MONET'S GARDEN, ENCORE

My what a difference the season makes

The photo above was taken by me in the first week of April, the opening weekend for the 2013 season of Monet's garden.

The photo below is of the lily pond and garden in the summer, courtesy of Paris du Jour. 

A return trip is most definitely in order, n'est-ce pas?

MONET'S WATER GARDEN

I was already smitten after seeing Monet's house and flower garden, but there was more in store on the other side of the road that bisects the property--the Jardin d'Eau or Water Garden. Signs pointed the way via an underground passage.

Claude Monet wanted to extend his gardens at Giverny beyond the walls of his flower garden, Clos Normand. In the 1890s he purchased the adjacent property across the road along a stream to create his now well-known and often painted pond and water garden.





Monet's bamboo garden is surrounded on one side by the meandering Ru, a small brook which is a diversion of the river Epte, which itself is a tributary of the Seine River.

The Ru winds its way around the bamboo eventually emptying into a pond where Monet planted his famous water lilies. 

The water lilies are dormant now in early April, but you can see the submerged rings from where they will grow. Can't you just imagine Claude Monet rowing about his pond surrounded by the magnificent water lilies he made so famous in his paintings? 

Walking around the pond the signs of early spring are evident. Yellow narcissus and violets are in bloom, while the tulips and other later flowering bulbs and flowers await their turn to show off their colors.

Despite the lack of flowers and colorful blooms, however, the reflection of the sky in the pond is a grand show in itself.

So grand, in fact, that two young artists show off their own impressions of Monet's water garden.

For another view of Monet's Garden, watch this short video of the delightful book Linnea in Monet's Garden:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj56NGwjdlc

AU PRINTEMPS à GIVERNY

If Springtime in Paris is lovely, spring is even lovelier in the countryside for this Walla Walla girl. And after a week of navigating crowded Metros, museums, and churches, a day trip to the small village of Giverny is a perfect antidote to city-fatigue. But why Giverny? It's the home of one of my favorite Impressionist artists Claude Monet. 

Getting there is easy. From Gare St. Lazare, take the train to Vernon. From there take a bus, rent a bike, or walk the last few miles to the village of Giverny.

Monet lived in this house with its famous pink crushed brick facade from 1883 until his death
 in 1926. Can't you just imagine the leafy Virginia creeper and fragrant roses all in bloom? 

ABOUT THE HOUSE

According to stories, Claude Monet noticed the village of Giverny while looking out of a train window. He made up his mind to move there and rented a house in the area surrounding it. In 1890 he had enough money to buy the house and land outright and set out to create a house big enough to accommodate his large family as well as the magnificent gardens he wanted to paint.

The pink color of the exterior walls and the green of the shutters was chosen by Monet. In those times, shutters were traditionally painted grey. Monet added a gallery in front of the house, a pergola covered with climbing roses, and grew the vine Virginia creeper on the facade as he wanted the house to blend in with the garden. The green color is also used on all of the benches, trellises, and fences throughout the estate.

At one end of the house, Monet added a room for his studio including this multi-paned north facing window which is noticeably of a different size and shape than the windows of the central, original part of the house.

At the opposite end, Monet designed a large kitchen with sleeping rooms for his four step-daughters above. Including these two additions, the house now measures 132 feet long by only 16 feet deep.

Some of Monet's most famous paintings were of his garden in Giverny famous for its rectangular Clos Normand (walled garden) with archways. This central path is known as the alley and is completely covered in late summer with colorful nasturtiums  under a canopy of climbing roses that grow across the iron arches. Note the green chain in the foreground preventing people from walking down the alley.

Because it was only the first week of April when I visited the garden, there were few blooms to be seen. Nevertheless, I was enamored by the bare bones architecture of the gardens themselves. And I appreciated being able to stroll about the grounds listening to the crunch-crunch of the gravel paths underfoot and the birds singing in the trees, all the while taking photos unhindered by crowds of people.

  

Early springtime allows for peek-a-boo
shots like this of the house as seen
from within the garden

RESTORATION & RECONSTRUCTION

When Monet and his family settled in Giverny in 1883, the piece of land sloping gently down from the house to the road was planted with an orchard and enclosed by high stone walls. Here Monet divided the nearly one hectare into flowerbeds where he married flower clumps of different heights to create volume. Fruit trees and ornamental trees rise above the assorted climbing roses, long-stemmed hollyhocks, and the waves of colorful annuals.

After Monet's death in 1926, his son Michel inherited the house and garden. He did not live there, and it was Monet's step-daughter Blanche who took care of the property. Unfortunately after WWII, the house and garden were neglected, and it was not until 1977 that a team of curators were appointed to not only restore but reconstruct the garden just as it was during Monet's life.

It took almost 10 years to restore the garden and the house since not much was left after the war. The greenhouse panes and windows in the house were reduced to shards as a result of the bombings. Floors and ceiling beams had rotted away, and a staircase had collapsed. Three trees were even growing in Monet's big studio.

In the Clos Normand (walled garden), soil was removed to find the original ground level. Then the same flower species as those of Monet were planted.

