I didn't want to go to Monet's gardens in the first place. I hate looking round gardens and the wife knows this, but we had some time to kill last Thursday before making our way to Calais and home. Yes - I am an artist but I have read all about old Claude and seen his masterpieces and the pictures at Giverny are not the originals anyway.
To keep the peace and with nothing better to contend with we found the place just a kilo or two from Vernon. Not difficult due to the traffic and hoardes of people. The car park leads you to this impressive modern building and you queue to pay 4€ (anciennes ie wrinklies rate) entrance. OK good deal I thought, then you follow the queue round a sort of museum/gallery and out again. Of course you have to see the famous gardens, water lilies included so you follow the crowd down a lane to the entrance to the garden.
Ah ha! Pay again, 12€ each and no concessions. I had a right go at the Frog lady behind the screen, knowing I wouldn't get anywhere and paid up. At least I had satisified myself showing displeasure at being there and the wife not liking a scene as she calls it.
The house and gardens are OK but crowded and full of old people who are regardless of any other folk on the narrow paths and stop and hee haw for ever. I managed a shot of the place to satisfy Madam and one of her on the bridge. I like the incongruous inclusion of the artic truck in the background as it rumbled past on the main road. Then I managed to extricate us.
Rip off compounded by the fact that his atelier is now the shop!
