Today was a rainy day in northern France, but it was our second excursion day and we pushed on regardless. Our first stop was Giverny, where Monet's estate is located. We began with a walk through his gardens. More impressive than the size was the vast variety of flowers there. As far as the eye can see was color. I'd never seen so many different types of flowers in one place. When we got home, we laughed at our camera rolls full of 100 pictures of flowers. A little overkill, but you couldn't help it. We then made our way to the infamous lily ponds. 3 different Japanese bridges span the pond. Lily pads stretch as far as the eye can see, with giant weeping willows arching over the waters. We stopped for the stereotypical photo on the bridge, along with every other person in the park. Then you enter Monet's house. He was one of the world's largest collectors of Japanese art, so his house is decorated with much of his collection. One room, which was my favorite though, contained some of Monet's own collection, which were amazing to see in person.
We then traveled to Rouen. Our first stop was Notre Dame de Rouen, where all the Dukes of Normandy are buried. You step inside a massive, Gothic, cathedral with a towering "butter spire." Inside was some of the most impressive stained glass I've ever seen. We found the tomb of Richard the Lionhearted, which brought me back to Bed Knobs and Broomsticks. The cathedral was bombed during WWII, and some of the cathedral is still being repaired. Down the street was the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the 1400's, which was really just a plaque in the middle of a garden. Rouen did have the best shopping of the trip so far, and a McDonald's, so everyone got their share of retail therapy and American cooking for the week.
No comments:
Post a Comment