Thanks to generous donors the house underwent complete restoration. The antique furniture and Monet's collection of Japanese prints were restored, and public areas were created to accommodate visitors. Since September 1980, the property has been open to the public every year beginning April 1 through October 31. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giverny

APRIL IN PARIS-2013

Place Louis-Lepine - Marché aux fleurs

Two years ago this week, Doug and I were in Paris. (Little did I know then, that this would be the first of several trips to Europe we would take together after I retired.) Just being in Paris in the springtime made me feel like a kid at the carnival. So much to see, smell, hear, and experience all right there before me. 

It was early morning when we passed this flower market on our way to Sainte-Chapelle. The vendors were just setting up, but I knew immediately I had to return because this was a part of the 'other Paris' I wanted to see. 

So later that afternoon, after visiting the day's scheduled tourist sights, Doug and I found our way back to this spot on Île de la Cité in Paris' 4th arrondissement, where I reveled in the abundance of flowering plants, garden novelties, and the sweet smell of soil and water. 

Anyone who knows me knows well that gardening is a passion of mine. And it's not all about the plants. My backyard beds are also filled with an array flea market and thrift store finds that add a bit of character to the seasonal flowers, shrubs and trees. 

The collections of birdhouses caught my eye as I love enticing the birds to set up house in my garden. The vertical house (bottom right, above) is actually not a birdhouse but an insect hotel used in the garden to attract and house beneficial insects. Who knew?

More insect hotels (top shelf) and a dandy chicken. Did I mention that I have a huge collection of chicken "art" both in the garden and in my home?

And who doesn't love lanterns? Can't you just visualize them lit with candles hanging from the trees or set along a path to add soft light to a summer evening? 

But alas, all I could do is take pictures of everything I saw while visualizing it in my own garden back home. Still, not a bad way to spend an afternoon in Paris, n'est-ce pas? 

MY CAMERA SHY SELF PORTRAIT

City Daily Photo Challenge: April 1, 2015

Typically, I take awful selfies. Either my mouth is agape or my double chins are far too obvious. And they always look staged and unnatural. In short, I avoid them. Until I discovered the reflective selfie. Store windows, puddles, car windshields all have produced suitable to even nice selfies that I don't mind sharing. But bubbles?

In fact, this is the ultimate selfie. However, I only learned it was a selfie AFTER I took the shot and viewed it later on the bigger screen of my iPad. My original intention was to capture the rainbow colors of all the bubbles that shined like jewels against the sand. Little did I realize that within each of those bubbles is a self portrait of MOI! Very cool!

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Reflections on My Journey with the Internet:

Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks?

As I make my final preparations for my next trip to Europe at the end of April, ideas for my newest travel journal posted in real time flood my brain. WHEW! How far I've come in a few short months! And with that, what a good time it is to reflect on the evolution of my relationship with technology, social media, and the internet. 

This blog in addition to my As Seen By Susan Facebook page are both new adventures of mine that I launched during the first three months of 2015. It all began last fall when I took a trip to Istanbul, Turkey and Nice, France during which time I kept what I liked to call my "unofficial travel journal" on my personal FB page. Since I have been a picture-taker all my life, I figured it would be fun to post a few pictures now and then along with a bit of an explanation just to let people know where I was.

Little did I know when I posted my first few pictures how much my friends and family would enjoy them, nor how exciting it would be for me to see who "liked" each post and to read the comments. As a result, I began to post daily photos along with expanded commentary--be it a description of the location, the stories surrounding the photos, or my personal reactions or insights to traveling. Quickly I became hooked on the process, and as I took pictures each day, I found myself thinking how I could use them in my next Facebook post later that night back at my hotel.

After I returned home, I was surprised by another perk of posting my photo journal on Facebook--the Social Book. In a few short keystrokes, I was able to order a hard copy version of all my Facebook posts from the dates spanning my trip. So now I had a printed version of my photo journal, including all the "likes" and comments of my FB friends. How cool was that? (My answer: Very cool!)

Nevertheless, offhand comments by several people made me realize that I was not reaching all those friends and family who were not on Facebook. Thus, the seed for starting a blog was planted. But how? As an aside, I am a self-proclaimed technology-phobe and am not at all adventuresome on the internet. That I had figured out on my own how to post pictures and text on Facebook on my iPad for my unofficial travel journal was indeed my greatest accomplishment to date. But I was also aware that posting travel photos on my personal FB page had its limitations. (It had to do with mixing my public travel journal with my personal politics and other potentially controversial topics.) So that became the impetus I needed to learn how to create a second FB page that would be dedicated to my travel photos and commentary along with selected posts I chose to share from other sites.

Looking back three months out, it really was relatively easy, but at the time it was akin to taking "three giant steps for mankind." I studied pages of travel sites I followed on Facebook including The Good Life France  and Henri Loves Paris. I even messaged the authors who generously shared a few of their secrets of getting started. And so on January 1, 2015, I took the giant leap and launched my new Facebook site As Seen By Susan. However, I still was not reaching my friends who were Facebook averse, and that bothered me. I knew what it meant--writing a blog. But once again, how?

