Do You Know the Way to Monet's Gardens at Giverny?

The Grande Allée in Monet's Clos Normand.
Giverny, France. September 2013

In Paris, the weather is anything but predictable, but you cannot wait around for a sunny day. So it was with umbrellas and raincoats that my husband and two friends left our apartments in the Marais neighborhood and descended into the Saint-Paul Métro station at seven that September morning. Destination: Giverny.

Switching once at the Châtelet métro (but we prefer to switch at Concorde), we traveled to the regional train station, Gare Saint Lazare. There, we purchased roundtrip SNCF tickets on the Rouen-bound train. Before boarding, we validated our tickets in the yellow boxes on the platforms. If you don't validate, you'll have to pay the conductor a fine when he comes around to check tickets.

After forty-minutes in our comfortable second class seats, we descended onto the platform at Vernon. Since there were four of us, we climbed into a taxi (instead of the buses) destined for the nearby village of Giverny. Minutes later, we were the first ones in the door at 9:30 a.m.

Easy—because I'm familiar with Paris and have been to Giverny. (Our friends later called me a Garmin GPS). Although it can be daunting to find your way to Giverny without a guide, you can go without a tour group.

Here are some tips to help you find your way, but remember to double-check all information before you go as anything can change.

SNCF Train Schedules
You can search for Paris to Vernon on the SNCF train website. Once you decide what time you want to depart Paris, plan how much métro (or taxi) time you need to get to Gare Saint Lazare. Allow another twenty minutes to get to the platform and purchase a ticket.

You don't need to purchase these train tickets online.

Paris Métro Map
Find the métro line closest to your hotel/apartment in Paris. You may have to switch trains to get on a line that goes to Saint Lazare.

Saint Lazare Train Station
From the métro—go up, up, up to the Grandes Lignes arrival and departure platforms (accès aux quais).

If you're not experienced with the ticket machines, go to the window and buy a round-trip (retour) ticket (billet) to Vernon on the SNCF train headed toward Rouen. For the forty-minute trip, a 2nd class train car is quite comfortable. No seat assignment is made for 2nd class. Choose an empty seat.

Make sure you get a train schedule when you buy the ticket so that you'll know what time to return to Paris.

France uses a twenty-four hour clock, so if you want to leave Monet's Gardens in the afternoon, add twelve hours. For example, 4:20 p.m. will show as16h20 on the ticket.

Once you have your ticket for Vernon, watch for departure  (départ) times on the big lighted overhead boards. You want the DIRECT train bound for Rouen with a travel time of 00h44 (forty-four minutes).

When a track (voie) number shows on the marquis, go to the bright yellow box at the beginning of that track and insert your ticket. Once validated, find a coach car for 2nd class and board.

Forty-minutes later, get off at the village of Vernon.

Outside and to the right of the train station, there will be buses waiting to take tourists directly to the nearby village of Giverny, where you'll find Monet's Gardens.

The buses park down the hill, across the road from the village, so it will take 5+ minutes to walk to the admissions door at Monet's Gardens.

Fondation Claude Monet
Located in the small village of Giverny, accessible from the town of Vernon.
Open April 1 until November 1
9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
9 euros for adult admission

You'll go through the gift shop first, so pick up a map of the gardens at the ticket window so you can find your way around. Just outside the gift shop, you'll find restrooms.

You cannot picnic in the gardens and there is no place to eat. Your ticket is valid until you exit. You cannot reenter on the same ticket. Once you've left the gardens, you can find several places to dine in the village.

When you're ready to leave, return to the bus parking lot at least 30 minutes before time to catch your train to Paris.

Once you are back at the Vernon train station, find the yellow box to validate your return ticket.

Enjoy your excursion!

Next post...the gardens.


In May 2009, my husband and I visited Monet's Gardens for the first time. Even though we've been to France every year since, it wasn't until September 2013 that we returned to Giverny. On this visit, we showed Southern Living writer, "The Grumpy Gardener" and his wife the way to this gardening mecca.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Pics from Paris: Seeing Red at Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg Gardens, Paris.  15 Sept 2013

The fashionable color combo around the Senate building at Luxembourg Gardens is red and purple. This is another favorite garden in Paris where I've never seen the same combinations repeated on my many visits over the years.

Familiar flowers combined for a unique design.
Castor bean, dahlias, petunias and geraniums dominate.

Panoramic view of public section of the gardens.
Pink (begonias and anemones) and blue plumbago towers (corners) are introduced.

I like the use of purple fountain grass and purple spires of salvia.

Add caption

I'm inspired by the spires of salvia. Love this look.

On a smaller scale, this would look great in a cottage garden.

The color coordination of my scarf with
the garden was purely coincidental.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel.  All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Pics from Paris: Dahlias are a Big Deal

Dahlia 'Bel Amour' at Jardin des Plantes. 15 Sept 2013

Jardin des Plantes is my favorite Paris garden, and I wander through on every visit, in different seasons and it's always delightful.

Huge dahlia blooms—in many forms and colors—are abundant right now. The flower trial sign indicates the varieties were created by Label Rouge and are "Les dahlias de qualité supérieure."

After enjoying our picnic on a bench in the gardens, I snapped a few dahlia photos to share with you. I can't decide which ones I like the best—do you have a favorite?

Huge blooms!

Dahlia 'Château de la Bordaisière'

Dahlia 'Flamina'

Dahlia 'Bumble Rumble'

Dahlia 'Fripon' is a short variety, paired with echinops.

Dahlia 'Néo'

Dahlia 'Colorama'

Dahlia 'Clair de Lune'

These red dahlias show the height of most.
Paired with deep red coleus, backed by grasses.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Pics from Paris: Louvre Lawnmowers

Tuileries Garden, Musée du Louvre in Paris. Sept 2013

Don't you know the goats would love a bit more rope to reach those flowers in the Tuileries Garden? A few days later, the goats were gone, but the grass was evenly trimmed in the ravine. Good work from the goats.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Dog-Friendly Fearrington Village

Once again, we have a dog in the family. Brie, our miniature poodle, loves to lunch with us so we're getting to know all the dog-friendly dining spots in the area. Fearrington is one of her favorite hangouts. We love it, too.

Puppy Brie sits patiently under our table at The Granary Restaurant.
Brie will be one year old on October 19, 2013.

Jenny's White Garden behind the Fearrington House Inn. May 2013

Fearrington Village, with the charm of an English hamlet, is located in the rolling countryside only ten minutes from Chapel Hill and thirty minutes from the Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina. Fearrington House Inn, with its renowned restaurant, is a member of Relais & Chateaux, a family of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in the world.

Whether overnighting at the Inn, dining outdoors or browsing in the shops, dogs on a leash are welcome to join their owners. They may even sniff out a rock covered with dog biscuits while strolling along a garden path.

Brie finds the dog cookies beside a path!
She was treated to another cookie while shopping at the Dovecote.

In addition to home and garden décor,
the Dovecote sells a large selection of pet products.

Will the real dog please bark?
Brie shopped for a great dog toy.

While humans shop at Dovecote for apparel and Paris-inspired home décor, pets may shop the huge selection of accessories. Pet beds, collars, books and toys make this a great stop with your pet or to take something home to your favorite dog or cat.

Ready to relax and read? McIntyre’s Books, an independent bookseller welcomes dogs in their cozy shop. With the ambiance of an English cottage, complete with fireplace and comfortable seating, the shop carries classics and bestsellers in fiction and non-fiction. As a writer, I'm always interested in attending their author events.

Brie wants someone to read to her as she checks out McIntyre's Books.

Beginning in spring and continuing in good weather, outdoor dining options include the Granary Restaurant for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.  My favorite lunch is the chicken salad and Richard is fond of the BLT. We both agree the Granary burger is one of the best around. While we can get these at dinner, we like to opt for something bigger, such as the herb crusted or parmesan crusted pork.

The Goat is the place to grab pastries, coffee and snacks as well as sandwiches, quiches and salads for lunch and dinner. My favorite sandwich happens to be a toasted ham with Brie (the cheese).

Dogs join in the seasonal weekend fun at the Roost Beer Garden, an outdoor beer garden with a wide choice of micro-brews. Serving up entertainment, guests may also order food from the Goat and participate in wine tastings with the sommelier. The charcuterie and cheese boards are fabulous with the wine and beer.

UPDATE July 30: My musician husband, Richard Roach, plays upright bass for the Boys from Carolina. Their performance scheduled for  Friday evening, August 2 had to be cancelled, so Tommy Edwards will be playing without the group.

According to Brie—when visiting Fearrington, there's no reason to leave your loyal canine at home.

Brie posing with the lion on The Roost front porch.
She has attended several music events in the beer garden,
but she drank water.

Fearrington will always be special to our family as one son was married here in 2012.

No perks, free meals or discounts for humans were given for this blog post. Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel.  All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

On the Waterfront in Charleston, South Carolina

Waterfront Park in Charleston, SC.
Nine A. M.  (looking away from the sun) January 13, 2013

A forecast promising sunny days and temperatures in the seventies was enough of a temptation to put us on the road to Charleston, South Carolina. With a drive time under five hours from our home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, we spent little time debating our getaway destination.

We stayed in the historic district where it was convenient to walk through the streets (a few remain cobblestone) in the French Quarter and South of Broad, including the famous Battery. We got caught up in the game of "which house do you want to buy?" as we wandered along the shady streets and drooled over the architecture of homes from the 1700 and 1800s.

It was "Restaurant Week" in Charleston, but the crowds weren't bad. We enjoyed a great dinner with coordinating flights of wine at Social Wine Bar on East Bay Street. We stopped in during the early afternoon and made our reservations for evening.

I started with the arugula and fennel salad with an herbal white wine, Grüner Veltliner, and it was a perfect pairing. My husband started with their homemade chips (blue cheese fondue and scallions) and a sparkling white wine. For entrees, he chose the seared scallops and I went with the flat iron steak over root veggies and a braised shallot ragu. I paired my steak with a bold red La Follette Pinot Noir (North Coast, California). We shared an amaretto tart for dessert. My apologies for the lack of food photos, but I was hungry!

For Sunday morning brunch, we dined at Eli's Table on Meeting Street. We managed to snag a great table in the courtyard and the weather was perfect. Although we opted for the "Mary and Polly Classic Breakfast" of eggs, bacon, grits (topped with cheese) and an English muffin, we drank pots of coffee and toasted with five dollar mimosas. The folks at the next table bragged about their bacon bloody Mary's and sweet potato pancakes with pecan butter—next time!

Our favorite spot to sit and soak up the scenery is the Waterfront Park. There are benches for sitting (while sampling pecan pralines picked up from the market) and wide gravel paths for strolling or running (to work off the calories).

Everywhere in Charleston, the people smile and welcome you. It's true that the city upholds the definition of real Southern Hospitality. Just go!

Waterfront Park in Charleston, SC.
Nine A. M.  (looking into the sun) January 13, 2013

Flower boxes in bloom in January--okay, I want to live there!

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Being in the Moment in Hawaii

Are all of your senses engaged in the here and now? Over five lovely days in Hawaii, I didn't spend hours attached to my cell phone or my computer. The Musician and I wanted to be outside—walking, seeing and being in the moment. As a writer, I pay attention to detail and mentally describe what I'm seeing and hearing. As a gardener, I pay attention to the landscape—trees, flowers, birds and the sky. As a traveler, I revel in the experience of "just being" in a place.

Artists painting by the ocean. Diamond Head. November 2012

We walked along Diamond Head Road in Honolulu and stopped to watch a group of artists. The billowing bronze grass is pressed down, creating a path that leads a tree-shaded spot on the cliff above the blue ocean. Umbrellas are poised, protecting the canvases from the glare of the morning sun while the artists wear broad-brimmed hats to shield their faces. What do I see? Seeking shade. An impressionist painting. I imagine an artist painting this scene. I think Renoir would have painted these painters as they painted their landscapes.

Diamond Head Lighthouse. November 2012.

Along the same road, we found the Diamond Head Lighthouse. The original was built in 1899 and the current structure uses the same Fresnel lens. My husband and I imagined being the keepers of the lighthouse, living at the base of Diamond Head, perched above the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. Sunshine, blue sky and sea on a beautiful day. At night, a bright moon reflects off of the white caps of crashing waves while the rotating beam of the lighthouse signals the shoreline to the passing boats.

Sunset at Waikiki Beach. November 2012.

