That Day In Pictures -- Giverny France

I bought this book in 1995

Exactly one year ago, my husband and I went to Giverny, France.  The trip satisfied a 23 year old dream of mine.  I first read about and saw pictures of a house and garden belonging to Claude Monet, the Impressionist artist around 1990 in Victoria magazine.  Incidentally, I still have that magazine and I thought about going down in the basement to get it, where I have every issue of Victoria magazine from 1988 to October 2012. But I decided not to once I looked at the closely packed stacks. 

 I now view it electronically and only the copies I wish to purchase since it's not as great as it used to be.  However, in the 2013 May-June issue, Victoria magazine again featured Monet's garden and house and I sighed.  Bliss, yearning, gratitude that such a place exists and that a man planted exclusively to paint.  A win-win for all of us.

Photo spread in May-June 2013 Victoria Issue - And it looks just like this inside!

 Monet's the guy that brought such wondrous art and pastel color into the world like these three I photo'd at the NYC Met Museum a couple months ago.  

Well, last summer my husband announced we were going back to France in the fall and I exclaimed that we must go to Giverny!!!  We must!  And we did!  You know how you felt as a kid Christmas morning, that giddy, shaky, can't bottle it in excitement? That's how I felt heading out that morning last October.  It met all my expectations and more and when I left that property I knew that I must grow dahlias.  And more nasturtiums.  And pretend to learn to paint.  And I am.  

I took a picture of myself and what I wore before we left to record the magical day

Now, here, from my camera is some of that day in pictures:

 The lily pads!

 Nasturtiums and border photos taken from both ends

 Dan heading in to Monet's house.  He was a good sport about it.  I love that man.

 Dahlias!

Not many of us would put sea green shutters on a pink stucco house but it works!

Here's to dreams that come true.