I’m particularly fond of L’ancienne baguette, but anything will suffice quite well. Check out the huge loaf I came home to last night!
In Normandy, cheese and cidre rule. At Chez Schaap, we usually have some cheese with every meal. And when my parents and I went to La Couronne during their visit, course #3 was the Normandy cheese plate. Quite delicious – and intense! Of all the Normandie cheeses, camembert reigns king. (However, my friend Nic would comment that camembert smells like fish). While it does have a strong odor, I don’t necessarily agree with him.
Cidre, a rather weak, carbonated alcoholic beverage made from Normandy’s esteemed apples, is the perfect beverage for any French picnic, although certainly wine will suffice as well. Since I’m quite the apple fan, you can imagine that I took up the enjoyment of cidre quite easily. So on that note, cheers!
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Haha thanks for the shout out...the cheese doesn't smell like fish -- it tastes like fish!! Not saying it's bad :P Sounds like you had a good time in Giverny!
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