Monet's Garden

Our garden visits on this campaign so far had been a bit on the disappointing side, but our June 2nd trip to Giverny changed things entirely. Everything was in bloom, a riot of color. Contrary to the advice of Rickie Stevie, Vicki had booked us on the earliest train before opening, and we actually got in and through much of the garden and house before the first wave of tour buses arrived. After Versailles, Monet's garden is perhaps the most popular day trip from Paris. Vicki and I had visited Giverny once or twice before, many years ago, and once more recently, inadvertently driving through the town's pedestrian zone. We didn't stop to smell the roses.

Helpful map; Monet lived to a ripe old age, not all of it as a starving
artist; the house and gardens are not quite up to an English lord's great
house and park/garden, but he did employ as many as seven gardeners
at times

Allaying any concerns we might have had about the bloom, the
roses, the poppies, and nearly everything else were at or near peak

A little canal, feeding it all

On the ponds, the lilies less in evidence at this time

The bees were doing well

Now into the garden

Sailing On The Pond Du Luxembourg

It was on our first long stay in Paris, in 2014, that we spotted the sailing pond at Luxembourg Garden as something to interest our then- three-year-old grand-daughter. Indeed it did. We've been in the Garden on numerous occasions since then--our apartment for the past three years is 255 steps away, by Vicki's count--but haven't done the sailing thing in a while. Vicki and Penelope were sure to see we did it again in 2025.  

2014, with Marie de Medici's Luxembourg Palais in the background
(now the French Senate)

Fast-forward

Grandpa joins the action

Parisians love their parks...and nothing of size is as close-in as Luxembourg

Penelope in the doorway of our apartment building on
Rue Jean Bart

Louvre Couture, 2

Show stopper #2; "if I only had a brain..."

Similar gold inlay?

Cutting a wide swath #2

Rags and riches

Time-out to see whether another pyramide might fit

Definitely!

LV, of course

Would look great in a Cybertruck

I though it was a beach towel

Waistcoat with drawers (apologies to Dali)

Vicki and I watched The Da Vinci Code (first time for me) after P
rejoined her parents; ever since, we now genuflect (genuflect! genuflect!)
whenever we pass by the place in the Carrousel where, according to
Dan Brown and Ron Howard, Jesus' wife is buried...resquiescat in pace...
sorry about missing out on the Queen of Heaven thing...

Louvre Couture, 1

Our next outing, June 1st, took us back to the Louvre for its special exhibition Louvre Couture, which Penelope had indicated was of special interest. The exhibit--dresses and accessories from the great fashion houses, displayed throughout the Richelieu's decorative arts division--was devised to demonstrate the strong relation between art and fashion. So the "artistic statement" said. And in many cases, one could see a relationship between a dress or such and a tapestry or painting or sculpture or whatever. A key to understanding the thing, I surmise, is that the exhibit was less about the Louvre's collection than about art and fashion more generally. Mostly it reminded me of the V&A's special exhibition last year of Taylor Swift's "Eras" costumes, sprinkled about that huge museum. Interesting dresses in a museum. OK. But the V&A's exhibition was mostly a marketing ploy, to get a certain segment of the population into the museum. Louvre Couture was much more serious and substantive, and way, way over my head. The 38 pix in this and the next post represent my best if feeble effort to convey what it was all about. I'll try to help via email with any questions...

Click to enlarge and read the "statement pieces"

The interpretive signage was great, and I endeavored to
photograph most of them...but mostly the couture...

I'm seeing Byzantine but also Klimt...

Did you know that the French word for "rags" is chiffon

Show stopper and personal favorite: "Gothic"...
"let me slip into something more comfortable..."

Inspired by the vision of St. Eustache...but note that
that the dress is pure Bambi/Disney!

The vision of St. Eustache, FYI; obviously some bad mushrooms at
work here...

Moving right along, cutting a wide swath, #1

Not sure this was part of the show...silver, bronze, gold...
had to be welded on...

Gold bracelet with inlaid scenes of the Assumption, or
possibly the Ascension, the Annunciation, the Assimilation...
part of the permanent collection, not the show...I was
nonetheless impressed