A highlight of this Uniworld river cruise is a stop at the Village of Giverny where Monet made his home for many years and painted his famous water lilies. (I could not get the right effect in the pic above with my camera app, but at least it’s a bit artistic!)
His love of color is evident everywhere. The pink and green home he shared with his large family is so inviting, with its vividly painted rooms and large cheerful blue kitchen. Of note, no original paintings are on display here – only reproductions.
His gardens were massive—much larger than I had imagined, with thousands of flowering plants blooming in tiered patches of color and disappearing paths.
A riot of color is displayed within a scene of organized chaos.
The Gardens
A second garden features the famous pond with his iconic water lilies. A few were still blooming, even though the gardens will now close for the season. Monet would spend hours in his small boat painting them in different light and conditions.
Before he had money, Monet did much of the garden work himself. It was one of his passions. Today it takes a staff of five to keep it up. The dozens of dahlia varieties were impressively amazing! Fliting around were birds, butterflies, and dragonflies, even at this late fall date.
Monet led a complicated and interesting life and I enjoyed learning more about him. His world was a palate of color – filled with his love of flowers, art, good food, and his family and friends.
Back on the Uniworld SS Joie de Vivre, I enjoyed a lecture about the Impressionist movement, and the artists who inspired it and, along with Monet, created such beautiful imagery.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like A Voyage Through Normandy.