Paris
Britt had to finish cleaning up her apartment so I was to go myself to visit the Musee d’Orsay. However, Britt walked me to the museum. We walked through the Tulieries and looked at some of its statues. This was an interesting one.
Paris
Paris
The statue in this photo was even more interesting!
Paris
Paris
A view of the backside of this statue.
Paris
Paris
There are two levels of this bridge to take you from the Right Bank to the Left Bank of the Seine, but only the bottom level allows you to walk over the bridge from the Tulieries. I was not very happy about seeing the Seine through the slats of the bridge.
Paris
Paris
But the view from the top of the bridge was spectacular. This is the first time that Britt had seen rowers on the Seine. It is Sunday and probably rowing day. The rowers are probably trying to do their rowing before too many sightseeing boats disturb the quiet of the Seine’s waters. The photo shows the Louvre on the Right Bank of the Seine (left in the photo) and the Musee d’Orsay on the Left Bank (right in the photo).
Paris
Paris
View of the Seine taken from the other side of the bridge––quite a contrast in the weather from the photo taken from the first side.
Paris
Paris
Close–up of the rowers.
Paris
Musee d’Orsay
Inside of the Musee d’Orsay. If it looks like a train station, it is because it originally was. This museum is known as the Impressionalist museum. I loved it as I love Impressionalist paintings.
Musee d’Orsay
Musee d’Orsay
View of the clock.
Musee d’Orsay
Musee d’Orsay
Closer–up view of the clock.
Musee d’Orsay
Musee d’Orsay
View of Paris from behind another clock.
Musee d’Orsay
Musee d’Orsay
Another view of Paris (the Louvre is on the right) from inside the Musee d’Orsay. There is so much inside the museum it is hard to take it all in on one visit and I know I have to go back here as I think I missed many great paintings, etc., or else I didn’t take photos of them. I have put the photos I took of many of the paintings and the scuptures on slide shows on this site. Go to Slide Shows, Western Europe, France, “Paris: Musee d’Orsay.” I have indicated the artists on the paintings slide shows and I think I have the correct artists with their paintings. There is also a movie clip of music outside the Musee d’Orsay. Go to Movies, Western Europe, France, “Music at the Musee d’Orsay.”
Musee d’Orsay
Giverny
After leaving the Musee d’Orsay, I took the Paris Visions tour to Giverny to Monet’s gardens. Again my tour conductor was Annie. She was disappointed that Britt did not come with me, but Britt had an appointment later in the day with Nicolai, a French/Danish over 6 feet tall thirtyish desk clerk at my hotel. He offered to help Britt take down her very heavy luggage down those narrow, winding stairs (Britt had told him that one of her bags was so heavy that she would need to help him with it). Nicolai was a bit winded after climbing those stairs––he still smokes––but he just grabbed Britt’s very very heavy bag in one hand and her other lighter bag in his other hand and easily took them down the stairs. For this unbelievable feat, we renamed him Hercules! My hotel even stored her luggage for her until she was to leave Paris. Who said the French aren’t nice people––and strong also! The bus trip to Giverny took about 1 hour. The photo is of Monet’s house at Giverny.
Giverny
Giverny
Another photo of Monet’s house. Claude Monet moved to Giverny in 1893. Here, he planted both a flower garden and a water garden and many of his paintings are of these gardens. There were none of his paintings in his house and we weren’t allowed to take photos inside the house.
Giverny
Giverny
The photo shows part of the flower garden. Other garden photos are on a slide show on this site––Go to Slide Shows, Western Europe, France, “Giverny: Monet’s Flower Gardens.” If you are going to visit Giverny just one time, it probably is better to go in the spring when more flowers are in bloom, though there were still many flowers here in September.
Giverny
Giverny
The photo is of the water gardens. More photos of the water gardens are on a slide show on this site––Go to Slide Shows, Western Europe, France, “Giverny: Monet’s Water Gardens.” You’ll see many photos with the famous Monet waterlillies in them.
