TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2008

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The ship departed Conflans in the early morning, and we headed to the dining room for another sumptuous breakfast.




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The rest of the morning was pretty lazy, just hanging out and watching the scenery slide by.




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We saw some nice houses and this big church along the way. It is the Collegiate Church of Our Lady in Mantes-La-Jolie, known as one of the most important examples of the early Gothic style in the area around Paris.




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We had the chance to spend a few minutes in the “wheelhouse” with the Captain this morning. He showed us the wheel (looks like a joy stick for a video game), the radar and fancy cameras.




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Around midday, we sailed below “La Roche Guyon,” an historic landmark. This castle was built in the 12th century to control a river crossing of the Seine. The first building, entirely dug into the cliff, was totally hidden to the enemy. During World War II, German Field Marshall Rommel and his staff stayed here.

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After lunch, we arrived at the town of Vernon and boarded a bus for the short ride to the village of Giverny. Located at the junction of the River Epte and the Seine, Giverny has attained international renown due to the fact that Claude Monet, leader of the impressionist school of art, lived here.



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We visited Claude Monet’s home and gardens.








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He lived in this house from 1883 until his death in 1926. It is furnished as in Monet’s time, including his huge collection of Japanese prints.




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Monet planted two main gardens on the property. The first is called a country garden, but it is laid out in a large rectangle in front of the house and studios. There are archways with climbing plants, as well as all sorts of colorful shrubs and flowers – from spring to autumn, it offered a palette of varying colors to the painter-gardener who was ecstatic about flowers.





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The other garden is the water garden, formed by water diverted from the Epte River. It is shaded by weeping willows and filled with wisterias and azaleas and other flowers. The water garden is home to the famous Japanese bridge, backdrop for many of Monet’s paintings of water lilies.







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After visiting Monet’s gardens, we walked over to the Museum of American Art. This gallery contains a large collection of work from American artists working in the impressionist style. Over a century ago, these artists formed a colony in Giverny – even today, there are many artists living and working in this area.


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The American museum has its own lovely garden, designed with many “rooms,” each with different color themes.










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We walked around other parts of the village, admiring some of the charming houses.










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At the very edge of town, there is a very old (11th century) church. Behind the church is the grave of Claude Monet.




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All in all, it was a lovely spot to visit, but all good things must end, so we headed back to the ship to freshen up for our next adventure – a visit to a local home, or as our guides call it, a home-hosted visit. Six of us (Fran and Margaret, a couple from New Jersey and a couple from Arizona) went to the home of Madame Bonnans and her daughter Marie.

They live in a charming 150-year old farmhouse, filled with antiques and amazing things that the family has collected during its world travels. M. Bonnans (now deceased) was in the Foreign Service and the family spent many years in Africa and other parts of the world. One of the most unusual things they showed us was this slave bracelet – a very heavy band placed on the legs of a slave, so that s/he could walk and work, but not run away.

They served us delicious chocolate pound cake and locally made hard cider. Apple orchards are major feature of the Normandy landscape and cider has been brewed since the Middle Ages. We enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on all sorts of topics – mostly politics – it seems that everybody in France is pulling for Obama!



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We got back to the ship just in time for dinner. Good grief. They’re going to kill us with food. Tonight was a traditional French dinner: a salad that included goat cheese and honey, an apple beignet and roasted pumpkin seeds; French onion soup; choice of 3 entrees – roast duck, fish or quiche Lorraine; and choice of dessert – cranberry parfait or an ice cream creation. And there’s plenty of wine with every course!