France and its art make a lasting impression

My list included Monet’s garden in Giverny, Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy and chateaux in the Loire Valley. The icing on the gateau is our first visit to Paris in 30 years.

Decades later, Paris is still as beautiful and walkable as ever. You can also easily visit Montmartre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Luxembourg Gardens, the Tuileries Gardens, or take a boat he cruise on the Seine without prior planning. But if the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, or the Orsay Museum is on your must-see list, booking your tickets online in advance is the only way you’ll be able to see the attractions on your schedule (as soon as the museums open). to get tickets.)

We were delighted to see most of the major sights, including the dizzy-inducing elevator ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower. An unexpected highlight of the visit, however, was the unexpected education in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.

The Musée d’Orsay, with its striking Beaux-Arts (old) train station, bypasses the first floor (a sculpture hall with a small Statue of Liberty and a gallery with pre-1870 paintings) and goes straight upstairs. Head to the world-class collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. There we saw several Monets, including a haunting portrait of his wife on her deathbed, in a relatively uncrowded setting. Van Gogh’s bright “Starry Night over the Rhône” (no, not what you’re thinking of). Not to mention masterpieces by Degas, Renoir, Gauguin and Seurat. It was a living art history course.

That said, we didn’t neglect the ground floor either. It houses several influential Manet works, including the controversial ‘Dejeuner sur l’Herbe’ and Whistler’s Mother, a revelation of delicate and nuanced shades of grey, black and white.

The Musée d’Orsay only piqued our cravings, so we visited the L’Orangerie, which required reservations. (It was available a few days ago, but interestingly it was only available during our favorite morning hours. But the collection also includes familiar works by Renoir, Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, and more.) is included.

L’Orangerie’s 20th century art collection takes us to the Pompidou Center. (OK, a rainy afternoon had an effect too. Luckily we were able to walk right in and buy tickets.) Designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, the museum is located on the escalator , the inside of the elevator, etc. is interesting. , air ducts — on the outside. Inside, it houses a fascinating collection of modern and contemporary art.

Biggest disappointment? Notre Dame Cathedral has closed but is still being restored after a devastating fire in 2019. Chambord.) France apparently wants her best for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Biggest regret? We didn’t go to the Marmottan Museum, which houses more than 100 of his works by Monet, plus works by other artists in Monet’s own collection.

What’s the biggest surprise? The magnificent Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel built by Saint Louis (King Louis IX) for his crown of thorns in the 13th century. The church has 15 stunning stained glass windows, each telling a biblical story. But what makes this visit heavenly is the subtle interplay of light, color and shadow.

A walk through the village of Giverny is like walking through a Monet painting. Vibrant flower-filled gardens, sturdy stone buildings lined with vines, and families with picnic baskets scattered around leafy villages.

Giverny was home to Impressionist genius Claude Monet for 43 years until his death in 1926. Monet carefully designed and created the gardens here to serve as works of art and as inspiration for paintings that continue to fascinate people to this day. us today.

Giverny is a relatively easy day trip from Paris. So it was no surprise that on a sunny Sunday afternoon there was a long queue without an entry ticket.

Our plans were different. We explored the village, spent the night in the charming inn La He Musardiere, ate at its gourmet his restaurant and wanted to see Monet’s garden first thing the next morning. (Of course, I had ordered the timed tickets months in advance.)

The next morning we were immediately at the special entrance for ticket holders at 9am. A lively crowd was already waiting, but not as many as the day before.

Monet’s garden consists of two separate gardens. One is the lush flower garden behind the artist’s house. Another is the Japanese-influenced Water Garden (across the street). It is the site of the famous wisteria-covered footbridge immortalized in a series of Monet paintings. And, of course, it is also where the most famous of Monet’s subjects, the water lilies, bloom. It was too early to see the water lilies. July is the peak season for them.

Alliums, irises, wisteria, azaleas and delphiniums bloom in May. The show-stopper is the grand allée his tunnel of flower-decorated arches leading to a pink house with green shutters chosen by Monet himself.

Our final stop was a house with a bright yellow dining room, a cool blue kitchen, and a cozy studio and living room. is the same as

Normandy’s Mont Saint-Michel is a magical place. For starters, it’s simply magnificent – a golden-walled city built on a tidal island, a twinkling sight that can be seen for miles.

According to legend, in AD 708, the bishop of Avranches was visited by the Archangel Michael and instructed him to build a chapel on this site. Over the centuries, the monastery was built and expanded, reaching the peak of its influence in the 12th and his 13th centuries.

Mont Saint Michel was about 1.5 miles from our hotel, the Mercure Mont Saint Michel. I could have taken the frequent free shuttle bus, but I wanted to approach it on foot like the pilgrims of old. We thought it was the best way to experience the looming grandeur and majesty.

The tourist-friendly Grand Rieux, lined with shops and restaurants, leads to the Benedictine abbey and church, the literal and figurative high point of any visit. We walked the Grande Rue to the top, making several stops along the way. The monastery complex itself requires tickets, which can be purchased in advance on site or online. The self-guided tour is one-way, with visitors traversing his three levels of the Abbey. Soaring Gothic choirs, contemplative cloisters, refectories and more.

On the way back, we followed Chemin des Remparts from the north tower and came down along the ramparts. The route offered spectacular views of the tidal flats that circumnavigate the island, the surrounding countryside, and the towering monastery itself.

Here’s the dilemma: The Loire Valley is littered with chateaux – some say there are hundreds. Villandry for its gardens. Because it inspired Sleeping Beauty. Each castle seems to have its own characteristics.

We chose Chambord and Chenonceau for the simplest reason: their luxurious beauty.

Completed in 1547, with over 400 rooms, Chambord is the most palatial of all. There is a double helix staircase that seems to have been designed or influenced by Leonardo da’s Vinci, who spent his later years in France. It is also known for its roof terrace, whose elaborate towers and chimneys look like the city skyline. Not surprisingly, at one time Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, lived in Chambord. After all, it is a mansion that seeks strength and dignity.

In contrast, the romantic Chenonceau is often described as a ‘woman’s château’. (It is said to be the most visited palace in France after Versailles.) Henry II gave the palace to his mistress Diane de Poitiers, who built the arched bridge over the Cher River. . When Henri died in 1559, his wife Catherine de Medici ousted Diane, took over Chenonceau, and built a cloister over the bridge. Both women also added a garden, but it remains the original design. Chenonceau may therefore seem like a fairytale palace, but it was clear that these women had power in their own right.

Centuries later, however, royal intrigues have given way to fanciful family picnics and photo-shoot flights – more than fair trade.