My Visual Travel Experience: Giverny (France)

In June 2022, my wife Kamalini, our 7 year old son Rehaan, and I visited Giverny. Kamalini's school friends - Tanuka and Shalini - also joined us all the way from New York, as did Shalini's teenaged daughter Maya. We stayed at a hotel called Les Rouges Gorges. In one sense, it was a charming hotel, a part of which was a theatre with a stage, seating, and props. Quaint indeed, but the hotel's hygiene levels could have been better, and our experience would certainly have been mush more enjoyable without the dust, the cobwebs, and the extremely cluttered rooms!

Giverny is a small village in Normany that lies 80 km to the north-west of Paris. It has a population of around 600, but it is a major tourist destination due to its association with the famous impressionist artist, Claude Monet. Monet noticed the village of Giverny from a train window, and made up his mind to move there in 1883. He moved into a rented house, but in 1890, he bought the house and the area around it. He then went on to create the stunning gardens that he wanted to paint. Many of his famous paintings were inspired by these gardens.  

Besides the House and Gardens of Claude Monet, the village also has the Church of Sainte Radegonde, the Museum of Impressionism, and Hotel Baudy (formerly the centre of artistic life in Giverny, and now a hotel and restaurant).

Fondation Claude Monet is a non-profit organization that runs the House and Gardens of Claude Monet (Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet). Monet lived in Giverny for 43 years from 1883 until his death in 1926. After the death of Monet’s son, Michel Monet, in 1966, the estate was bequeathed to Academie des beaux-arts. The house and gardens were then restored with the help of the curator of the Palace of Versailles. The Fondation Claude Monet was established in 1980 to maintain the estate. Visitors to the house can see the reading room, the studio, the blue-tiled kitchen, and the family bedrooms.

House of Claude Monet

Bedroom, House of Claude Monet

Kitchen, House of Claude Monet

Monet's Studio, House of Claude Monet

Copy of Monet's Boats, House of Claude Monet

The gardens have numerous different types of flowers and plants. They are, however, most famous for the water-garden with the water lillies and Japanese bridge that Monet painted in many of his works of art. 

Water Lilly Pond, Gardens of Claude Monet

Water Lilly Pond and Japanese Bridge, 
Gardens of Claude Monet

Flowers and Stream, Gardens of Claude Monet

Walking Path, Gardens of Claude Monet

Glasshouse, Gardens of Claude Monet

Church of Saint Radegaon (L'Eglise Sainte Radegaon) is a little church famous for the graves present in its yard. The best known sight there is the Tomb of Claude Monet.

Church of Saint Radegaon

High Altar, Church of Saint Radegaon

Tomb of Claude Monet, 
Church of Sainte Radegaon

Tombs of British Officers, 
Church of Saint Radegaon

War Memorial,
Church of Saint Radegaon

Museum of Impressionism (Musee des Impressionnismes) is dedicated to the history of impressionism. The museum has regular exhibitions, and Monet’s works are prominently displayed here. The museum also has beautifully landscaped gardens. 

Monet's Water Lillies with Weeping Willow Branches,
Museum of Impressionism

Photograph of Monet,
Museum of Impressionism

Eva Jospin's Water Lillies, Garden, 
Museum of Impressionism

Two historical buildings in Giverny stand our prominently. They were both hubs of artistic life in Giverny during Monet's time. These buildings are Hotel Baudy and Le Coin des Artistes. The former is now a hotel with a popular restaurant.

Hotel Baudy

Le Coin des Artistes

We enjoyed our Giverny visit. The village was small enough to cover properly in one day. Yes, our hotel could have been better. Also, Tanuka was detected with Covid while we were there, so that was most unfortunate (though her symptoms were mild, and she was alright within a couple of days). But it was fascinating to be in the place where one of history's most famous artists chose to live his life, and to see some of the spectacular sights that inspired his works!

My Visual Travel Experience: Loire Valley (France)

My wife Kamalini, our 7 year old son Rehaan, Kamalini's childhood friend Tanuka (who joined us for the trip from New York), and I spent three days in the Loire Valley in France in June 2022. We rented a car - a Renault Captor - from Paris, and drove down, a journey that took us over four hours. It was a very smooth journey, with excellent highways, and scenic views along the way. The Loire Valley is famous for its chateaux and its wineries, and they certainly lived up to their reputation! 

We visited the valley's largest castle, the Chateau de Chambord. We stayed at a beautiful place called La Balastiere, near the village of Beaumont en Veron. The hotel was run by a very friendly and helpful Frenchman - Thierry - who helped us plan out what all we should see. We saw the charming town of Chinon, close to our hotel. We visited yet another castle - Chateau du Rivau. We went to a winery and did some wine tasting. The valley has a lot more to offer to visitors, but there was only so much that we could pack into three days, but it was enough to give us a good flavour of the place!