I read all the how-to posts online and tinkered with free sites such as Blogger, WordPress and Weebly. But at the first sign of confusion on my part, I baled. I asked online friends who blogged, and while all were very kind, their advice was basically to just jump in. So I examined the blogs of other sites I followed including two of my favorites-- Paris Adele and Paris Through My Lens, and on March 15 I gathered up my courage and jumped in. This blog site is the result.

Now I have a two platforms that serve multiple purposes as I ease into my second six months of my first year of retirement. Posting my photos gives me a creative venue to share my view of what I see--when I travel, or in my garden, or in Walla Walla (my hometown), or in the surrounding Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon. Writing allows me to practice the very skill I taught for 24 years to 6th and 7th graders and is another creative outlet. And having an internet presence via Facebook and my blog keeps me in touch with old friends while also making many new friends. 

I'd say this old dog most definitely learned a host of new tricks and can still proudly wear the badge of "Lifelong Learner."

ISLE SUR LA SORGUE

Sunday Open Air Market--Part One

I love flea markets and thrift store shopping. And even though I really don't "need" anything, I love browsing just to see what catches my fancy. Some of my favorite clothes, jewelry, and art de jardin (garden art) are flea market finds. And now with the arrival of spring, brightly colored garage and yard sale signs are popping up all over my town enticing me to come take a look. Is it any wonder then, that I was like a kid in a candy store when I visited the Sunday Open-air Market in l'Isle Sur la Sorgue last October?




First of all, a quick three words about the town itself: c'est bon, merveilleux, terrifique! In fact, it was everything this Walla Walla girl could imagine a small town in Provence could be. The town is situated along the meandering branches of the Sorgue River which explains the presence of so many antique water wheels once used in the prosperous silk and paper industry. This location combined with the narrow streets lined with small shops, restaurants and hotels, made l'Isle Sur la Sorgue a pleasant oasis after spending two previous weeks in the much larger cities of Nice and Istanbul.

We scheduled our visit to include the Sunday Market which is mentioned as a must-see in every travel guidebook in print. And I wasn't disappointed. To say it had everything from soup to nuts is not an exaggeration. But baggage and airline weight restrictions prevented me from making large-scale purchases, so instead I did a lot of virtual shopping with my camera. Allons-y!

Looking for a man's chapeau?

Or perhaps a woman's cloche or beret?

How about a pair of colorful canvas espadrilles?

Is that my stomach I hear growling? There's certainly plenty to eat.

Mmmmmm, this rotisserie poulet and
roasted pommes de terres smell good!

Cheese is always tasty especially French made frommage!

Cheese can be purchased by the full wheel or by the demi wedge.
Your choice.

Or how about a pizza, by the slice or by the pie?
No anchovies, s'il vous plait.

Don't forget dessert, to eat now or to take home for later.

These fruit crumbles look yummy!
Is the red one blackberry?

Or maybe nougat made with raspberries, violets, lemon or almonds.
I'll take a wedge of each.               

 Oh yes, don't forget the nuts.

 There's still a lot more to see. I think I'll take a break for a moment.  À tout à l'heure !

MORE ART OF THE PEOPLE

Graffiti or Street Art: Is there a Difference?

One of the things I love to photograph when I travel is the 'art' I see on the public buildings and walls. Which always brings me to ask myself--what is graffiti and what is street art, and is there a difference? In my home town, anything tagged, written, or drawn on public spaces without the consent of the owner is considered graffiti. Most of this is tagging by rival gangs who want to claim their territory and is usually removed by the owner soon after it appears.

Whereas, on Isla Mujeres I saw many examples of what I would call street art. That is, art created by an artist or group for the benefit of the people who live/work in the area. While styles and techniques vary from simple black and white line drawings to full color murals, it all caught my attention and made me stop and take notice. Here are some of my faves. 

Considering there is a Swim-With-the-Dolphins tourist attraction at the south end
of the island, this drawing may be a quiet political protest against that practice.

I don't know the meaning, but I love
the turquoise cat face on the yellow wall.

These two murals (above and below) appear on the front of a public building located next to the town square and tell a pictorial story of the island's Mayan history.

This colorful building is the streetside view
of a three story vacation rental unit.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, these two murals below (along with several others that I did not photograph) are part of a ground-breaking street art project called Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans. Last summer (2014) internationally renowned artists were invited to Isla Mujeres to paint large-scale public murals designed to raise awareness for the need to protect threatened whale sharks and oceanic manta rays. Had I known, I would have made a point to photograph all of them. I guess I'll just have to go back for a second visit!

A mural by Aaron Glasson and Yoh Nagao.

STREET ART

Feminine Rising

A mixed media collage of tile mosaic, paint and found objects caught my eye on this colorful wall along a side street in Isla Mujeres. With a closed door and no windows, it was hard to tell if this was a private residence or a members-only club. Definitely photo worthy.

SHADOWS on Isla Mujeres

“There is strong shadow where there is much light.”
 ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe