The Gardens of Giverny

When the surreal becomes real and when utopia unfolds before you, you will have found yourself in the gardens of Giverny, the same gardens that surround Claude Monet's house and encompass his entire life's work.

Although Monet's work is breathtaking and his efforts to capture the beauty surrounding him are valiant and exceptional, there are no words or paintings that can compare to the tangible perfection outstreched before you. Weeping willows gently kissing the water with their whimsical tendrils, rays of warm light dancing across lily pads as they slowly and elegantly waltz down the stream. An old bridge, worn from years of memories past overlooks two weathered rowboats, serenely floating under a grand oak tree. You lose yourself in the sweet symphony of smells and palette of colors before you, so rich and vibrant that you are tempted to paint with the petals to create a masterpiece even Monet would have deemed worthy and inspired. It is sensory overload of the highest proportions and almost too much beauty to digest, making you hope and pray that this is what heaven looks like.

After wandering through the gardens, you stumble upon Monet's house, picturesque in every sense of the word. Enveloped in vines that twist and turn as if performing an impeccable tango, flowers of every color framing the sanded pathway leading up to rickety green stairs, Monet's house is nothing short of a fantasy. When you walk inside, you are greeted by the smell of old parchment, much like the smell of opening up a well-read book, musty yet full of history. The walls are adorned with an abundance of Japanese art and personal art, intermingling his inspiration with his own works of genius. The furniture is antique at its finest, boasting the most impressive woodwork and adorned with ivory lace. His kitchen, open and spacious yet still warm and cozy, transports you and if appreciated closely, will allow you to smell and almost taste the exquisite meals that were once prepared centuries ago by a man obsessed with all things beautiful. Lastly, you make your way upstairs to the extravagant windows that open up to the utopia before you, allowing the vibrancy of the colors, the sweetness of the flowers and the warmth of the sun to rush in at you, all at once making you gasp in sheer awe of the magnificence that lays ahead.

It was spectacular. It was inspiring. It was majestic. It was fantastical. It was graceful. It was heaven.

After leaving Giverny, we traveled to Rouen, the small town where Joan of Arc was infamously burned at the stake. Although Rouen was nice and was home to a few beautiful churches and cathedrals, it was hard to appreciate after experiencing the perfection we had just come from. Altogether it was a nice quaint town and it was the first time I experienced my first authentic macaroon. I ordered the framboise et chocolat (raspberry and chocolate) and it was as delicious as I had hoped it would be.

Throughout the weekend we went out to enjoy Paris nightlife, traipsing from one cafe to the next and visiting a few bars inbetween. Although the weather turned on us, we all still managed to have a great time, soggy dresses and all.

Yesterday we visited a flea market in the 18th arrondissement, otherwise known as the North Philadelphia of Paris. After getting lost and then stumbling onto a street lined full of vendors selling cheap gold watches and overpriced fruit, we decided to head home for the day and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing and catching up on schoolwork.

Today, we are visiting Notre Dame and tomorrow we are going to attempt to conquer the Louvre, although this may have to be done in multiple parts throughout the coming days. With three weeks left and two weeks already gone, I find myself in an indescribable limbo, missing pieces of home while trying to live every moment to its fullest while I am here. As I read Paris to the Moon I have stumbled upon a quote that best captures my whirlwind of emotions, "In Paris we have a beautiful existence but not a full life, and in Philadelphia we have a full life but an unbeautiful existence." I am hoping that one day I will find a way to marry the two.

Until next time... de Paris, avec l'amour.