Giverny was one of the spots I was most looking forward to on our tour. I expected to love it, but I did not expect to love it quite so much. It was, quite simply, dreamy! It's not hard to see why Monet was so inspired here.
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When I said above that I loved Giverny, I really meant it - the place was overwhelmingly wonderful. As the snap says: I could weep. Truly.
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#L'Ascension: Today was May 5th, aka Ascension Day, which is a public holiday in France. Luckily, no holiday closures impacted us - we had another busy day on tour!
Day 10: We departed Normandy and headed to the swoon-worthy world of Giverny.
Along with Chenonceau, Giverny was at the top of the list of things I was most looking forward to on our tour. And, just like Chenonceau, Giverny did not disappoint. A visit to Giverny is essentially divided into two parts: the ponds with surrounding gardens, and Monet's house with surrounding gardens. We began by the ponds; the light was gorgeous and I was absolutely in flower heaven. This place just made me so happy!
Monet's house was a riot of color, both inside and out. Inside, we found colorfully painted rooms (and, sadly, lots of crowds). Outside, there were rows and rows of tulips and other flowers. So beautiful!
We headed next to Monet's house...
"I am in raptures. Giverny is a splendid place for me."
- Claude Monet
After spending the morning exploring (and, let's be honest, taking like a million flower photos), we headed to a little café in Giverny for lunch. We had sandwiches and, for dessert, couldn't resist splitting this prettiest of raspberry tarts. We had a bit more time to wander around Giverny, and then it was back to the bus for the final (already?!) leg of our journey.
Back in Paris, we dropped our bags at our hotel and then had the afternoon free to explore before our last group dinner together.
Mom and I walked to the Champs-Élysées and caught a glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe. We also stopped into Laduree for a coffee (for me), tea (for mom), and macarons (for both, duh).
At last, it was time to come full circle and return to Paris. On our bus ride back, Virginie handed out mini madeleines. She explained that in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time," he eats madeleines and reminisces on his childhood - and that we should eat madeleines and reminisce on our own trip. So many good memories to choose from!
For our last dinner, Virginie led us to L'Auberge Dab. This restaurant felt like old school Paris: think waiters in bowties and tails. We had a feast of a meal - what a way to go out!
After the last crème brûlée bowl had been scraped clean, Virginie led us to a nearby park. From there, we could see clear down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe, all lit up at night. We made a big circle, Virginie gave a lovely sendoff speech, and then we hugged all around. This was mom's and my fourth Rick Steves tour, but I think this might have been my favorite send-off of all - it was a very sweet way to say au revoir.
Day 11: Our tour officially ended after breakfast, but for mom and I, the fun continued for a few days more. See what else we did in Paris here.
Helpful Hyperlinks
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After this tour, Monet's gardens at Giverny are officially among my very favorite spots in France.
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For our final nights in Paris, we stayed at Hotel Montfleuri.
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We popped into Laduree on the Champs-Élysées (though, truth be told, I'd recommend you try Pierre Hermé for your macaron fix instead).
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For a great dinner in Paris, try L'Auberge Dab.
