Chez Monet

On Sunday, we woke up early to take the 8:22 train to Vernon and then bikes from there to Giverny. I was excited because I've always wanted to see Monet's garden. As a child, I had this book:

It's one of my favorites.

The biking part was fun but left me slightly sore (read: I feel like I was smacked with a hammer in my neither regions)... it was 8 miles round trip, after all! But it was ALL worth it, too see the beautiful gardens and home.


I took some pretty pictures




And we all faire'd a pique-nique. For dessert, we got crêpes and marveled at how French we're becoming.

On the way back, we stopped at the cathedral in Vernon, and then came across some really old buildings and a turret.



The train ride home was hotter than hell: our second-floor, second-class compartment was like a greenhouse, encased in glass and directly under the sun. I really enjoyed seeing the Gare Sainte Lazare again, though-- it was so fitting to see a subject of Monet's painting in person after spending a day at his house.