The Loire Valley is an area in France that covers over 800 square kilometers. It contains parts of two administrative regions – Pays de la Loire, and Centre Val de Loire. The Loire River flows through this part of France, giving the area its name. In 2000, the central part of the Loire Valley was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Some of the well known attractions in the Loire Valley include Orleans (France’s intellectual capital in the 13th century), Chartres (famous for its cathedral, which boasts of spectacular stain glass panels), Chinon (well known for Chateau de Chinon), Chateau de Chambord (the region’s largest castle, built by Francois I), and the valley’s interesting history involving Joan of Arc, who fought against the English in the 15th century to try and drive them out of France.

Chateau de Chambord is the largest castle in the Loire Valley, with a staggering 440 rooms. It was the brainchild of Francois I. The chateau began as a hunting lodge. In 1519, it was demolished and work started on the present-day chateau. Francois I’s son, Henry II, continued work on the chateau after the death of Francois I in 1547. The chateau was eventually completed by Louis XIV in 1685. 

Chateau de Chambord

Bust of Francois I,
Chateau de Chambord

Portrait of Henry, Count of Chambord,
Chateau de Chambord

Throne of the Count of Chambord,
Chateau de Chambord

Carriage Gallery,
Chateau de Chambord

The chateau’s highlights include the 32 meter tall lantern tower, a chapel, a double helix grand staircase, sculptures and portraits of the royal family, an impressive carriage gallery, stuffed animals that were hunted down by the aristocracy, and expansive gardens.

Double Helix Staircase,
Chateau de Chambord

Marion Schuster Trophy Gallery,
Chateau de Chambord

Chapel,
Chateau de Chambord

High Altar, Chapel,
Chateau de Chambord

Pulpit, Chapel,
Chateau de Chambord

Chateau du Rivau is a castle near the town of Chinon. It dates back to the 13th century. In 1429, Joan of Arc came to Rivau to fetch horses – it was already known for the war horses raised there. The stables were built in 1510 by Francois de Beauvau, captain of Francois I. Since 1992, the owners have undertaken a renovation campaign to keep the castle in a pristine condition. The gardens around the castle are inspired by fairytales, and they take visitors on a magical adventure, with large props from popular fairytales. 

Chateau du Rivau

Stuffed Animals, 
Chateau du Rivau

Porcelain Figure,
Chateau du Rivau

Peacock in the Gardens,
Chateau du Rivau

Carrousel,
Chateau du Rivau

Chinon is a charming little town with 9,000 inhabitants, and lies along the banks of the river Vienne. The town’s main landmark is the Chateau de Chinon, where Joan d’Arc met Charles VII for the first time in 1429 and persuaded him to give her an army to drive the English out of France.

Chateau de Chinon, Chinon

Entrance Gateway, Chateau de Chinon,
Chinon

Rue Voltaire is situated in the heart of Chinon. The street is lined with pretty 15th and 16th century houses. Several of the town's landmarks lie on or close to this street. These include Eglise St Maurice, and Maison Rouge, to name a couple. The Hotel de Ville, or the Town Hall, is situated close by.

Eglise St Maurice, Chinon

Fountain near Hotel de Ville, Chinon

Facade, Hotel de Ville, Chinon

Hotel de Ville, Chinon

Maison Rouge, Rue Voltaire, 
Chinon

Restaurant Au Local is one of Chinon’s most popular restaurants, largely due to its splendid location up on a hill rising above the town. On one side, one sees the entrance of Chateau de Chinon, and on the other side, one gets a scenic view of a vineyard. The restaurant’s local French menu is not extensive at all, but the items on the menu have been carefully selected, and the food is presented in a manner that is very pleasing to the eye.

Restaurant Au Local, Chinon

A meal at Restaurant Au Local, Chinon

View of the Vineyard, Restaurant Au Local

Lambert Winery is one of the many well-known wineries in the Loire Valley around Chinon. Wine tasting is a popular activity there, and one can taste wine from a vast array of red wines, white wines and rose wines.

Vineyard, Lambert Winery

Wine Barrel, Lambert Winery

Wine Bottles, Lambert Winery

Beaumont en Veron is a little village near Chinon. La Balastiere is a charming place where visitors can stay and enjoy the scenic countryside, dotted with vineyards.

La Balastiere, Beaumont en Veron

Vineyards around La Balastiere,
Beaumont en Veron

All in all, our experience in the Loire Valley was brilliant - stunning castles; beautiful wineries; scenic landscapes; great food; and friendly people. What more can a visitor ask for? Our delightful stay at La Balastiere, thanks to Thierry's hospitality and the beautiful property, made the visit even more memorable!