Giverney

Started at the usual 8, headed out after breakfast towards Spain Laurent station- a much more modern station than expected. We had already bought tickets on the website, and had downloaded the train app for the trip to Arras, so it made it easy- just had to remember to bring the iPad as my unlocked phone too old to run it. A pretty full train - and we were right to board when we did, as the train was essentially full.  45 minutes later, we were at the station Vernon-Giverney, where helpful little footprints led us directly to the shuttle bus we wanted to catch.

A short 20 min drive later, we were dropped off at the parking area across the road from the little town. We followed a nice path under the road, a new pedestrian underpass, to the little village, and 10 min later we were walking into the garden.  We started with a visit to the house, but it was packed - not with tourists as much, but different school groups -with groups of kids from 3or 4ish up to 11 and 12 year-olds- so didn't linger, but took note of the things that surprised us. Things like the Japanese etchings that were predominant in about 4 of the rooms. 

We headed back out to the gardens, and took our time wandering and enjoying the stroll back under the road and to the water lilies pond. We actually made two circuits of the pond, then back around to the main garden. We wandered the outside edge, and came across the fowl we had heard, as the rooster was crowing. They are some heritage breeds of chickens that are being raised.

At this point, we took our second circuit of the house as the school groups had finished. Second loop allowed us to see details we had missed the first time, like several of the photographs on the desks. At this point, we were finished with the garden, and so headed through the little town to the Impressionist museum, where they were in the final days of an exhibition of impressionist paining where the unifying theme was musical instruments and music.

Continued a bit further through the town, the headed to the bust of Monet installed at the park before catching the shuttle bus back. We took care of a little chore fore Uncle Harley, and then caught the train back - it left the station on time, but then was delayed due to an incident on the Champs-Elysee, so we were later getting back to the hotel than planned.

One sink-full of laundry done, we hung it to dry and are relaxing for a bit of the evening for once. We will pack the bags in the morning, and we head to Munich tomorrow on the 15:55 TGV.