God's in his heaven and all is right with the world/ Dieu est dans son jardin et tout va bien dans le monde. Robert Browning

We began the morning with the Sunday Marche. This market is very well attended by many people from surrounding towns. In addition to the fruits & vegetables, they sell all manner of clothing, household goods, textiles & jewelry. I am again struck by how differently our lives would be if we shopped like this; not only on foot, but also with such farm fresh produce.

We then headed to Giverny and our definition of heaven/paradise. Giverny is a commune in the northern French department of Eure. A commune is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are analogous to civil townships & incorporated municipalities. The village is located on the right bank of the Seine, 80 km (50 mi) west-northwest of Paris in the region of Normandy. It is best known as the location of Claude Monet's garden & home.

Claude Monet noticed the village of Giverny while looking out of a train window. He made up his mind to move there & rented a house & the area surrounding it. In 1890 he had enough money to buy the house & land outright & set out to create the magnificent gardens he wanted to paint. Several American Impressionist artists also settled in Giverny, drawn by the landscapes, the overall atmosphere, & the presence of Monet.

Monet's haystacks in the countryside surrounding Giverny

Half-timbered houses in the village of Giverny
Monet's house & gardens

Beautiful, sunny dining room

Gorgeous stove with surrounding tiles
Photos inside Monet's home (courtesy Kathy)

For those of my friends who are not gardeners or at least botanical aficionados, I'll apologize in advance for the innumerable photos to follow. For me, this is the most impressive living gallery and it's nearly impossible to exclude them !

Beautiful reflection of the sky & clouds

And now on to the individual stars in the garden

For me experiencing Giverny today was the fulfillment of a long held desire, but as you can see here, this was a dream shared amongst the 3 of us.

Thanks for sharing it with us!

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Stockholm in the Fall- Millesgarden/ Stockholm på hösten-Millesgården

Today, on day 4 in Stockholm we plan to visit Millesgården which is the home of the famous sculptor Carl Milles & his wife Olga. Millesgården is an oasis just 20 minutes from downtown Stockholm. We took the Ropsten stop from Farsta on the subway & then transferred to a bus which got us close to Millesgården. It is located on the island of Lidingo. With its restful park, rippling sculptor fountains & flower-decked terraces, Millesgården is a unique environment that offers both relaxation & cultural experiences. The 5-acre museum park features sculptures, fountains, the artists's home, a collection of antiquities & an art gallery. The internationally renowned artist's most important works are installed here. Weather was quite cool walking from the bus, but the day warmed & skies turned blue. Unfortunately in her pursuit of the best photos, Kathy fell on uneven cobblestones & fractured her foot. We were so fortunate to be with Anita who...

Tending the heart, soul, mind & body/ Prendre soin du cœur, de l'âme, de l'esprit et du corps

Today is Cherie and Foy’s anniversary so we began the morning by walking to the Hotel d’ville or city hall with it's beautiful gardens across from the Chateau where they had their civil ceremony. After a photo session, we began the day’s adventures. The Musée (museum) Rodin was opened in 1919, primarily dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The collection included 6,600 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 8,000 photographs and 7,000 objets d’art. The gardens around the museum building contain many of the famous sculptures in natural, wooded settings. Rodin’s sculptures are the work of an artist who chose to defy the norms of his time; a bit out of step with contemporary aesthetic norms. This absence of artifice guarantees the timelessness of Rodin’s works. The Thinker or Il Penseur is perhaps the most famous of Rodin's sculptures. The pose is one of deep thought & contemplation and the statue is often used as an image to represent ...

Stockholm in the Fall- Katharine's church, Parish of Gustav Vasa and Royal Palace/Stockholm på hösten, Katarina kyrka, Gustav Vasa kyrka, Kungliga Slottet

After toast & coffee we bundled up for the day and headed down the hill to the Subway or Tunnelbana. This morning we were headed to central Stockholm & the Katarina kyrka or Katharine's church. The original church was constructed from 1656-1695. This Lutheran parish is where Anita was christened. In the surrounding neighborhood there are several very old buildings as evidenced by the dates on their facade. Many had really unique metal chimneys. The views looking back across the water were breathtaking. We continued in our church exploration mode & headed to the parish of Gustav Vasa ( remember the Vasa museum?) We encountered one of the parish ministers who Anita had met previously preparing for a baptism. She had spent a year in San Diego at UCSD. It was lovely to see several family & friends in attendance attired in their native dress. We headed back towards Gamla stan (Old Tow...

Paris in the Fall / Paris a l'automne

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