It has been on my “bucket list” for as long as I can remember, in fact even before I knew what a bucket list was. I saw this painting when I was in high school, during a visit to the National Gallery of Art in DC. It was part of a traveling Monet exhibit and something about this image really resonated with me.

I knew I had to see the place in person that inspired Monet to create this beautiful image…someday.

In the years that followed, I had the opportunity to see hundreds of Monet’s works in museums in the US and Europe. And in those cool interactive shows that have become so popular. So I was determined to get to Monet’s home on this visit to Paris.

Giverny is, in a word, gorgeous. Monet designed the gardens and you can really see his artistic eye at work. Although we visited in late April, and the weather this month has been cool and rainy, the flowers were absolutely glorious. Colors, textures, scents all working together to create an incredible display.

The house is relatively small compared to the garden. Bright, bold colors in the dining room and kitchen show the artist’s love of color, and the decor has a definite Asian flair.

The studio features a number of replicas of Monet’s paintings and drawings. It was very cramped and crowded with visitors, so I wasn’t able to get a good photo in there. But I will admit that I felt a certain thrill standing in the space where so many beautiful images were created.

I also loved the quiet little moments created by vignettes like this small sitting area on the main floor. I could imagine one of Monet’s guest sitting here, enjoying a cup of tea and admiring the view of the gardens.

After seeing the house, we ventured over to the lily pond to view the famous Japanese bridge and water lilies that starred in so many of Monet’s paintings. Dodging all the twenty-something ladies doing their Instagram poses (they were ALL OVER Giverny and really more interested in their own photos than the gorgeous surroundings. Ugh), we strolled around the pond and tried to visualize how it would look later in the summer with the lilies in bloom.

Of course, for me, this was the most photogenic visitor!

Having visited the place that inspired Monet, our next outing was to the Musee de L’Orangerie to see the large murals of Monet’s water lilies. Again, we were not disappointed.

We took advantage of the museum’s late hours on Friday evening and as a result, the rooms really were not crowded. That allowed us plenty of time to soak in these amazing images.

And as if to prove that no matter how beautiful a painting can be, Mother Nature still provides the most beautiful visuals, we emerged from the museum into a gorgeous sunset.

And, of course, the Eiffel Tower kept watch over us as we head back to the apartment.