Paris Day Trip: You Gotta Go to Giverny

Vernon is the city close to Giverny, the home of the Impressionist artist Monet. This is where Monet lived, worked, and invited many of his artist friends to stay. He created his gardens with the eye of a visual artist with swaths of plantings in beautiful colour palettes, great trees to provide dappled sunlight, and his incredible Japanese-inspired water lily garden so he could play with the water reflections and light.

The gardens are spectacular but so is Monet's house. Again, it is clear that this was a painter's home, with spectacular details in paint, tile, and decor, not to mention the hundreds of pieces of (reproduced) paintings and artworks from Monet and the friends who inspired him. Giverny is good for the soul. It is truly gorgeous and felt like we had stepped into an impressionist painting.

It's an easy train ride to Vernon from Paris (17€). Once at the station in Vernon, you can choose to take a shuttle, Le Petit Train, (4€), walk, or grab a bus (2€). We were glad that we chose the train and enjoyed the tour and history as it wound through Vernon before arriving in Giverny. There is a proposal to make this area a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entry to Monet's House and Garden is 12€ for adults.

After getting off the shuttle, there is a brief walk through the village before arriving at the site. Giverny is a charming little village where every home has a lovely garden. I guess if you live close to Maison de Monet, it's kind of required.