Giverny - Monet's home is a few short miles from Vernon where we docked.  

So we got back on the ship from La Roche-Guyon for a short jaunt that same day to Vernon near Monet's house, garden and inspirations.  As we approached his property I saw a stand of Poplars similar to the ones he painted, as well as hay stacks (it is still a working farm), the Japanese Footbridge and of course the lily pond, lush and beautiful, including the weeping willows that often show up.in his art.  And the truth is that I couldn't stop taking pictures so I will try to whittle down and show you only my favorites....which are many.  Hope you like them too.  I can see why Monet loved his garden.  Notice the reflections in the water as well as the colors in those reflections.  I noticed that when I enlarged a lily pad picture it had a lot of purple and pinks in the reflection - just as he painted them.

The Fuschias were hanging over the bench seat.

I thought this picture showed the purple and pinks in the water...I zoomed in.  He didn't have zooming capabilities but he saw these colors...I am in awe of his ability to pick out colors as he paints.  By the way, Impressionists did not use the color black in their paintings.  They created shading using their color pallette.

For example in this following painting of his.

Jigsaw puzzle pictures....look how much the reflection in the water 

looks like the real thing being reflected

Japanese footbridge

A peak at some fall colors developing here at Giverny

A hydrangea bush in all it's glory right now.

Here is one of those Willow trees that he liked to paint.

On to his flower garden

Then a few fun pictures in his house which they tell us is the same as when he lived there.  

The first picture is from one of his windows looking out over his garden...

and the clouds cooperated to make this view look like a painting.