After all the grandeur of Versailles we switched gears and found a small farm house in the village of Giverny. Giverny was put on the map when Claude Monet decided to live and work there, painting the haystacks in the surrounding fields, and the water lilies that grew in the pond on his estate. Monet’s house, garden, and water lily pond are maintained meticulously, so it was a magical visit. Our tour was given by a woman who’s been traveling from New Jersey to Giverny every year for 32 years to help out poor anglophones like us.
The weather was cool and rainy, just like it was part of the time in Versailles. It wasn’t quite what we were expecting (or hoping for) but it’s a nice change from sunny, warm Los Angeles so we’re making the best of it.
Our farm house was walking-distance from Claude Monet’s house and it was cool too. The couple who runs it has a pair of girls just a little older than Anna, so she had playmates although she was a little confused when they didn’t seem to understand what she said. Right under the floor of our spacious room was a water wheel pushed by a creek, but these days it generates electricity instead of grinding grain.
They keep two dogs, a 3-legged cat, a fledgling thrush, patagonian hares, an ostrich, a pair of ducks, alpacas, sheep, and geese, so there was lots to see and do. Did you ever wonder how you feed a baby thrush? We found out. You stick a pitch-fork in the ground and wiggle it around, because compressing the dirt makes earthworms wriggle to the surface. Then you pick them up and drop them down the beak of your hungry baby bird. Good to know.