The sunset draws a crowd on Waikiki Beach. An evening ritual—to watch the ball of gold melt into the horizon and disappear. Look closely at the shadowy figures on the beach. They are in motion. Running. Playing. A biker pedals beneath the towering palms. Sailboats glide silently across the quiet water.

I'm home again. I'm writing this post in my garden room while drinking my morning coffee. The sunshine is streaming through the windows and outside on the sunny front porch, my husband, The Musician, is playing guitar. I'm going to join him there to listen. Being in the moment.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Jardin des Plantes Is Better in Autumn

Jardin des Plantes, Paris in panorama mode. October 2012
(click to enlarge photos)

Jardin des Plantes in October exceeded my expectations with grand displays of color, especially through salvia, tropicals and grasses. This is my favorite garden in Paris, but all of my prior visits were in the spring when the tulips and forget-me-nots formed low carpets of color.

All of my photos were taken with an iPhone 4s with OS/6. Today, we went to a social hosted by realtor Adrian Leeds (you may have seen her on HGTV's House Hunters International). "Eye Phoned Paris" was presented by professional photographer Michael Honegger who introduced us to a few applications to edit and enhance photos taken with an iPhone. After I shot these photos, I played around with CameraBag and Iris Photo Suite, so some have been edited with filters. For true inspiration in photography, be sure to take a look at Michael's website.

We spent very little time in the gardens today as it began to sprinkle rain. Perhaps we'll return to the Jardins on this trip as I never made it through this one front garden, let alone the wooded paths or alpine garden. This is a true botanical garden with many (free) sections and I highly recommend visiting to stroll or admire the plantings.

Passiflora at Jardin des Plantes. Enhanced.
I used CameraBag "fish eye" and
Iris Photo Suite for the watermark.

Glorious red salvia greggii steals this scene (above).
Tall grasses and tropical foliage add height (below).

Beautiful mixed borders
fill Jardin des Plantes.

Salvia leucantha looking great.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Panoramic Paris

Photo taken using iPhone with IOS 6, Panoramic mode. October 2012

Double trouble? That's my wonderful husband (aka "The Musician") on the left, then he walked behind me and stood on my right while I scanned the scene in the panoramic mode with my iPhone. (click the photos to enlarge) To take the panoramic photos, you'll need to upgrade your iPhone to IOS/6. Cool trick, huh?

The Musician then took my photo in the Tuileries, outside the Louvre Museum. We're celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary and having a great time catching up with expat friends and eating far too much. That said, we walked at least six hours today.

À bientôt!

That's me with the umbrella on the left and again on the right.
Who else wears sunglasses in the rain?

Louvre from the Tuileries.

View from terrace atop Galeries Lafayette.

View of Île de la Cité.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Free Palace in Paris

Is the line to visit the Louvre or Musée d'Orsay too long? Are the crowds at the Eiffel Tour overwhelming? Instead of paying and spending time waiting, there are free museums in Paris where you can walk right in and enjoy a bit of elbow space and quiet as you get up close to the exhibits.

Except for special exhibits and the archaeologic crypt and catacombs, there is no admission fee to see the permanent collections in the municipal museums in Paris. While residents of Paris are well aware of this benefit, most visitors are focused on the "must see" famous sites.

The courtyard garden inside Le Petit Palais.

Le Petit Palais is a charming palace on a human scale. Located directly across Avenue Winston Churchill from Le Grand Palais, the smaller palace is filled with sculpture, paintings and relics. While you won't find the Mona Lisa, the galleries include representative examples over the ages: Paris 1900, Seventeenth-Nineteenth Centuries, Renaissance, Eastern and Western Christian, Ancient Greeks and Romans as well as Graphics, Photographic Collections, Books (including Oscar Wilde) and Manuscripts.

Le Petit Palais was built for the 1900 World's Fair. There are four wings to this trapezium structure that surround a central garden. The architecture and decoration make the Palais worth a short visit, even if you have no interest in the art collections. If you've been walking down the Avenue des Champs d'Élysées and are heading toward the Louvre or Invalides, the garden is a pleasant place to take a break.

There is a café for beverages and snacks, but with all the wonderful foods available in Paris, go somewhere else for a complete meal. The museum is closed on Monday and holidays, but it is open other days from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm, with last admittance at 5:00 pm.

In the garden.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.