Monday 5 April, Easter Monday

Spring flowers in bloom in Monet's garden

Up early for our trip to Giverny and Monet's garden. We walked to Concorde and took metro line 12 to Gare St Lazare. Our train to Rouen left at 10.34, and when the platform was announced, there was a stampede for seats. We got two good seats by the window. We travelled along by the Seine, stopping once before we reached the small town of Vernon.

The water gardens had many pathways and small bridges

There we got a coach to Giverny. It took about 10 minutes. At the ticket office we queued for nearly an hour. We first saw the Jardin Clos Normand which boasted spring flowers such as hyacinths, pansies and daffodils. A Chinese boy interviewed me for TV but I couldn't tell him much.

Inside Monet's house were many paintings which inspired him

Then we crossed underground to the water gardens and walked round all the paths several times. The was an arched bridge where people wanted a photo taken, and two straight bridges, all new since Monet's time: he died in 1926.

Then we visited Monet's house and saw all the rooms full of paintings from his collection. We had lunch in a nice tea room where we got open sandwiches.

We got the coach back to Vernon and waited for the 16.52 train to Paris which was full.

In the evening we walked to Drouant, a very nice restaurant near the Opera where we enjoyed a 3 course dinner.