Memories, Myths and Monet

Memories

Last night, a group of us met at what seems to be the Carleton Paris Program 2005 haunt: Champs de Mars, to say goodbye to Paris in style. Granted, I wasn't leaving yet, but everyone else was (except Pam) so yup. Wine at the Eiffel Tower... divine. Ok, bad rhyme. Oh wait! :)

Merriment

The next day, after a lazy day of doing nothing much... actually no, I re-sold my books at Gibert Jeune. All my books for less than 13 euros. Talk about daylight robbery yeah? But, at least they gave me more than the first place would have given me: 2 euros! Yeah, I know. She was holding the biggest book in the pile when she said 2 euros. So in French..
Lady: I propose 2 euros.
Josh: *blinks* Oh... for that book?
Lady: *blinks* No. For everything.
Josh: Er... no thanks.

But anyway, I lazed about at the Luxembourg gardens for a bit before walking to St Mich to meet Pam and her parents for dinner! Yeah, the people responsible for Pam had arrived that morning... and were severely jetlagged! We had fun at dinner. And the serveur was on a roll! He kept speaking to us in the weirdest American accent! And finally (there is a long story to this... well, not really very long... but) he made Pam dance with him at the entrance to the restaurant. Haha! :) Pam had competition too... you'll have to ask her about that

Monet

So my final project for Art history was on Claude Monet, specifically his final work: The Waterlilies, or les nymph�as in French. So today, I decided to make the 60km journey out to Giverny, where Monet spent a sizeable amount of the later part of his life until his death.

For that, I woke up at 7am! Unbelievable! I even got up BEFORE the alarm clock went off. Now if that's not a miracle,... So anyway, got on the train from St Lazare Station, which in itself is also related to Monet, because Monet did a bunch of works on St Lazare. And the train went to Vernon. From Vernon, I rented a bicycle and rode to Giverny. Was a pleasant ride because the weather was gorgeous... and although I got lost, it took me about 20 minutes to get there. Yeah, I think my sense of direction is diminishing with age...

So at Monet's garden. I had been expecting so much because of my research and my own expectations, that when I first glimpsed the pond, I was a little bit disappointed. It didn't look at all as spectacular as I thought it would. Then again, maybe if I had cataract like Monet, then the colors would be more smudgy. But after a while, after slowing down the pace (by the way, I think I was the only 'jeune' or young person there... most others had their glories in various shades of gray) and breathing in ... Monet? I began to thoroughly enjoy being there! It was truly beautiful. Here are some pictures to prove it.

Monet built his entire garden himself! And he got permission to divert a nearby stream to fill his bassin. He devoted a huge chunk of his life to this series of waterlilies paintings... and created 250 pieces in total!

The Japanese bridge. I was surprised (shouldn't have been though) to find that his house was hugely decorated with Japanese prints and pictures... no pictures IN the house though. It's interdit!

So Monet's world became smaller and smaller until finally he never left Giverny at all. But if I had a garden as gorgeous as his maybe I wouldn't want to leave too. Look at these!

I wish I were a botanist. I'd have been in seventh heaven!

But I still can appreciate beauty without knowing what its called.

It's so perfect!

And this is the house that Monet lived in with his second wife and her kids and his. Ohhh and in his kitchen he had a tabatiere (at least I think that was what it is.. because... it had the words "J'ai du bon tabac" on it! That's for people who took Cathy Yandell's french class!)

Memoires of Monet

After interacting with the life that Monet left, I went to his grave! Yup. He was buried just down the road from where his house is. In a church. With his whole family! That's so cool! Its almost like having a family reunion in the afterlife hehe :)

And on the way back to Vernon, I rode down to the banks of the Seine. Two reasons: #1 it was beautiful

#2 I wanted to prove that the water actually gets cleaner outside of Paris!

Mythological... Mmm :)

Ok, I was trying to have all my subheadings begin with an M. :) But back in Paris, I decided to go check out Buttes Chaumont. Because Pam had been raving about it. And I had meant to go check it out except it's all the way on the other side of Paris... but man, I'm so glad I did! It's so gorgeous! Granted, it's man-made... but it's like Hyde Park in London, Central Park in NY and... Botanical Gardens in Penang rolled into one (gotta have a Penang plug SOMEWHERE!). This is what they call "The Temple"...

And it's waaaaay up high!

... where you get a beautiful view of Paris! So it's been a great day! But with no homework, no classes, I'm getting homesick all over again. So I just keep telling myself that Erica is coming day after tomorrow!!!!! :) yeah! Plus.. 18 more days!!!  

P.S.

I just had to say... MIAM!!!!!!