The Louve and Monet's House and Gardens, Paris, September 2009

Carlyn and Cari's Web Page Carlyn and Cari's Guest book Venice in November Spain with Lin and Monica The Louvre and Monet's House and Garden, September 2009 Disneyland Paris- The end to my month long 50th birthday celebration London Skyride- September 20, 2009 ARRAY(0xa5757f4) Switzerland- July 2009 Carlyn's Birthweek 2009- Fun, Food and Henry VIII Sailing Trip on the Solent of the English Channel, June 2009 Istanbul, Turkey- May 2009 Aberdeen with Jacky and Steve The Loire Valley with Mom and Sheri Budapest, April 2009 The German Christmas Markets with Joyce, December 2008 The Lord Mayor Show, November 8, 2008 Madrid and Andalucia, October 2008 Krakow, Poland- September 2008 Cari's Birthweek- Germany Dinner at Muspatts Farm celebrating Carlyn's Italy, June 2008 The Lake District- May 2008 York- May Day Holiday Weekend 2008 Cornwall and Wales- Page 1 Cornwall and Wales- Page 2 Hever Castle Blemhein Palace Hastings and Battle- 1066 Country Brighton German Christmas Market Fall in Provence Paris in a Day Visitors at Parliament Square Amsterdam and Kuekenhof The South West "Jurassic" Coast Cambridge Christmas and Canterbury Normandy Austria Prague, Czech Republic Belgium break ARRAY(0xa5757f4) Blog

Carlyn and I returned to Paris to fulfill my dream of spending as long as I wanted in the Louvre and visiting Monet’s house and garden in Giverny.   The weather was absolutely magnificent.  We hired bikes from a café in Vernon (the train stop to Giverny) and rode on a “rail to trail” bike route to the house and garden; the only way to go!

 

All this was made even better by excellent French food, wine and the absolute beautify of Paris.

Friday, 7:30 AM...We board the Eurostar to Paris with breakfast of Champagne and Strawberries

Walking along the river Seine

TheEiffel Tower

A walk down the Seine to the Louvre where we spend the next four hours.

A "not the Mona Lisa" Di Vinci

Me and Caravaggio's "the Death of the Virgin Mary". Commissioned, then rejected because of it's realism.

Iniside the glass pyramid at the Louvre

Napolean III's dining room in the Louvre

Venus d' Milo herself

The "Mona Cari". Paid 3 euro for this picture and darn well worth it!

French food. Fantastic. This restaurant is Le Florimond, just around the corner from our hotel. Highly recommended but not highly priced. Booked the last table available Wednesday for Friday. Lucky us.

Me on the Japanese bridge at his home in Giverny. We took a train from Paris to Vernon and hired a bike to cycle to Monet's house in Giverny

More of the pond and bridge

Carlyn and I on the Japanese Bridge with the Lilly pond behind us

I'm on the porch of Monet's house where I match the shutters. Can you find me?

Carlyn and the garden

Monet's house

Me, my hired bike and a Giverny street

Our bikes await our return from lunch for the 5 Km ride back to Vernon

Yum. More french food and wine. My salmon salad done three ways; smoked, fresh (tartar) and rillette....and Carlyn's rabbit in Jelly. Check out the flower reflection in the wine glasses!

Me and a giant Monet

Carlyn, bike, French house

A church in Vernon along the bike path

We crossed the Seine River

A bread vending machine so the French can get bread 24/7 (except there seems to be a lack of availability).

Medieval street next to Catherdral in Vernon

Again, Monet and myself on the high street in Vernon

Back in Paris for a beer beside the Eiffel Tower

My dinner of Foie gras stuffed quail with chanterelle mushrooms accompanied by Cote d' Rhone. Bring it on! This place is Cafe Constant with Chef Christian Constant at the helm. No bookings so one just gets there early and queue up hopefully for a table. Fantastic food!

We stayed down the street from the Eiffel tower so a stroll after dinner was mandatory.

We gazed upon the Unicorn Tapestries at the Musée National du Moyen Âge in Paris. These exquisite tapestries depict the 5 senses of Touch, Taste, Sight, Smell, Hearing and the 6th one is for love - To My Only Desire.