Giverny

The Parisians say to wait, wait until May until you go see Monet’s gardens. The flowers are in full bloom in May- so I made a rapid dash on May 2nd to see Monet’s gardens. This trip is best described in pictures, but just to set the scene: 6 girls took the train from Gare Saint Lazare (sight of a famous Monet painting), on a partly sunny-partly rainy cool spring day to a little town called Vernon. We got on a bus and took it to a smaller town called Giverny. Giverny is one road, two museums, and the plushest, greenest gardens that I’ve ever seen. Enjoy- it was absolutely amazing.

L'Orangerie et Mariage Freres

One sunny afternoon, Danielle met me in the Tuileries to go see the L’Orangerie, Jeu de Paume, and the Louvre. The Tuileries and the Louvre courtyard actually houses 5 museums; Louvre, L’Orangerie, Jeu de Paume, Les Arts Decoratifs, and Musée de la Mode et du Textile. We started at L’Orangerie, which is a small building with two viewing rooms of Monets. There are four Monet paintings in each viewing room that are stretched out along the walls, making them giant panoramic paintings. They were absolutely gorgeous! Downstairs housed another exhibit of famous artists during the same movement as Monet.

We headed to Jeu de Paume, museums of photography and contemporary art, but ultimately had no interest to go in. So instead we walked over to Mariage Freres, a famous tea shop in the Marias (new site: in the carousel de Louvre!). We sat for tea and ordered a pot of peach/apricot tea and a tray of desserts. The waiters flirted with us a little as they poured our tea. We were hugely outnumbered by Parisian business people and bridge clubs, so it was probably nice to see some younger girls. The dessert tray was a few mini classically French desserts: chocolat-framboise mousse, violet macaron, Madeline, gateau pistache, and crème brule. Delicious! The Mariage Freres shop also has a store in the front, which smells absolutely amazing. Even as we walked out, I could smell the herbal and fruit teas all the way down the street.

We headed back to the Louvre for my final visit! We walked through the statue courtyards and viewed all of the Italian, French, and Greek statues. Now, I haven’t seen ALL of the Louvre, but I saw what I was interested in and can honestly can that I’m satisfied with the completion of the Louvre Challenge.

Musée Marmottan-Claude Monet

I went on a Sunday adventure to a small Monet and Impressionist museum in the 16th Arrondisement. I walked through a park with lots of families and a donkey ride (bizarre) to get to the tucked away museum. There was a long line of people in front of a white house with colorful flags, as I ventured closer, I realized that it was the Musée Marmottan- Monet. The outdoor line moved quickly and I was soon inside this gorgeous home in Paris. They have the rooms set up with furniture as if someone lived there, but hung on all of the walls are some of the greatest Monets. The rooms trace his career, his different styles, and scatter in a few other Impressionists, like Manet, Renoir, and Auguste Rodin. I was actually impressed by the house as much as the artwork. I moved into a hallway and gallarie that traced his paintings at Givery, then the Nympheas, then just paintings of scenery. Standing alone in a glass case was his actual paint palette!

The best part is that in my modern and contemporary art class, we just studied Impressionism. We studied Monet's Impression Soleil Levant, and it was right there!

In the basement, there was an exhibition on the Fauves and Expressionists. They have much more colorful and abstract painting than Monet but it was cool to see. When I got home, I started reading for my next Art History class and the chapter was called "Expressionisme et les Fauves". I was so excited because I had just seen some of the artwork! Studying art in Paris is really the best choice that I could have made. I miss my business classes but it's amazing to study something that is literally part of Paris.

Musée etiquette: The museum was crowded but the upstairs felt very open. It was cool to be a part of the Parisians, waltzing around discussing the artwork. But downstairs got a little pushy- a woman literally shoved me aside to read the name of a painting and then shoved me to the next one. I thought that museum etiquette would be more universal but I think the personal space limits are quite different in Europe. I tried as best as I could to move along from one painting to the next, in pace with my art-enthusiast friends.