It shouldn’t be any surprise that the main road of the village of Giverny is named after its most famous (former) resident, the Impressionist painter Claude Monet. Afterall, without his fame, it is unlikely that thousands of visitors would flock daily between April and October to the village. He lived here for over 40 years, drawing inspiration from the kaleidoscopic garden just outside his house and the adjacent water lily pond/garden.

The star attractions of the village are undoubtedly Monet’s House and Gardens, and the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny. Apart from these, the Ancien Hôtel Baudy and the Église Sainte-Radegonde de Giverny are getting considerable attention as well from the visitors, particularly the latter, for the burial site of Monet and his family can be found in the grounds of the church.

In addition, the tourism board has done an excellent job in setting out a trail of cultural walking tour of the Giverny Village. Along this route of approximately 4km (give or take an hour walk), 20 points of interest are identified with information panel planted in front of them. We did try to complete the trail but was unable to do so, as the path parallel to the Aqueduc des Moines had been closed off, most likely for safety reason given the high water level of River Seine in recent months.

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Another weekend, another opportunity to play tourist. Today, my friends and I were off to Fontainebleau Castle and Barbizon Village on a day tour. Between the two places, we even tucked in a huge lunch that came with kir for aperitif, 3-course meal, and both white and red wine for everyone. Not that I drank more than a glass of wine – I swapped my aperitif for a glass of fruit juice – still, you must admit that’s quite a feast considering how little we paid for the trip (€25!).

Picking a single shot from the hundred or so today was not easy. Of course I should be loading more onto a photo album or something, but given how slow I am at updating the blog in recent times (sorry folks!), it could be a while yet before I get around to it. I guess I pick this shot because I like the calm and tranquility it represents. A quaint country house in Barbizon village, away from most peering eyes (except mine, hehehe), I almost wish I could stay here and not return to the hustle and bustle of Paris so soon. Don’t get me wrong – I adore Paris, but every now and then, I’m also reminded that I’m a country girl at heart and I love having my own quiet me-time.