Giverny
Giverny
Annie told our tour group to visit the town of Giverny if we had time after viewing the gardens. I saw her in the souvenir shop at the gardens and asked her for directions to the town. She offered to give me a private tour of the town. So off I went with Annie for a delightful tour. I could tell how much she enjoyed showing off the town to me. These next photos are of the town of Giverny––a delightul very small French village.
Giverny
Giverny
On our walk.
Giverny
Giverny
Posters in the windows of one of the stores.
Giverny
Giverny
Two men enjoying a meal and a beer. They look more Russian to me than French.
Giverny
Giverny
An historical sign saying the Claude Monet had lived in Giverny and with the names of some of the painters who visited him here.
Giverny
Giverny
Today there was a town flea market in Giverny.
Giverny
Giverny
More of Giverny.
Giverny
Giverny
Even more of Giverny.
Giverny
Giverny
Annie told me that the homeowner here keeps digging up these objects in his yard.
Giverny
Giverny
Close–up of these objects.
Giverny
Giverny
After our walk through the village (it was quite small), we arrived at this 13th century church at the end of the village.
Giverny
Giverny
A view of the church from the back.
Giverny
Giverny
A view of the church from the side.
Giverny
Giverny
Annie told me that this rock near the church has miraculous powers as it is the only rock of this kind anywhere in the area. She said that if you touch it you will be cured of any illness that you may have. I touched it.
Giverny
Giverny
A memorial I believe to fallen French soldiers near the church.
Giverny
Giverny
Inside this 13th century church.
Giverny
Giverny
Also inside the church.
Giverny
Giverny
This photo is out of focus but I am including it to show you more of the inside of the church. I don’t have a better one.
Giverny
Giverny
Also out of focus and the same comments as above.
Giverny
Giverny
Claude Monet and his family’s burial site on one side of the church.
Giverny
Giverny
Claude Monet’s grave marker.
Giverny
Giverny
The gravesite of Gerald Van Der Kamp is next to Claude Monet’s gravesite. Gerald Van Der Kamp became the curator of Giverny in 1977. He reconstructed Monet’s gardens. Annie told me that Van Der Kamp also helped reconstruct the gardens at Versailles.
Giverny
Giverny
The graveyard behind the church.
Giverny
Giverny
Seven Royal Air Force airmen are buried in this grave. Their plane was shot down in this area in 1944.
Giverny
Giverny
The part of Giverny that we just explored was on a hill. We started down the hill and walked through the more residential area. It was also quite small.
Giverny
Giverny
More of this area.
Giverny
Giverny
There is the back of Annie’s head.
Giverny
Giverny
More houses.
Giverny
Giverny
This is a reconditioned house which is now a bed and breakfast.
Giverny
Giverny
Part of the bed and breakfast not yet reconditioned.
Giverny
Paris
We took the bus back to Paris. Yesterday, coming back from Versailles, we passed this sight but I was on the wrong side of the bus and missed being able to take a photo of it. I asked Annie if our bus today was going to take the same route back to Paris and she said no, but when she wanted to know why I asked, she said that she would tell the bus driver to take the same route as yesterday so I could get a photo of our Statue of Liberty. Annie told us that the Statue of Liberty has been placed here so that the French will never forget. She didn’t add what they will never forget. The tour boats on the Seine do not cruise down this far––maybe they don’t want visitors to know that there is a quite modern Paris as well or probably just because it makes the Seine cruise too long.
Paris
Paris
Another view of the Statue of Liberty.
Paris
Paris
Still another view of the Statue of Liberty.
Paris
Paris
A view of the Eiffel Tower from a side that I hadn’t before taken a photo from. This was a great tour. Paris Visions also has tours to many other destinations: the chateaux, Normany, Mont Saint–Michel, Burgundy, Champagne, Provence, etc. Their tours are not inexpensive––the tour to Giverny was 60 Euros and the one we took to Versailles was 88 Euros, but if you want an easy way to see France, these tours will do it. They also make it easy to travel on your own in Paris if you want. At the end of the tour, Annie gave me a hug and told me to give Britt a kiss for her––who said the French weren’t warm and very nice people?
