Weekend in Paris #10

A picturesque jaunt to Giverny.

Weekend in Paris is a bonus series for paid subscribers—it’s one part recap of my off-duty fun as a baking school student, one part dishing about (temporary) expat life. This post is now unlocked for all readers to enjoy. Bienvenue!

If I lived here, I’d definitely take up painting. 😍

I spent the first, then the second anniversary of my mom’s passing gazing upon the life’s work of French impressionist painters.

So when her sister—my fabulous aunt!—arrived in town, it seemed like a natural moment to visit Monet’s home and gardens together. Especially because she’s an art history buff, and a talented artist herself.

Today’s letter is a dispatch from our day trip to Giverny with plenty of photos of the grounds in full bloom.

My aunt was visiting with her friend from a French immersion program they took together. So not only did I get to make a new friend on the way to Giverny, I also got to rely on their objectively superior language skills throughout the weekend. Score!

We met at the Saint-Lazare train station, which also happens to be the subject of a series of Monet paintings. Coffee and pastries in hand, we managed to find our Normandy-bound train with a few minutes to spare.

(This last detail may sound like a no-brainer, but a dozen years ago, I boarded the incorrect high-speed train on my way from Paris to Barcelona. A lovely French woman took pity on me—helping me narrowly avert disaster—but still, the experience left an emotional scar.)

The train drops visitors in nearby Vernon rather than small-town Giverny itself, so we followed the departing passengers toward a shuttle bus, then fumbled our way through our ticket purchase. Soon, we were deposited a short walk from Monet’s home, where we got to enjoy his collection of Japanese artwork and copper pots.

The crown jewel of the property, however, is the gardens, which were Monet’s labor of love for more than four decades.

They’re divided into two parts: one row garden on dry land, plus the iconic water garden of Water Lilies fame. (I can only imagine that the pond we saw in early spring is chock-full of lilies later in the season.)

Our visit was defined by vibrant spring blooms like tulips. As we enjoyed a walking meditation through the property, my mind kept wandering to the many gardeners who must be employed to keep the grounds in stunning shape, and to shift their composition to meet each changing season.

This day trip wasn’t the end of our time together. We devoured buckwheat-flour Breton galettes at Breizh Café, window-shopped at La Grande Épicerie, gaped at Sacré-Cœur, and shared a green risotto of spring morels, asparagus, and turnip tops at L’altro Frenchie.

But from the clear blue skies to the rainbow of tulips to our post-visit apple sorbet with Calvados (a Norman specialty!), it was Giverny that left the biggest impression.

And yes, that pun was absolutely intended.

With that, it’s back to the (fabulous) grind. I’ll be back with another baking school recap on Friday!

Warmly,
Maddie

Breakfast Club is a newsletter about pastries with a side of personal growth, from an ex-financial planner turned baker. If you savored this edition, click the ❤️ (or share with a friend!) to help new readers discover it—and subscribe to get each letter fresh from the oven.