France
:
Days out from
Paris
[This section is in the earliest
stages of development: 28 December 2006
]
[See bottom of this
page for other France-related pages.]
Monet's water garden at Giverny (to
the west of
Paris
) is
excellent on a summer's day. There is a lovely cottage garden, and the famous
water garden with water lilies and Japanese bridges is not only beautiful, but also surprisingly tranquil despite the volume of tourists. I treasure
the video recordings I have made, and the photographs I have taken, on my several visits.
Also associated with Monet is Rouen
(to the north west of Paris).
Monet painted many canvasses of the cathedral in all different kinds of light.
A sequence of these paintings can be found in the Musée d'Orsay. I am unsure what
else there is for tourists in
Rouen
, although the ambience of the town square beside the church and market is very pleasant.
I should love to spend a quiet holiday visiting some of the riverside villages
frequented and painted by artists such as Monet (e.g. Veteuil)
and Van Gogh (Auvers sur
Oise).
Another impressive and historic cathedral is a Reims (to the east of Paris).
I remember little else about Reims.
However, it is possible to move on from here to visit the champagne region
around Epernay,
and to take a guided tour around some of the 'caves', such as Champagne
Mercier.
A third impressive and historic cathedral is at Chartres (to the south of Paris).
The stained glass windows are breath-taking (if you're
into that kind of thing) and are a challenge to video-record. The old town is
worth wandering around. Shrapnel holes from the second world
war remain visible in building walls.
Versailles
, in all
its pompous grandiosity, I found disappointing. There was virtually no
interpretation. The gardens, designed to be viewed
from a carriage rather than walked around on foot, at least require the
fountains to be playing, which appears to happen on only a handful of occasions
through the year. Disabled access was needlessly appalling. However, I know many
people who have been enchanted by their visit to
Versailles.
p.g.h@btinternet.com