April 18th: Giverny

On the 18th I took my second day trip out of Paris and headed to Giverny the home of the arguably the greatest impressionist painter of all time, certainly the most famous, Monet. Crowded and Touristy yes but not nearly as popular as other "attractions" so it does offer a bit of escape from the city hubub that Versailles does not. This was easily my favorite thing I did. Beautiful and inspiring you could easily spend everyday for the rest of your life in this small place and never once grow tired of it. It's perfect in every way of the word.

This is monet's house we weren't supposed to take pictures of the inside I tried sneaking a few but it wasn't easy as they were watching like hawks.

Monet loved Japanese art and culture. Much of his art and apparently interior decorating drew from the Japanese artists he admired. 

These paintings are not the originals most of which are in museums today, it is an attempt to recreate the private collection Monet kept in his home of his own work, the work of friends, and the work of aerialists he admired. 

I failed I get a picture of his kitchen but I plan on modeling my own after it someday.
 Alright so behind the house is the most beautiful garden with flowers upon flowers upon flowers. Everything is perfect and so pretty an you want to stop and photograph absolutely everything. I won't put up all the photos but I'll give you a few so you get the idea.

Okay so at this point you think you've done it, you've stumbled on the most beautiful garden in the world and life can never be prettier or closer to perfection. Then you walk through an underground tunnel as the road now cuts through Monet's prescious oasis, and you come up to his Japanese styled garden and you see how wrong you were. If only the other people would go away and leave you in peace for ever. It's absolutely majesty and everything you've known about Monet, the artwork of his that you've seen and will see, it all makes sense. It all comes together and you just, you get it. Impressionism, capturing the light of a moment against the subject of your eye, it just makes so much sense when you see this holy place. I felt like I was walking on sacred ground and somehow that I, nor anyone else really deserved to walk our gangly imperfect little selves through the garden of Eden that only Monet could be master and keeper of. 

 

If you can ever manage to tear yourself away from Monet's house you can have the splendid go our of walking through the village of giverny, lines with sweet cafés and artisan shops it can entertain for hours and if you haven't lost the whole day yet there is the American museum of Impressionism which I I'd not see and have saved as an excuse to get back to Giverny someday.  

After my beautiful day, for which the weather was excellent I headed bck to town and went to another all vegan resturaunt on my list. This was the best meal I had, and most indulgent I might add as well. The Gentle Gourmet Cafe jut down the street fr Bastille (bast-ee) the new opera house which replaced Opera de Garnier is amazing, it's trendy, it's pricy, it's popular, always fully booked, and totally worth it. Of course I wasn't allowed to eat inside since I had no reservation and it's always a full house, but thy still let me have take out so I ate along te Seinne and it was still good. Quiche pizza and a chocolate brownie later I was stuffed and ashamed but completely satisfied. I can say without any doubt this was the best tasting food I've ever had. Ever, to those who somehow believe plant food can't possibly ever be better than the animal based counter part versions of that food. The quiche, oh my goodness, so good I could have cried tears of joy as my taste buds exploded into rainbows and miracles and sparkles. I went back for another quiche later in the weak as an Easter present to me love me:) awesome. Just perfection in food. 

This is the quiche, ugh I'm salivating just looking at it. 

The pizza, mmmm to die for.

And oops ate the dessert too fast to take a pic! Worst foodie ever:(